What are the responsibilities and job description for the VP, Commercial Credit Underwriting Team Lead position at JCW Group?
JCW Search is currently recruiting on behalf of a growing regional bank in Northern NJ. The bank is seeking a hands-on leader to manage a team of 4–5 commercial credit underwriters. The loan portfolio is comprised of primarily CRE with some C&I and SBA.
- Lead, review, and guide underwriting work for CRE, C&I, and SBA transactions
- Manage pipeline, assign deals, and balance team workloads
- Review and sign off on underwriter analyses, write-ups, and risk ratings
- Ensure underwriting aligns with bank policy, credit culture, and regulatory expectations
- Liaise with relationship managers and credit approvers to move deals through the process
- Provide coaching and technical support to junior and mid-level underwriters
- Identify credit risk issues early and ensure consistent analysis across team
- Participate in internal credit committee discussions as needed
- Maintain awareness of market trends and portfolio concentrations
- Help integrate SBA underwriting into broader team function (limited volume)
Requirements:
- 7–10 years of commercial credit experience, with strong CRE and C&I background
- Prior team lead, supervisory, or mentoring experience strongly preferred
- Solid underwriting skills across deal types and borrower profiles
- Familiarity with SBA SOP is a plus
- Strong communication and internal partnership skills
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, mid-sized bank environment
- Bachelor's degree required; formal credit training strongly preferred
Salary : $120,000 - $250,000
