What are the responsibilities and job description for the Commercial Underwriter position at SouthStar Capital, LLC?
Commercial Underwriter
Location: Charleston, SC
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Commercial Underwriter specializing in Commercial Finance to join our growing team. This role is critical in evaluating, structuring, and approving credit facilities for small to mid-sized businesses. The ideal candidate will bring deep a knowledge of Commercial Finance with the ability to balance credit risk with business growth objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Transaction Underwriting & Credit Analysis
- Conduct in-depth analysis of borrower and account debtor financials, cash flow trends, debt levels, and liquidity to determine repayment capacity.
- Evaluate collateral quality, with an emphasis on accounts receivable verification, debtor concentrations, and invoice aging reports.
Risk Assessment & Structuring
- Identify potential risks, including credit, operational, legal, and fraud-related risks, and recommend appropriate mitigants.
- Structure facilities in alignment with company credit policies, capital requirements, and regulatory guidelines.
- Recommend advance rates, reserves, and concentration limits based on client profile and collateral quality.
Credit Memo Preparation & Presentation
- Prepare comprehensive credit memoranda that clearly outline client strengths, weaknesses, and risk factors.
- Present and defend underwriting recommendations to the Credit Committee, senior management, and executive leadership.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with business development teams to structure competitive yet risk-appropriate proposals.
- Work closely with legal counsel to ensure loan documents, factoring agreements, and collateral filings are accurate and enforceable.
- Support operations and account management teams during onboarding to ensure smooth client transitions.
Portfolio Management & Monitoring
- Provide ongoing oversight of approved facilities, monitoring borrower performance against projections and covenants.
- Analyze trends in client AR quality, debtor payment performance, and borrowing base compliance.
- Recommend facility modifications, risk rating changes, or exit strategies as needed.
Market & Industry Insight
- Stay informed on economic conditions, industry trends, and competitive practices impacting factoring and asset-based lending.
- Leverage industry knowledge to anticipate risks and identify new underwriting opportunities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field
- 3 years of underwriting experience in commercial finance
- Strong analytical and financial modeling skills.
- In-depth knowledge of UCC filings, lien searches, and collateral documentation.
- Proven ability to assess risk and structure transactions within policy and compliance frameworks.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present findings to executives and committees.
- Detail-oriented, organized, and able to handle multiple transactions simultaneously.
What We Offer
- Competitive compensation and performance-based incentives
- Comprehensive benefits package (medical, dental, vision, 401k and matching, life, short-term disability, paid time off)
- A collaborative and growth-oriented company culture
- Profit sharing per company handbook guidelines