POSITION SUMMARYThe Chief Credit Officer (CCO) is responsible for leading the company's credit strategy, underwriting standards, portfolio risk management, and overall credit culture. This role ensures that lending decisions are sound, consistent, compliant, and aligned with the company's growth goals and risk appetite.
The CCO oversees the full credit lifecycle, including underwriting, approvals, portfolio monitoring, collateral analysis, risk rating, policy development, credit committee processes, and workout/problem-loan management. The role works closely with executive leadership, originations, portfolio management, operations, legal, finance, and external lending partners.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSCredit Strategy & Leadership- Develop and oversee the company's overall credit strategy, risk appetite, and lending standards.
- Establish a strong credit culture focused on disciplined underwriting, risk management, and portfolio quality.
- Partner with the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team on growth strategy, capital allocation, and portfolio performance.
- Lead, mentor, and manage the credit, underwriting, and/or portfolio management teams.
- Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team and credit committee.
Underwriting & Credit Approvals- Oversee underwriting for new loan opportunities, renewals, amendments, and restructurings.
- Review and approve credit memoranda, borrower financial analysis, collateral analysis, cash flow projections, and risk assessments.
- Ensure credit decisions are supported by appropriate financial, operational, collateral, and legal diligence.
- Evaluate borrower management teams, business models, industry trends, liquidity, leverage, and repayment capacity.
- Structure transactions to appropriately balance borrower needs, collateral protection, risk, and return.
Credit Policy & Procedures- Develop, maintain, and enforce credit policies, underwriting guidelines, approval authorities, and risk-rating methodology.
- Ensure policies remain appropriate as the company grows and market conditions change.
- Create consistent standards for collateral eligibility, advance rates, covenant requirements, reserves, reporting, and monitoring.
- Identify gaps in credit processes and implement improvements to increase efficiency, consistency, and risk control.
Portfolio & Risk Management- Monitor portfolio performance, borrower trends, collateral coverage, covenant compliance, delinquencies, and credit deterioration.
- Identify emerging risks and recommend proactive actions to protect the company's capital.
- Oversee portfolio reviews, watchlist reporting, risk ratings, and problem-loan management.
- Review borrowing base certificates, field exam results, appraisals, financial statements, and other borrower reporting.
- Partner with portfolio management and operations teams to ensure ongoing compliance with loan terms and collateral requirements.
Credit Committee & Reporting- Lead or participate in credit committee meetings and present recommendations on new deals, renewals, amendments, and exceptions.
- Provide clear, concise credit reporting to senior management, the board, investors, bank partners, and other stakeholders.
- Track and report key credit metrics, including portfolio quality, concentration risk, exceptions, delinquencies, non-performing loans, charge-offs, and covenant defaults.
- Document credit decisions, approvals, policy exceptions, and risk mitigants.
Problem Loans & Workouts- Oversee troubled credits, default management, workout strategies, restructurings, and liquidation plans.
- Work with legal counsel, collateral specialists, and management to protect the company's position.
- Recommend reserves, charge-offs, amendments, forbearance agreements, or enforcement actions when appropriate.
- Ensure timely escalation of borrower issues and credit deterioration.
Compliance & Governance- Ensure lending practices comply with applicable laws, regulations, internal policies, investor requirements, and bank facility requirements.
- Support audits, examinations, due diligence reviews, and lender/investor reporting.
- Maintain strong documentation standards for credit files, approvals, amendments, exceptions, and ongoing monitoring.
- Help strengthen internal controls around credit approval, collateral monitoring, and portfolio oversight.
