VP of Commercial Lending

Vice President of Commercial Lending

We are seeking an experienced and business development-oriented Vice President of Commercial Lending to lead commercial loan origination, relationship management, and portfolio growth for a growing credit union. This individual will be responsible for developing new commercial lending relationships, expanding existing accounts, and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate (CRE) and commercial and industrial (C&I)/business loans.

The ideal candidate will have an established commercial lending book of business of at least $10 million to $15 million, a strong network of commercial borrowers and referral sources, and a proven ability to originate and close new lending opportunities. This role requires a relationship-driven lender who can balance aggressive business development with sound credit judgment and long-term portfolio performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Originate, structure, negotiate, and close commercial real estate (CRE) and commercial and industrial (C&I)/business loans, including owner-occupied and investment properties, acquisition and refinance transactions, business term loans, working capital lines of credit, and equipment financing.
• Leverage an established book of commercial lending business of at least $10 million to $15 million to support immediate production and continued portfolio growth.
• Develop new commercial lending relationships through proactive prospecting, networking, referrals, and engagement with business owners, investors, developers, and other commercial borrowers.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of CRE and C&I lending opportunities while consistently meeting production and portfolio growth objectives.
• Manage and expand existing borrower relationships, identify additional financing needs, and pursue opportunities to deepen overall credit union relationships.
• Analyze borrower financial statements, tax returns, cash flow, debt service coverage ratios, collateral valuations, and repayment capacity to assess creditworthiness.
• Partner with credit underwriting, loan operations, and senior leadership to structure transactions, prepare credit presentations, and facilitate timely approvals and closings.
• Establish and maintain relationships with commercial real estate brokers, CPAs, attorneys, business brokers, developers, and other referral partners.
• Identify opportunities to cross-sell business deposit accounts, treasury management, and other commercial banking services.
• Monitor portfolio performance, loan covenants, collateral positions, and emerging credit risks to maintain a high-quality loan portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with credit union lending policies, applicable regulatory requirements, and commercial lending risk management standards.
• Represent the credit union within the business community and develop a strong reputation as a trusted commercial lending partner.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of commercial lending or commercial banking experience.
• Established commercial lending book of business of at least $10 million to $15 million, with a demonstrated ability to generate new business through existing relationships and direct prospecting.
• Proven experience originating and closing both commercial real estate and C&I/business loans.
• Demonstrated success in developing new borrower relationships, expanding existing accounts, and growing a commercial loan portfolio.
• Strong knowledge of commercial credit underwriting, financial statement analysis, cash flow analysis, collateral evaluation, and loan structuring.
• Experience evaluating commercial real estate transactions and business lending opportunities across a range of industries.
• Established network of commercial borrowers, business owners, investors, and professional referral sources.
• Strong understanding of credit risk management, loan documentation, and applicable commercial lending regulations.
• Excellent business development, negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to operate independently, manage a commercial loan pipeline, and meet production goals while maintaining sound credit quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior commercial lending experience within a credit union, community bank, or regional financial institution.
• Familiarity with National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) regulations and member business lending requirements.
• Experience managing a commercial loan portfolio of $15 million or more.
• Established relationships within the local commercial real estate and business communities.
• Experience partnering with credit analysts, underwriters, and loan operations teams to structure and close complex transactions.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an established commercial lender with a strong sales and relationship management background, an existing book of business of at least $10 million to $15 million, and demonstrated expertise in both CRE and C&I/business lending. This individual will bring a proactive business development mindset, an established referral network, and the ability to generate new loan production while building lasting relationships with commercial members.

Success in this role will be measured by new loan originations, portfolio growth, borrower relationship development, cross-selling opportunities, and overall portfolio quality.