Senior Loan Underwriter

Career Opportunities with Avana Companies

A great place to work.

As a people-first organization, AVANA Companies is the sum of our team members. Our team is the heart of our organization, across all our brands. Given everything they bring to the table, our goal is to enrich their lives as much as we enrich the lives of our clients and partners. At the end of the day, our passion is our people, and our purpose is to deliver Capital for a Better Tomorrow.

As a united team, we passionately pursue that purpose – ultimately creating a lasting impression on our own lives and the lives of people around the world. We’re lucky that every day we get to collaborate and work together to accomplish that. It’s one of the many factors that make us a family of companies.

Location: Peoria, AZ (on-site/hybrid) — Remote also considered in OR, WA, TX and UT

Reports To: VP of Credit / Chief Credit Officer

AVANA Companies is seeking an experienced Senior Loan Underwriter to evaluate, structure, and recommend commercial real estate and small business loans for approval. This role requires strong financial analysis skills, sound credit judgment, and the ability to manage a pipeline of complex deals from application through closing. The ideal candidate has deep experience underwriting CRE and/or SBA/USDA loans and is comfortable working cross-functionally with sales, credit committee, and closing teams.

• Perform comprehensive credit analysis of borrowers, guarantors, and collateral for commercial real estate and small business loan requests
• Analyze financial statements, tax returns, cash flow projections, and global debt service coverage to assess repayment ability
• Evaluate loan-to-value (LTV), debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), debt yield, and other key credit metrics against AVANA's credit box and applicable program guidelines (SBA, USDA, conventional)
• Structure loan terms and conditions that appropriately balance risk and return, recommending mitigants where needed
• Prepare clear, well-supported credit memos and present recommendations to credit committee
• Order, review, and interpret appraisals, environmental reports, title reports, and other due diligence documentation
• Ensure loans are underwritten in compliance with internal policy, investor requirements, and relevant regulatory guidelines (e.g., SBA SOPs, USDA guidelines)
• Collaborate with loan officers/originators to structure deals during the pre-application stage and clarify conditions during underwriting
• Partner with closing, legal, and servicing teams to ensure a smooth handoff from approval to closing
• Identify and elevate credit risks, policy exceptions, and red flags throughout the underwriting process
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior underwriters and analysts
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of CRE market conditions, industry trends, and changes to SBA/USDA program requirements
• Manage a pipeline of active files, meeting turn-time expectations and service-level standards

Required:

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or related field (or equivalent experience)

5+ years of commercial real estate and/or small business loan underwriting experience

Strong working knowledge of SBA 7(a)/504 and/or USDA B&I loan programs or conventional CRE loan products strongly preferred

Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial statements, tax returns, and cash flow projections

Solid understanding of commercial real estate valuation, market analysis, and collateral risk assessment

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including credit memo writing and committee presentation

High attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple files…