EVP, Chief Lending Officer

About the role

Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, this position oversees the bank's Consumer, Commercial, and Real Estate business units. As a member of the Executive Committee, the Chief Lending Officer plays a key role in enterprise strategy, capital allocation, and governance. The Bank is primarily commercially focused with business and customers across the United States, spanning cooperative housing, community associations, commercial real estate, commercial & industrial, energy and tax credits, credit unions, impact banking, national retail, local Ohio retail, and FHA conduit businesses. The Bank has over $4 billion in total assets and $10 billion of assets under management, with the bulk of off-balance sheet balances stemming from the Bank’s robust Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) and agency multifamily business.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all of the Bank’s revenue-producing businesses and serve as a key member of the Executive Committee, helping shape the future direction of the company.
• Lead all sales and strategic planning efforts for the bank’s ten lines of business, with additional indirect oversight for pricing, product development, product management, operations, and credit risk management activities for the business segments.
• Ensure the profitability of the lines of business and meeting established financial goals while mitigating portfolio and operational risk according to Bank standards.
• Lead enterprise-level strategic transformation initiatives across lending and deposit platforms, including portfolio optimization, market expansion, and modernization of processes and systems aligned with the Bank’s long-term growth objectives.
• Optimize marketing and sales plans through all channels, monitor and set loan and deposit pricing to ensure appropriate risk-adjusted returns, and develop relationships with internal and external channels to maximize sales.
• Direct underwriting and relationship management in a "first line of defense" capacity to ensure credit quality remains within guidelines established by the Chief Credit Officer and recommend changes to credit policies.
• Partner closely with the Chief Credit Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Compliance, and Audit to ensure strong credit governance, effective risk escalation, and alignment with regulatory expectations.
• Champion process improvement initiatives and expense reduction programs for the lending businesses, driving adoption and continuous improvement of systems impacting loan origination, approval, and documentation.
• Manage the leaders of the lines of business and credit underwriting, attracting, retaining, and motivating the team to achieve management business objectives.
• Promote treasury product sales and services throughout the lines of business sales strategy.
• Ensure adherence to all regulatory and legal requirements in collaboration with the corporate compliance department.
• Serve as an external ambassador of the Bank with regulators, investors, industry partners, and key stakeholders nationwide.
• Perform all other miscellaneous responsibilities and duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive experience in commercial banking and lending, including executive-level responsibility for lending strategy, portfolio performance, P&L accountability, and enterprise credit risk management within a regulated financial institution.
• Demonstrated experience operating as a member of a senior leadership or executive management team, with exposure to board or board-committee reporting and interaction preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) is required; Master of Business Administration (MBA) is preferred.
• Minimum fifteen years of management experience and proven leadership ability.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively within an executive leadership or management committee structure, contributing to enterprise decision-making beyond functional responsibility.
• Willingness and ability to travel to conferences and customer events throughout the country.
• Prior experience managing the full P&L for a distinct line-of-business or group of businesses.
• Knowledge of both consumer and commercial loan and deposit products, a thorough understanding of the risks associated with such products, and a proven track record driving production volume and profitability.
• Comprehensive knowledge of commercial, construction, real estate, and consumer loans preferred.
• Extensive experience with complex commercial & industrial and commercial real estate transactions.
• Experience with secondary market channels including Fannie Mae, private CMBS, Small Business Administration, private participations, and other specialty lending areas preferred.
• Prior experience working within a regulated bank environment; strong working knowledge of OCC Regulation and Guidance as it relates to credit dynamics of a financial institution.
• Understanding and knowledge of commercial loan structuring and credit underwriting; working knowledge of technology and operations supporting lending activities, including loan originations systems.
• Comfort and experience serving as the face of the organization to external parties including customers, regulatory bodies, auditors, and the media.
• Ability and willingness to remain in contact with internal and external contacts on an extended-day basis (given the national footprint of the Bank).
• Working knowledge of tax credit structures, particularly new market tax credit (healthcare and community service) and investment tax credit (renewable energy) structures.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and retain top talent to ensure adequate succession planning and bench strength.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to apply common sense to carry out instructions, interpret documents, understand procedures, write reports, and speak clearly to customers and employees.
• Ability to adapt to change and perform effortlessly during and after change using organizational perspectives, tools, and techniques.
• Ability to deal with complex problems involving multiple facets and variables in non-standardized situations.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work with no supervision while performing duties.

Schedule

Hybrid – Employees will work from both remote and onsite locations. Employees must live within a reasonable commuting distance of the office and are required to be onsite at least two (2) days per week, specifically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Certain positions or business needs may require additional in-office days.