Commercial Credit Analyst

Job Description- Commercial Credit Analyst II

Position Title: Commercial Credit Analyst II FLSA Status: Hourly/Non-Exempt/Full Time

Department: Lending Services Reports To: Lending Services Manager

Location: Must be based in Michigan

Date Updated: 04/09/2026

Specific Locations: Hybrid with in-office time required for employees based in the areas around Marquette, Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids; if based in other areas of Michigan, most work would be remote with occasional travel/in-person meetings within Michigan

Minimum 3 years of direct experience as a Commercial Credit Analyst is required for this position.

Required Trainings for this position - New Hire - 2026:

• At hire: 2 weeks in Marquette: drive up on a Monday, trainings/meetings at Marquette office Tuesday-Friday; weekend off; trainings/meeting at Marquette office Monday-Thursday, drive back Friday
• Within 30-60 days- exact dates TBD: 1-2 weeks in Marquette for in-person trainings/meetings
• Occasional in-person trainings/meetings TBD in Battle Creek and/or Grand Rapids
• All Staff Retreat 1 week- in-person; dates TBD- possibly in Sept/Oct
• Costs for this travel (hotel, rental car, drive time is paid) are covered by Northern Initiatives as pre-approved by supervisor.

Northern Initiatives’ Mission

Northern Initiatives (NI) is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution that provides access to capital, information and markets to advance and connect small businesses and their communities. Northern Initiatives supports entrepreneurs, businesses, manufacturing firms, banks, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations in a common effort to strengthen the economy of Michigan.

Position Summary

The position provides support to the Lending Department in the key areas of financial analysis and loan underwriting, portfolio risk management, and documentation management. The position also works with the Business Services staff to help customers utilize their financial statement information to analyze trends and make informed business decisions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

· Independently underwrite loans of varying complexity across the portfolio with minimal supervision, serving as a primary credit resource for the lending team.

· Utilize loan underwriting software to spread financial statements and tax returns, conduct comprehensive financial analysis including cash flow projections, and prepare loan memos and pre-loan close modifications.

· Underwrite loans per NI Loan Policy, including in-depth analysis of repayment capacity, collateral, financial trends, business valuations, and industry conditions; identify and record policy exceptions.

· Research industry conditions and compare borrower performance against peer benchmarks to inform underwriting analysis and support lending decisions.

· Assist with specialized analysis for start-up and business acquisition transactions, including documenting sales and cash flow assumptions and addressing business valuation as applicable.

· Coordinate with loan operations specialists and loan officers throughout the loan origination process to validate application completeness and support timely loan decisions.

· Assist with the portfolio management process by recording the receipt of customer financial statements and tax returns, entering key data into CRM, and ensuring the accuracy of internal reporting.

· Assist with annual borrower performance reviews, including in-depth financial trend analysis, risk rating calculations, and due diligence; identify trends and recommend risk rating changes.

· Assist lending staff with financial analysis needed for post loan close modifications.

· Interpret trends or issues relevant to information gathered from financial statements and communicate results to lending staff.

· Assist lending staff in documentation and file management in compliance with Risk Management protocol.

· Serve as back-up administrator of loan origination software for the Lending Services Manager.

· Communicating regularly with supervisor about project completion and project status.

· Attend and actively participate in all team meetings, staff meetings, professional development, culture trainings, Clifton StrengthsFinder, planning sessions, staff retreats and other virtual or in-person meetings as needed; follow NI’s Zoom meeting expectations (being on camera, etc) for professional communication.

· Represent Northern Initiatives in a professional manner

· This is not an exhaustive list of job responsibilities; all other duties as assigned and/or needed for business continuity.

Physical Requirements & Schedule Requirements

· Location: Must be based in Michigan and remain based in Michigan throughout employment

· Specific Locations: Hybrid with in-office time required for employees based in the areas around Marquette, Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids; if based in other areas of Michigan, most work would be remote with occasional travel/in-person meetings within Michigan

· Occasional travel with in Michigan needed for all staff meetings and other in-person trainings

· If this Credit Analyst is located near an NI office (Marquette, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and possibly others may be added) then work in-person at an NI office at least one day per week may be required; more in-office time may be needed as business needs arise.

