SVP, Chief Credit Risk Officer

Salary: $340,000 - $360,000 annually + bonus & equity

Location: Fort Lee, NJ – 4 days a week onsite with private shuttle bus from Manhattan

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Governance
  • Shape and execute an enterprise-wide credit risk strategy aligned with overall growth targets, risk appetite, and regulatory mandates.
  • Serve as the primary credit risk advisor to the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, senior executive leadership, and the Board of Directors.
  • Chair or co-chair key governance bodies, including the Management Credit Committee and Allowance Committee, while actively contributing to Board-level committees.
  • Maintain and continuously refine the credit risk appetite framework, underwriting policies, and governance structure.
• Portfolio & Credit Risk Management
  • Direct credit strategy and underwriting across diverse lending products, including Commercial (CRE, C&I, SBA), Structured Finance, BaaS partnerships, marketplace lending, and payments.
  • Oversee CECL methodologies, mark-to-market valuation reserves, model assumptions, and qualitative overlays to maintain adequate capital reserves.
  • Drive early warning systems, concentration risk limits, and comprehensive portfolio stress testing frameworks.
  • Establish risk limits and reserve protocols for payment models, including ACH, Acquiring, and automated funding rails.
  • Provide high-level, independent challenge for large or complex commercial and structured finance transactions.
  • Lead advanced vintage analysis, single-name reviews, and risk-adjusted return metrics to spot trends and mitigate emerging risks.
• Innovation & Technology
  • Harness Agentic AI, machine learning, and advanced automation to scale credit operations, boost analyst productivity, and modernize risk decisioning.
  • Partner with Product, Tech, and Ops teams to natively embed credit controls into automated lending workflows and API integrations.
  • Evaluate, implement, and maintain best-in-class internal and vendor-supplied risk analytics tools.
• Regulatory, Compliance & Model Governance
  • Serve as the primary credit lead for regulatory examinations and audits across regulatory bodies (e.g., OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, state regulators).
  • Ensure full compliance with federal model governance guidance (e.g., SR 11-7 / SR 26-2).
  • Work hand-in-hand with the broader Compliance function to ensure seamlessly integrated credit and regulatory operations.
• Team Leadership & Culture
  • Recruit, mentor, and scale a top-tier credit risk team spanning analytics, underwriting, portfolio management, and risk operations.
  • Promote a high-accountability, data-driven culture focused on continuous learning and disciplined decision-making.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in credit risk management within banking, fintech, or financial services.
• Deep expertise in consumer and/or commercial credit underwriting, portfolio management, and loss mitigation.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks governing bank lending and risk management.
• Experience with models and model-related processes.
• Experience with CECL/Allowance processes.
• Experience with regulators (OCC/FDIC/Fed) and external auditors/rating agencies.
• Proven leadership with strong communication skills across all levels of the organization.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or related field.