SVP, Chief Credit Risk Officer

Chief Credit Risk Officer (Fintech & Commercial Banking)
Location: Bergen County, NJ 4 days onsite
Salary: $300,000-350,000 plus bonus and equity

The Opportunity: We are seeking a seasoned, forward-thinking Chief Credit Risk Officer to serve as the strategic executive leading all aspects of credit risk management across our enterprise. Reporting directly to the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, this leader will own the end-to-end credit risk framework, establish enterprise risk appetite, and ensure rigorous credit governance as we scale our lending products, commercial portfolios, and tech-driven partner ecosystems.

This executive seat demands a unique blend of traditional bank credit stewardship (CRE, C&I, SBA, Structured Finance) and modern digital financial infrastructure (BaaS, marketplace lending, payments, embedded finance). You will oversee underwriting standards, CECL allowances, concentration limits, and automated lending platforms while fostering a data-first, risk-aware culture.

Executive Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Enterprise Risk Strategy: Define and execute a scalable credit risk strategy aligned with rapid commercial growth and regulatory mandates.
• Governance Leadership: Chair/Co-chair the Management Credit and Allowance Committees; present regularly to senior executive leadership and the Board of Directors on portfolio health and market trends.
• Risk Appetite Framework: Maintain and enhance enterprise-wide credit policies, concentration limits, stress testing, and early-warning frameworks.

Portfolio Management, CECL & Settlement Risk

• Multi-Vertical Oversight: Direct credit policy and portfolio performance across Commercial Banking (CRE, C&I, SBA), Structured Finance, Marketplace Lending, and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) partnerships.
• Reserving & Modeling: Oversee CECL processes, mark-to-market valuation reserves, and model output assumptions, applying qualitative overlays when necessary.
• Settlement & Payment Risk: Establish limits and loss reserves for settlement exposure tied to high-volume payment rails (ACH, Acquiring, funding models).
• Portfolio Analytics: Lead vintage analysis, pool-level/single-name reviews, and risk-adjusted return metrics to identify emerging macro or portfolio-level risks.

Technology, Agentic AI & Innovation

• Automated Risk Controls: Partner with Product, Operations, and Engineering teams to integrate credit risk controls directly into modern API frameworks and automated underwriting engines.
• AI & Next-Gen Tooling: Leverage Agentic AI and advanced machine learning models to streamline credit processes, boost underwriting efficiency, and enhance real-time risk identification.

Regulatory & Compliance Management

• Regulatory Relations: Maintain strong working relationships with primary regulators (OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve) and lead all credit-specific bank examinations and audits.
• Model Risk Management: Oversee Model Risk Management (MRM) practices in accordance with SR 11-7 / regulatory guidance.
• Compliance Alignment: Partner closely with the enterprise compliance organization to ensure seamless alignment across Fair Lending, regulatory laws, and credit operations.

The Ideal Executive Profile
Required Qualifications:

• Extensive credit risk leadership within banking, commercial lending, fintech, or specialized financial services.
• Comprehensive domain knowledge across commercial/consumer underwriting, portfolio management, loss mitigation, and complex CECL frameworks.
• Proven success interacting directly with regulatory bodies (OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve) and external audit/rating agencies.
• Hands-on familiarity with credit risk models, stress testing methodologies, and model validation standards.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Quantitative Analysis, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications & Attributes:

• Experience at a digital lender, fintech bank, or BaaS platform navigating partner/marketplace lending models.
• MBA, Master's, or PhD in a quantitative discipline; professional certifications such as FRM, PRM, or CFA.
• Demonstrated history of maintaining sound, institutional-grade risk controls during periods of accelerated asset growth.
  

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR@vaco.com .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

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• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.


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Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

· the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

· licensure and certification requirements;

· office location and other geographic considerations; and

· other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).