VP, Commercial Credit Risk

Vice President, Commercial Credit Risk
Location: Bergen County, NJ
Salary: $200,000-225,000 base plus bonus and equity

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Vice President, Commercial Credit Risk to join the Credit Risk Management team of a well-established, FDIC-regulated community bank. This role serves as a critical Second Line of Defense by providing independent oversight of commercial credit risk across a diverse lending portfolio.
The successful candidate will oversee credit quality, underwriting standards, portfolio risk, and regulatory compliance while supporting growth across traditional commercial banking and innovative Fintech/Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) lending programs. This position reports directly to the Chief Credit Risk Officer (CCRO).
Candidates with significant experience underwriting or reviewing healthcare transactions involving skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, and other healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities
Commercial Credit Risk Oversight

• • Perform independent second-line reviews of commercial loan originations.
  • Provide objective challenge to first-line underwriting assumptions and credit decisions.
  • Prepare independent credit risk assessments and escalate material concerns to senior management and Credit Committee.
  • Evaluate complex commercial transactions across Commercial Real Estate (CRE), Construction, Commercial & Industrial (C&I), Lender Finance, SBA, and Healthcare lending portfolios.
  • Assess healthcare-related credits, including analysis of reimbursement sensitivity, payer mix, regulatory exposure, and operational risk.
  • Review credit exposures associated with Fintech and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) lending programs.

Credit Risk Rating & Methodology

• • Support the development and enhancement of internal commercial credit risk rating models and scorecards.
  • Partner with risk analytics teams to validate model performance and ensure alignment with regulatory expectations.

Portfolio Review & Risk Assessment

• • Independently review annual credit reviews and validate risk rating assignments.
  • Evaluate and challenge proposed risk rating upgrades and downgrades.
  • Review impairment analyses for deteriorating credits in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
  • Monitor portfolio trends, including criticized assets, concentration risk, delinquencies, and watch list activity.
  • Partner with the CECL/Allowance team to support reserve assessments for impaired commercial loans.

Policy & Governance

• • Maintain and update Commercial Lending Policies and Procedures.
  • Ensure adherence to sound credit practices, internal risk governance, and regulatory requirements.
  • Support regulatory examinations and internal audits as needed.

Qualifications
Education

• • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field required.
  • MBA or professional certifications such as CFA, CRC, FRM, or RMA-CCRM are preferred.

Experience

• • 10 years of progressive commercial credit risk, underwriting, or credit portfolio management experience within a banking environment.
  • Minimum of 5 years in a Second Line of Defense, Credit Review, or senior Credit Risk Management role.
  • Strong experience across one or more commercial lending disciplines, including CRE, Construction, C&I, SBA, Lender Finance, and Healthcare lending.
  • Demonstrated experience evaluating healthcare-related transactions, particularly skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, is highly preferred.
  • Knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, CMS reimbursement structures, and healthcare regulatory considerations.
  • Experience with FDIC- or OCC-regulated financial institutions.
  • Previous involvement in regulatory examinations and remediation activities.
  • Exposure to Fintech, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), third-party risk management, or embedded finance lending programs is a plus.
    

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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Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

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


• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.


• Residents of all other states may access our policies 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).