· Occasional in-person meetings may be required

· Meetings are virtual meeting via Zoom or similar platform, or in-person at NI office, or other meeting locations in Michigan

· Employee must have reliable internet access that they maintain for use throughout this position to ensure on-camera Zoom meetings, large file uploads, and other business needs are consistently met.

· In-person meetings may be required for trainings at hire and occasionally throughout the year

· Long stretches of time are spent on computer work, typing, Zoom meetings and similar desk-based work

· Reliable team member with a consistent schedule and dependable for clients and team

· Have a distraction-free work environment for all remote work to ensure work consistency and a professional meeting environment

· Schedule is typically M-F, business hours similar to our financial partners, with occasional evenings or weekends for meetings, travel or other business needs

· Travel within Michigan twice per year for 1 week each for all staff retreats (usually May/June and late Sept/early Oct)

· Majority of meetings/work for this role are during the business hours of the Eastern Time Zone

· Driving is not required for this position, but this employee is responsible for coordinating their own transportation to/from work events (expenses for this will be budgeted/approved ahead of time by the supervisor, and payment options will be planned or reimbursement available to the employee for those costs). Reasonable accommodations for travel/transportation will be considered through the interactive process.

· If driving for work purposes, employee must maintain a valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that full coverage vehicle insurance is current and meets all state requirements. Northern Initiatives may ask at any time for a copy of employees’ drivers licenses and/or vehicle insurance for business purposes.

Experience Requirements

Years of Experience

Type of Experience

Minimum 3 years of direct experience as a Commercial Credit Analyst required

· Associates Degree in Business, Accounting, or like field is highly preferred.

· If an applicant has not completed their Associate Degree, then demonstrated experience for the job responsibilities of this position will be considered. Minimum high school diploma or equivalent required.

· Bachelor’s degree highly preferred.

Minimum of 4 years of experience in commercial lending, banking, CDFI, or related experience.

· Proficiency with computers and computer software that aid in financial calculations. Prior experience using loan origination software preferred, such as SPARK.

· Basic understanding of Financial Statements and Tax Returns.

· Applicable experience in commercial lending or directly related experience.

Supervision

This position does not have supervision responsibilities.

Inclusion & Non-Discrimination

Northern Initiatives provides loans and business services to Michigan entrepreneurs and small business owners who add jobs and help their communities thrive. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and life experiences. Northern Initiatives shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

Accommodations

Applicants are encouraged to contact Human Resources at careers@northerninitiatives.org if assistance is needed in the application or hiring process, or we can answer questions about our organization and its hiring process. ADA accommodation requests or other types of accommodation requests should be sent to careers@northerninitiatives.org or call (906) 228-5571. Northern Initiatives upholds all applicable state and federal employment laws.

Benefits & Compensation

This is a full time, hourly/non-exempt position that is 40 hours per week. Occasionally, working over 40 hoursper week may be necessary for business success. This position qualifies for the full benefit package including medical, dental, vision, short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance, 403B with generous discretionary match, generous paid time off (PTO), generous paid sick time, 13 paid holidays, cell/internet stipend, and other benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience/education. Application, resume, professional references, and background checks are required for all positions. Official transcripts may be requested. Northern Initiatives is an at-will employer based in Michigan and follows all applicable state and federal employment laws. Annual background checks are required and continued employment is contingent on those background checks being clear and meeting SBA standards.

Pay: $27.00 - $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you have at least 3 years of experience as a Commercial Credit Analyst?
• Tell us about your experience as a Commercial Credit Analyst.
• This is a hybrid role that is based in Michigan. Applicants must be based in Michigan. It requires occasional travel in Michigan. It requires some in-office time and in-person meetings. Does this fit what you are looking for?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Battle Creek, MI 49015

Salary : $27 - $30