Internal Audit Consultant – Commercial Credit & Lending

Overview

The Audit Consultant – Commercial Credit & Lending serves as a senior subject matter expert within Internal Audit, providing deep insight, independent challenge, and risk-based assurance over Commercial Banking credit activities. This role is responsible for executing and influencing complex audit engagements focused on commercial loan products, borrower and relationship-level credit risk, portfolio quality, and enterprise risk management practices. The successful candidate brings a comprehensive understanding of commercial banking operations, credit underwriting, portfolio management, collateral valuation, and regulatory expectations, and applies this expertise to assess the effectiveness of internal controls, risk governance, and management practices.

This position operates with a high degree of independence and visibility and partners closely with senior audit leaders, business executives, and regulators.

• Audit Execution & Risk Coverage:
  Stay current on evolving industry practices, regulatory guidance, and emerging risks impacting commercial credit and lending; proactively advise audit leadership on risk coverage considerations.
• Audit Execution:
  Execute complex, risk‑focused audit procedures related to commercial credit risk, ensuring strict adherence to internal audit methodology, professional standards (IIA), and regulatory expectations.
• Credit Risk Evaluation:
  Assess the design and operating effectiveness of credit risk controls through detailed analysis of financial statements, borrower performance, underwriting quality, and collateral documentation.
• Underwriting & Portfolio Monitoring:
  Perform independent, risk‑based reviews of commercial loan underwriting, credit approval decisions, risk ratings, covenant structures, collateral adequacy, and ongoing portfolio monitoring practices to assess adherence to internal credit policy and regulatory expectations.
• Credit Quality & Risk Reporting:
  Evaluate credit quality trends, portfolio concentrations, risk ratings, and loan exposure to support scoping, conclusions, and assurance opinions.
• Findings & Recommendations:
  Analyze audit findings requiring advanced judgment and analytical depth; develop thoughtful, pragmatic, and value‑added recommendations for inclusion in executive‑level audit reports.
• Validation Testing:
  Lead and support validation testing for Internal Audit and regulatory issues requiring commercial credit subject matter expertise.
• Data Analytics & Insight:
  Incorporate data analytics, portfolio‑level insights, and trend analysis throughout all phases of the audit lifecycle.
• Delivery:
  Deliver assigned audit work on time and within budget, requiring minimal oversight from audit management.

• Serve as a commercial credit subject matter expert, coaching and mentoring audit team members through formal and informal knowledge sharing.
• Tailor guidance and feedback based on experience level to strengthen team capability and elevate audit quality across the department.

• Adhere to all company policies, risk management frameworks, and regulatory standards applicable to audit and operational risk.
• Support a strong control environment, including timely remediation of internal and external audit issues and regulatory findings.
• Champion an inclusive, collaborative work environment that reflects the M&T Bank brand and values.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Operates independently within a matrix environment, delivering high‑quality, value‑added audit results across complex Commercial Banking activities.
• Demonstrate deep working knowledge of commercial credit regulatory guidance and examination expectations (e.g., safety and soundness standards, credit concentration risk management, CECL governance, and Shared National Credit concepts, as applicable) and support Internal Audit readiness for regulatory reviews and examinations.
• Produces audit work papers and reports that meet Audit Committee expectations and regulatory scrutiny.
• Maintains ongoing interaction with Senior, Middle, and Line Management, External Auditors, and periodic engagement…