Chief Lending Officer

Description

The Chief Lending Officer will translate Premier America’s growth vision into actionable plans that drive market share, financial performance, and operational excellence within all areas of lending, including Consumer, Commercial and Real Estate, as well as lending operations and servicing. This role will be responsible for setting, validating, and driving strategic priorities and operational alignment resulting in robust lending growth in all channels, balanced with the appropriate risk appetite and ensuring compliance throughout – from origination to servicing.

Strategic Growth Leadership 

• Develops and executes lending strategies throughout our markets (LA/Ventura County and Houston markets) by integrating and maximizing relationship sales and marketing efforts and ensuring alignment with Premier America’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values. 
• Drives quarterly and annual revenue goals for assigned business lines across all regions. 
• Conducts rigorous market, financial, and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and gaps within lending products. Develops specific strategies for growing, optimizing, or sunsetting products and services.
• Develops strategy and framework around different lending channels, including product offerings and positioning.  Execute to achieve growth goals.
• Monitors compliance across all lending channels including operations and servicing.
• Develops  and manage Secondary Markets function and manage investor relationships.

Referral & Partner Network Expansion 

• Develops referral targets and strategies to maximize growth in other lines of business, including Insurance, Wealth Management, retail and business banking.

Service-Driven Relationship Sales Culture Enablement 

• Builds and maintains a service-driven relationship sales culture across Premier America Team Members.
• Ensures Team Members within assigned channels understand Premier America’s products, services, and capabilities.
• Ensures training initiatives include segment-specific approaches and member dialogue strategies.

Credit Risk Oversight

• Develops, maintains, and updates the Credit Union’s risk governance framework, including:
•    Loan and credit related policies  
•    Credit risk appetite and risk limits
•    Loan risk rating system credit exposure and concentration limits 
•    Credit risk management processes, standards, and procedures within each lending channel
• Provides recommendations and guidelines for portfolio mix, composition, diversification, and limits to prevent and mitigate the      risk of loan concentrations.
• Develops and maintains sound and consistent underwriting policies, standards and guidelines, and general credit philosophy to be utilized in all lending functions across the credit union.
• In partnership with the CFO, ensures: 
•    Relevant, competitive, and profitable loan product offerings 
•    Effective management of the Credit Union’s interest rate risk 
•    Management of liquidity for strong earnings while staying within Premier America’s interest rate and liquidity risk tolerances

Data-Driven Strategy and Forecasting 

• Maintains accurate reporting for confident revenue forecasting and KPI analysis (pipeline management etc.) to identify what is working and what is not. 
• Continuously monitors the local competitive landscape, regulatory changes, and financial services needs of Premier America’s Markets of Opportunity.   Synthesizes intelligence into clear, actionable recommendations for the Senior Leadership Team.
• Leads the development of comprehensive business cases, financial models, and feasibility studies for significant investments such as denovo branches and technology investments, ensuring a strong, measurable ROI.

Overall Management Responsibilities 

• Leads assigned business functions and manages assigned Team Members, providing leadership, mentorship and performance management.  Conduct performance reviews, recommend compensation adjustments and foster a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and ongoing improvements to ensure optimal team performance.
• Models, recognizes, and rewards the behaviors that align with Premier America's Core Values.
• Serve on various committees as assigned. Supports positive Board, Committee and  Volunteer relations based on communication, collaboration, and executive leadership.
• Attends seminars and professional conferences, as necessary.
• Stays informed of trends and changes in the credit union and banking industry.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum of ten years of leadership experience, specifically managing lending functions (sales, operations and servicing) in consumer, commercial, RE channels, within the financial services industry (credit union/banking). 
• Bachelor's degree, MBA preferred
• Proven track record of leading high-performing teams.
• Strong negotiation, presentation, and strategic planning skills.

Pay – Base pay range for this role is: $240k - $300k.