What is the role?The Senior Commercial Credit Analyst (Senior CCA) is responsible for conducting comprehensive financial analyses on prospective borrowers and commercial credit requests. This includes the collection, interpretation, and evaluation of business, commercial real estate, and personal financial information to assess credit quality, evaluate repayment capacity, and support sound lending decisions. The SENIOR CCA plays a key role in identifying and mitigating risk, helping to protect the Credit Union from potential loss.
The Senior CCA is primarily focused on underwriting new commercial credit requests and other assigned credit transactions. This position is expected to independently manage a high volume of complex underwriting assignments, exercise sound credit judgment, and prepare thorough and well-supported credit recommendations for presentation to the appropriate approval authority. The SENIOR CCA also serves as a resource to other analysts by providing guidance, mentoring, and feedback to promote consistency and quality throughout the underwriting process.
What will be expected of me?- Accurately and efficiently spread and analyze business and personal financial statements and tax returns to assess creditworthiness, repayment capacity, and overall financial strength.
- Perform comprehensive analysis of commercial real estate and business credit requests, including cash flow, service coverage, financial trends and ratios, industry considerations, guarantor support, collateral adequacy, and other relevant credit factors.
- Clearly articulate the loan purpose, sources of repayment, key risks and mitigants, loan policy exceptions, and the adequacy of loan structure and collateral. Complete and assign appropriate risk ratings for assigned credit requests.
- Prepare comprehensive and well-supported credit approval packages for submission to the Loan Committee and other approval authorities in a timely manner.
- Evaluate proposed loan structures and recommend terms and conditions that appropriately balance member needs with the Credit Union's risk tolerance and lending policies.
- Collaborate with Commercial Loan Officers and Credit Administration throughout the underwriting process to identify credit strengths and weaknesses, address underwriting questions, and develop appropriate solutions for complex credit requests.
- Identify material risks, adverse trends, industry concerns, collateral issues, and other factors that may affect the credit quality or repayment capacity of prospective borrowers and clearly communicate findings and recommendations.
- Ensure full compliance with all applicable commercial lending laws, banking regulations, and internal credit policies by maintaining up-to-date knowledge and applying best practices.
- Stay informed on external economic and industry trends that may affect credit risk, borrower performance, and commercial lending decisions.
- Participate in department-wide initiatives, including internal and external audits, system enhancements, and the selection and implementation of new credit and loan platforms.
- Provide mentoring and training support to peer analysts, including reviewing and providing feedback on credit presentations and other underwriting analyses to ensure consistency and quality.
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned, contributing to overall departmental efficiency and effectiveness.
- Coaches, reviews, and delegates work to lower level professionals
- Other duties as assigned.
Will I have Direct Reports? No
What am I bringing?Experience/Education:- 8+ years financial industry experience
- 6+ years of Commercial Credit Analyst experience
- Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting or business equivalent (9+ years of experience).
Skills and Abilities:- Solid knowledge of current banking laws, regulations, and credit union practices.
- Proven expertise in financial statement analysis, with the ability to assess creditworthiness across a variety of industries.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex credit issues clearly and concisely.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with effective time management and prioritization skills.
- Demonstrates strong personal accountability and ownership of work, with the ability to manage processes and deliverables independently with minimal supervision.
- Comfortable and capable of working in a high-volume environment, handling multiple assignments concurrently, while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.
- Skilled at identifying credit strengths, weaknesses, industry risks, and anomalies that warrant further analysis. Prepares comprehensive credit summaries and communicates recommendations efficiently and effectively.
- Exercises sound judgment and operates autonomously on most credit decisions; seeks input as needed for more complex or nuanced cases.
- Possesses an advanced understanding of commercial lending principles and practices, with a growing awareness of organizational goals and the competitive landscape.
- Adept at solving complex and sometimes ambiguous problems independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
- Accountable for leading large, complex projects, programs, or processes with minimal oversight while delivering significant business results.
- Exercises independent judgment on complex business issues and develops solutions to ambiguous or high-impact challenges.
- Recognized subject matter expert with advanced expertise in the functional area and strong understanding of organizational strategy, operations, and industry trends.
- Influences policies, practices, and decisions across departments through expertise, consultation, and trusted partnerships.
- Senior individual contributor who provides technical leadership, mentors professionals, and may lead project teams without formal people management responsibilities.
- Partners with leaders and cross-functional teams to solve complex business challenges and advance organizational priorities.
- Leads strategic projects and recommends improvements to processes, programs, and business practices that enhance organizational performance.
What is the work environment like, and are there physical requirements for this role?- Hybrid: Typically, a dispersed, flexible team environment both on Westerra campus (at least 2x/week) and remote. Employees must reside in Colorado or be willing to relocate prior to starting employment. Residency is required for payroll and state tax purposes.
- Office environment, works primarily at a desk
- Some travel within Colorado.
Salary: in addition to the starting annual range of $110,000 - $130,000, this role is also eligible for annual bonus potential tied to Westerra's financial performance.
What are some of our benefit offerings?- Three health plans through UMR that offer a variety of coverage options, including HSA and FSA options
- Two dental plans through Delta Dental
- Basic life and AD&D insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability
- 20+ days of paid time off (PTO) per year
- 16 hours of volunteer time off (VTO) per year
- 11+ paid holidays
- 401(k) that includes up to 6% match
- Up to 2% off the rate on a new Westerra mortgage, applicable to primary residence, second home, or investment property
- 2% off Auto/RV/Motorcycle Loans
- Up to $5250 per year for educational reimbursement
- 4 weeks of paid parental leave
- Mental health resources including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Individualized learning and development programs
Please note, applications will be accepted until at least October 28, 2026.
