Executive Director of Credit Products -- Commercial / Small Business

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Credit Products is the executive leader responsible for the strategy, operating model, credit quality, and performance of the underwriting and portfolio management function supporting the Bank's Commercial and Small Business segments. The role ensures that credit requests and portfolio decisions are supported by timely, complete, accurate, and objective analysis; aligned with the Bank's risk appetite and credit policies; responsive to client and business needs; and compliant with applicable regulatory requirements.

This leader serves as a senior credit partner to Commercial and Small Business Banking, translating business strategy into disciplined credit execution. The Director establishes consistent standards, governance, talent, technology, performance measures, and scalable processes across the credit lifecycle while promoting balanced growth, sound risk management, and an effective client experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Executive Accountabilities:
  • Leads the strategic direction and operating model for Credit Products supporting Commercial and Small Business Banking, including underwriting, credit analysis, approval readiness, portfolio monitoring, annual reviews, and ongoing credit maintenance.
  • Provides executive leadership for credit quality, operating performance, talent management, capacity, and continuous improvement across the function.
  • Partners with business, Credit Administration, Risk, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Technology leaders to align growth objectives with prudent credit structures and effective risk controls.
  • Ensures credit analyses and approval packages provide decision makers with a clear, concise, accurate, and unbiased assessment of the borrower, guarantors, transaction, repayment capacity, collateral, key risks, and mitigating factors.
  • Serves as a senior subject matter expert and escalation point for complex Commercial and Small Business credit matters, operating issues, and portfolio risks.
  • Represents the function on applicable credit, risk, operating, and governance committees, consistent with authorities established in Bank policy.
• Credit Strategy, Governance, and Risk Leadership:
  • Establishes and maintains a scalable Credit Products framework, including organizational structure, role clarity, decision rights, service standards, quality controls, processes, templates, tools, and management routines.
  • Aligns underwriting and portfolio management practices with the Bank's credit policies, risk appetite, strategic priorities, regulatory expectations, and leading industry practices.
  • Establishes consistent standards for credit analysis, risk rating methodology, approval packages, annual reviews, periodic assessments, covenant monitoring, and portfolio maintenance.
  • Exercises sound and independent credit judgment and provides an executive opinion on complex, elevated, or material credit requests before submission to the appropriate credit authority or approval body.
  • Identifies emerging risks, concentrations, process gaps, and control weaknesses; escalates matters promptly and leads appropriate corrective action.
  • Promotes strong first-line ownership of credit risk and an operating culture that balances growth, client responsiveness, credit quality, and control discipline.
• Commercial and Small Business Credit Execution:
  • Oversees the timely delivery of complete and accurate credit analyses and approval packages across Commercial and Small Business lending activities.
  • Partners with Relationship Managers, business executives, Credit Officers, and Credit Products leaders to structure credit solutions that address client needs while protecting the Bank's interests.
  • Guides the identification, assessment, and mitigation of transaction and portfolio risks, including appropriate structure, covenants, collateral, guarantees, reporting requirements, and monitoring expectations.
  • Verifies that required credit process conditions and analysis standards are satisfied before requests advance for final approval.
  • Ensures work products are concise, decision-useful, and consistent in content and presentation, with sufficient information to support the applicable credit authority.
  • Provides senior-level support on complex transactions, policy interpretations, exceptions, and cross-functional credit matters.
• Portfolio Oversight and Credit Quality:
  • Establishes disciplined portfolio management practices for ongoing monitoring, annual reviews, periodic analyses, covenant compliance, risk rating accuracy, documentation follow-up, and timely identification of deteriorating credit conditions.
  • Oversees portfolio quality and execution through management reporting, risk indicators, quality assurance reviews, trend analysis, and escalation protocols.
  • Ensures appropriate prioritization and workload balance between new credit requests and stewardship of the existing portfolio.
  • Partners with Credit Administration and business leaders to address criticized, classified, watchlist, or otherwise elevated-risk relationships within established governance and approval frameworks.
  • Drives consistent performance across Commercial and Small Business portfolios while recognizing differences in client complexity, product structure, scale, and service expectations.
• Operating Performance, Capacity, and Client Experience:
  • Establishes key performance indicators and service-level expectations for quality, timeliness, productivity, pipeline aging, portfolio monitoring, rework, and internal partner experience.
  • Oversees business volume, pipeline activity, staffing, capacity, and workflow to allocate resources effectively and meet business priorities.
  • Establishes transparent reporting and management routines that enable leaders to identify constraints, address root causes, and sustain performance.
  • Improves the end-to-end credit experience by reducing unnecessary complexity, clarifying handoffs, and increasing speed without compromising credit quality or controls.
  • Promotes proactive communication with business partners regarding credit requirements, priorities, timing, decisions, and outstanding matters.
• Process Improvement, Data, and Technology:
  • Leads continuous improvement of underwriting and portfolio management structure, processes, controls, templates, and tools.
  • Serves as executive business owner or sponsor for systems and technology supporting the credit lifecycle, including requirements, prioritization, testing, implementation, adoption, controls, and vendor engagement.
  • Analyzes performance data, portfolio insights, quality findings, and partner feedback to identify opportunities for automation, standardization, and improved decision support.
  • Collaborates with cross-functional teams to design, test, and deploy enhancements consistently across the organization.
  • Ensures technology and process changes are supported by clear governance, training, documentation, controls, and measurable business outcomes.
• Business Partnership and Growth Enablement:
  • Builds a strong partnership between Credit Products, Commercial Banking, and Small Business Banking to support responsible loan and relationship growth.
  • Represents Credit Products in business and sales leadership forums, providing credit perspective on market opportunities, portfolio strategy, product capabilities, and execution priorities.
  • Advises business leaders on credit structuring, process readiness, resource needs, and potential risks associated with growth initiatives.
  • Promotes early engagement between relationship teams and Credit Products to improve deal quality, reduce rework, and support a more predictable client experience.
• Compliance and Control Responsibilities:
  • Complete required training and ensure the function maintains appropriate awareness of applicable compliance and control responsibilities.
  • Maintain effective controls, documentation, issue management, and audit readiness across the Credit Products function.
• Adheres to and complies with applicable, federal and state laws, regulations and guidance, including those related to anti-money laundering (i.e. Bank Secrecy Act, US PATRIOT Act, etc.).
• Adheres to Bank policies and procedures and completes required training.
• Identifies and reports suspicious activity.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leads, coaches, and develops a high-performing team of credit leaders and professionals across underwriting, analysis, portfolio management, and support roles.
• Establishes clear accountabilities, performance expectations, succession plans, and development pathways across the function.
• Recruits, retains, and deploys talent based on business needs, portfolio complexity, individual capability, and organizational priorities.
• Builds specialized expertise in Commercial and Small Business credit while reinforcing common standards and enterprise-wide consistency.
• Promotes formal training, practical coaching, knowledge sharing, and mentorship to strengthen credit judgment and leadership capability.
• Executes supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Bank policies and applicable laws, including selection, onboarding, work assignment, performance management, recognition, development, and resolution of employee matters.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, economics, or a related field required.
• Advanced degree or relevant professional designation preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible Commercial credit underwriting, portfolio management, or credit administration experience in a financial institution required.
• Significant leadership experience managing credit teams, leaders, and operating performance in a commercial lending or credit environment required.
• Demonstrated experience exercising sound credit judgment on complex transactions and portfolios required.
• Experience supporting both Commercial and Small Business segments strongly preferred.
• Experience as a Credit Officer or in a comparable credit approval, governance, or risk leadership capacity preferred.
• Experience with C&I, owner-occupied and investor commercial real estate, SBA, specialty, or syndicated credit structures preferred, based on portfolio scope.

