What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Credit position at Skyward Credit Union?
JOB SUMMARY:
The Vice President of Credit is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and direction of the credit function, including underwriting and collections. This role ensures sound credit risk management while supporting sustainable loan growth and an excellent member experience.
The role is a hands-on manager at first and will evolve into a fully strategic leadership position responsible for credit policy, portfolio performance, and team development.
This role operates in close partnership with the VP of Consumer Lending and VP of Residential Lending while reporting into the Chief Lending Officer. These roles balance growth and risk to achieve organizational lending objectives.
KEY RESPONSIBIITIES:
Credit Leadership & Strategy
- Lead and oversee all underwriting and collections functions.
- Establish, maintain, and refine credit policy, guidelines, and risk tolerance.
- Develop risk segmentation strategies to optimize approval rates, pricing, and portfolio performance across channels.
- Monitor and report portfolio performance, including net yields, delinquency, charge-offs, and loss trends.
- Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to senior leadership on credit strategy.
- Develop and implement a consistent exception framework aligned with organizational risk appetite.
Underwriting Oversight
- Ensure consistent, timely, and high-quality credit decisions across all channels.
- Own Automated Underwriting programs, optimizing for both quantity and quality of decisions.
- Coach and develop underwriters to improve decision quality and efficiency.
- Establish clear decisioning standards and documentation practices.
Collections Leadership
- Oversee collections strategy, operations, and performance.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and internal policies.
- Align collections strategies with portfolio risk trends and organizational goals.
- Identify opportunities to improve recovery rates and reduce losses.
Partnership with Lending VP’s
- Collaborate closely with the VP of Consumer Loan Operations and VP of Residential Lending to align growth and credit strategies.
- Support channel growth by advising on credit box adjustments and risk segmentation.
- Maintain a healthy balance between loan growth objectives and credit quality.
- Participate in regular pipeline and performance discussions to ensure alignment.
Team Development & Organizational Planning
- Lead, coach, and develop underwriting and collections teams.
- Assess staffing needs and lead hiring efforts
- Build scalable team structures and identify future leadership within the department.
- Foster a culture of accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement.
Operational Excellence
- Identify and implement process improvements across underwriting and collections.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to enhance systems, workflows, and decisioning tools.
- Ensure efficient turnaround times without compromising credit quality.
- Support audit, compliance, and regulatory examinations as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in a Lending and Collections role within the financial services industry, preferably with credit unions or banks.
- In-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements applicable to credit unions.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with staff, management, and regulatory agencies.
- High level of integrity and ethical standards.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Office environment with occasional travel to branch locations.
- Full-time position, requiring occasional evening or weekend work as required.
BENEFITS:
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience
- Performance-based annual bonus opportunity
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Generously matched 401(k) retirement savings plan
- Paid time off and holidays
- Professional development opportunities
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.
Skyward Credit Union is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.