Job Description
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.
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