Licenses and Certifications

• Formal commercial credit training, or equivalent depth of experience, required.
• Relevant risk, credit, accounting, or financial analysis certifications preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of Commercial and Small Business lending, underwriting, portfolio management, risk rating, credit documentation, and applicable regulatory expectations.
• Advanced financial analysis and accounting capability, including cash flow, leverage, liquidity, collateral, guarantor support, repayment capacity, and sensitivity analysis.
• Ability to evaluate complex credit structures and translate analysis into clear recommendations for senior credit authorities and executive stakeholders.
• Strong executive presence, independent judgment, and ability to influence across business, credit, risk, operations, and technology functions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change, establish scalable operating disciplines, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, speed, productivity, and partner experience.
• Strong talent leadership, coaching, succession planning, and organizational development capability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex credit and portfolio matters clearly and concisely.
• Strong negotiation, relationship management, prioritization, and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency with financial analysis, credit workflow, portfolio management, reporting, and Microsoft Office applications. Experience with Moody's or comparable commercial credit platforms preferred.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and make decisions within established authorities and guidelines.
• Ability to travel as business needs require.
• Regular and reliable attendance in accordance with the assigned work arrangement and Bank policy.
• Leadership Competencies
  • Enterprise Leadership: Connects credit strategy and execution to the Bank's broader business, risk, client, and financial objectives.
  • Credit Judgment: Makes balanced, well-supported decisions and appropriately challenges assumptions, structures, and risk conclusions.
  • Execution Excellence: Establishes clear priorities, management routines, and accountability for timely, high-quality outcomes.
  • Client and Partner Orientation: Creates practical solutions and a responsive operating model while preserving independent risk judgment.
  • Talent Builder: Develops leaders and deepens the organization's credit capability through coaching, feedback, and succession planning.
  • Change Leadership: Mobilizes cross-functional teams to simplify processes, strengthen controls, and adopt new capabilities.

Additional Information

• Candidates residing in locations within BankUnited's footprint may be given preference.