Director of Credit & Underwriting

About The Company

A rapidly growing private real estate credit platform focused on providing bridge financing for transitional commercial real estate nationwide. The platform specializes in multifamily, mixed-use, retail, industrial, and specialty assets, with a primary focus on loans ranging from $2 million to $50+ million. The organization has built a reputation for creativity, speed, and certainty of execution and is continuing to scale its lending platform and institutional capital relationships. They are seeking an exceptional credit professional to lead underwriting and credit operations.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Director of Credit & Underwriting to oversee all aspects of the underwriting process from initial application through closing. This individual will lead the underwriting team, establish best-in-class credit standards, interface directly with borrowers and institutional capital providers, and ensure transactions move efficiently through the pipeline. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, takes ownership without constant supervision, and possesses exceptional commercial real estate lending experience.

Responsibilities

• Credit Leadership: Lead all underwriting activities across the firm's bridge loan platform; manage and mentor underwriting and analyst staff; review every loan before presentation to management; establish and continuously improve underwriting policies and procedures; maintain consistency and quality across all credit memoranda.
• Transaction Management: Own each transaction from initial application through funding, including borrower intake, financial analysis, sponsor analysis, property underwriting, market research, cash flow modeling, and loan structuring.
• Institutional Capital Relationships: Work directly with banks, insurance companies, credit funds, institutional investors, warehouse lenders, and A/B note partners. Responsibilities include preparing institutional-quality investment memoranda, responding to diligence requests, coordinating third-party reports, managing lender due diligence, and presenting transactions to capital partners.
• Portfolio Management: Monitor the existing loan portfolio; review construction and draw requests; track covenant compliance; identify emerging credit issues; recommend risk mitigation strategies.

Qualifications

• Required Experience: 7-15+ years of commercial real estate lending experience; significant bridge lending experience; experience underwriting bridge loans, construction loans, or transitional assets; experience managing analysts and underwriting teams; strong understanding of institutional credit standards; experience with multifamily assets is required; experience with retail, industrial, office, mixed-use, and specialty assets is preferred.
• Technical Skills: Advanced Excel financial modeling; Argus experience preferred. Strong understanding of loan sizing, DSCR, debt yield, LTV/LTC, sponsor analysis, construction lending, business plans, and market analysis.
• Due Diligence Experience: Experience reviewing appraisals, environmental reports, engineering reports, title documents, surveys, and organizational documents.

Ideal Candidate

• Operates with urgency
• Has exceptional attention to detail
• Is highly organized
• Can independently solve problems
• Communicates clearly with both borrowers and institutional investors
• Holds themselves accountable
• Thrives in a high-volume transaction environment
• Can manage multiple transactions simultaneously
• Is proactive rather than reactive
• Wants to help build a best-in-class lending platform

Benefits

• Annual performance bonus
• Long-term incentive opportunity for exceptional candidates
• Health benefits
• Paid vacation
• Opportunity for career advancement within a rapidly growing institutional lending platform