Director Credit Risk Review

Overview

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we’re committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

The Director of Credit Risk Review is responsible for leading the independent credit review function for a mid-sized, regional bank with diversified commercial and retail lending portfolios. This role ensures the integrity of the Bank’s credit risk management framework by independently evaluating asset quality, underwriting practices, risk ratings, and adherence to internal policies and regulatory expectations. The Director will provide objective assessments to senior management and the Board of Directors’ Risk Committee, identifying emerging risks, portfolio trends, and opportunities to strengthen credit risk governance.

• Lead and manage the Credit Risk Review (CRR) function as an independent second/third line of defense aligned with regulatory expectations (e.g., SR 13 3 / OCC guidance).
• Develop and execute a risk-based credit review plan covering commercial, CRE, C&I, consumer, and residential portfolios.
• Report regularly to executive management and the Board Risk Committee on credit quality, risk rating accuracy, and emerging risks.
• Ensure independence from the credit approval and portfolio management functions.

• Assess the quality of credit exposures across:
• Commercial Real Estate (CRE)
• Commercial & Industrial (C&I)
• Small Business / SBA
• Retail portfolios (mortgage, home equity, auto, unsecured)
• Evaluate portfolio trends, concentrations, and risk appetite alignment.
• Identify and elevate systemic weaknesses in underwriting, structure, or policy adherence.

• Oversee periodic loan reviews to validate:
• Risk ratings / internal credit grading accuracy
• Borrower financial performance and repayment capacity
• Collateral valuation and monitoring
• MIS for commercial and retail lending asset quality and underwriting trends
• Ensure timely identification of criticized/classified assets.
• Perform root-cause analysis on credit issues and losses.

• Ensure compliance with:
• Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness
• OCC/FRB guidance on credit risk review and asset quality
• CECL-related credit quality inputs (as applicable)
• Evaluate effectiveness of credit policies, underwriting standards, and risk management practices.
• Support regulatory examinations and internal audit coordination.

• Develop robust reporting on:
• Risk rating accuracy and migration trends
• Criticized and classified asset levels
• Portfolio stress indicators and early warning signals
• Leverage analytics to enhance risk identification and monitoring.
• Provide actionable insights, not just findings.

• Track and validate remediation of identified findings.
• Recommend enhancements to underwriting, monitoring, and credit risk governance.
• Promote best practices across commercial and retail lending teams.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of credit review professionals.
• Set performance expectations and ensure high-quality, consistent reviews.
• Foster a culture of independence, accountability, and constructive challenge.