Executive Director, CRE Transaction Management and Underwriting

About the role

The Executive Director, Transaction Manager and Underwriter plays a crucial role within Santander's Commercial Real Estate platform. This position combines hands-on transaction leadership with mentorship and development of junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate borrower submissions, property cash flows, sponsorship, market fundamentals, and third-party due diligence to determine transaction viability and creditworthiness.
• Work with the team to structure loan proceeds, pricing, and terms consistent with Santander's risk appetite, credit standards, and profitability objectives.
• Prepare and present transaction recommendations to internal credit, investment, and approval committees.
• Serve as the primary execution lead throughout the transaction lifecycle, coordinating internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely and successful closings.
• Oversee due diligence efforts, including appraisal, engineering, environmental, insurance, legal, and market reviews, both internally and with third-party vendor support relationships.
• Carefully coordinate with investors, B-piece buyers, rating agencies, legal counsel, Middle Office, and Operations teams to address transaction-related diligence and closing requirements.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate transaction risks while balancing client needs, execution certainty, and portfolio objectives.
• Maintain current knowledge of commercial real estate market trends, CMBS activity, and industry developments.
• Provide market intelligence and strategic insights regarding commercial real estate fundamentals, lending conditions, and competitive market dynamics.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of underwriting standards, execution processes, and risk management practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• 10+ years of commercial real estate lending, CMBS, structured finance, or related experience.
• Significant experience underwriting and executing across CMBS conduit/SASB/Balance Sheet transactions.
• Strong understanding of CMBS securitization, rating agency methodologies, and institutional investor requirements.
• Advanced financial modeling, cash flow analysis, and commercial real estate credit underwriting skills.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing deal teams and mentoring junior professionals.
• Prioritize multiple complex transactions in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong project management, organizational, and analytical capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present complex credit matters to senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive consensus across multiple business functions.
• Strong relationship management skills with both internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience across multiple commercial real estate asset classes, including office, multifamily, industrial, retail, hospitality, and specialty sectors.
• Familiarity with loan securitization, warehouse financing, and institutional execution processes.
• Established reputation for sound credit judgment and transaction execution within the commercial real estate industry.