Bachelor's degree in Business or related field; Accounting or Finance preferred.
7+ years of experience in SBA lending, with a focus on underwriting SBA 7(a) and 504 loans.
Strong knowledge of SBA lending processes, including credit underwriting and eligibility requirements.
Proven ability to engage with senior and executive management effectively.
Excellent communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong judgment and decision-making capabilities, especially in resolving escalated issues.
Proficient in Microsoft Office and relevant custom applications.
Responsibilities
Execute and uphold the Bank's credit policies within SBA Lending.
Provide oversight on SBA loan requests, evaluating underwriting and overall credit risk.
Review and recommend credit packages prepared by the underwriting team.
Collaborate with SBA Lending teams to support growth while maintaining credit discipline.
Cultivate relationships to monitor market conditions and regulatory changes.
Deliver insightful reporting to senior leadership on credit quality and emerging risks.
Oversee ongoing credit quality of the SBA portfolio and borrower performance.
Benefits
Comprehensive health insurance options.
Retirement savings plan with company match.
Professional development opportunities and training.
Flexible work arrangements.
Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.
Full Job Description
Job Description
The SBA Credit Officer executes credit risk management strategies for the SBA Lending division, ensuring strong credit quality, sound loan structures, effective ongoing monitoring, and adherence to bank credit policy and applicable SBA program requirements. This role provides strategic oversight of credit and risk activities and partners closely with SBA Lending leadership to support profitable, well-structured borrower relationships.
Responsibilities
Executes and upholds the Bank's credit policies within SBA Lending, ensuring consistent application of credit standards and applicable SBA program requirements across lending relationships.
Provides credit oversight and guidance on SBA 7(a) and 504 loan requests, including complex or higher-risk transactions, evaluating the adequacy of underwriting, loan structure, repayment capacity, collateral, eligibility, and overall credit risk.
Reviews and provides departmental credit approval or recommendation, within delegated authority, for credit packages prepared by the underwriting team before submission to the appropriate designated approval authority.
Partners with SBA Lending sales, operations, and senior leadership to support strategic growth while maintaining strong credit discipline and appropriate balance between business objectives and risk.
Cultivates industry, client, and internal relationships to monitor market conditions, anticipate regulatory and SBA program changes, and gather insights that support informed credit decisions.
Develops, analyzes, and delivers reporting to Loan Committee, the Board of Directors, and senior leadership, providing meaningful insights into credit quality, portfolio trends, concentrations, emerging risks, and SBA program compliance.
Oversees the ongoing credit quality of the SBA portfolio, including borrower performance, covenant and reporting compliance, collateral considerations, loan modifications and servicing activity, and other factors that may impact the Bank's credit exposure or SBA guaranty.
Identifies emerging risks, trends, or deterioration in borrower performance and recommends appropriate action plans, credit adjustments, servicing strategies, or exit strategies, promptly escalating material concerns to upline credit management.
Ensures SBA credit activities are conducted in accordance with Bank credit standards and applicable SBA program requirements, including eligibility, underwriting, loan structure, documentation, collateral, guaranty, closing, and servicing requirements.
Provides guidance and direction on escalated credit, eligibility, structuring, closing, and servicing matters and partners with SBA Lending teams to resolve issues that could impact credit quality, compliance, or preservation of the SBA guaranty.
Contributes to credit policy refinement, underwriting standards, workflow optimization, and process modernization to improve efficiency, consistency, and risk oversight.
Provides leadership, coaching, and development to SBA credit staff, promoting sound credit judgment, consistent underwriting standards, and effective risk identification and escalation.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business or a related field required. Accounting or Finance degree strongly preferred.
7 or more years' experience in SBA lending, including significant experience underwriting SBA 7(a) and 504 loans and demonstrated expertise evaluating complex commercial credit transactions. Prior credit leadership, management, or approval authority experience strongly preferred.
Demonstrated knowledge of SBA lending, including credit underwriting, eligibility, loan structuring, closing, servicing, and guaranty requirements applicable to the bank's SBA portfolio.
Ability to interface effectively and professionally with senior and executive-level management.
Ability to communicate technical information clearly, both verbally and in writing, to technical and non-technical audiences.
Excellent judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to effectively resolve escalated concerns from staff and stakeholders.
Excellent PC skills, including Microsoft Office products and relevant custom applications and systems.
Excellent analytical, time management, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
Self-motivated with strong initiative, accountability, and attention to detail.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals in, or assigned to, the above position and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required, and may be changed at the discretion of the Company.
About Hilltop Holdings Inc
Hilltop Holdings Inc is a financial holding company that provides banking, mortgage origination, and insurance services to individuals and businesses. The company operates through its banking, mortgage origination, and insurance segments. Its banking segment provides a range of deposit products, lending services, and other financial services. The mortgage origination segment provides mortgage loans through its network of loan officers and mortgage brokers. The insurance segment provides insurance products through its subsidiary, National Lloyds Corporation.
