Credit Manager

Description At First County Bank, You + We =Team YOU - Bring your talent, hunger to learn and desire to grow. WE - Will provide you with the training and experience you need to become a Trusted Advisor to your clients. TEAM - As part of the FCB team, you will share in the satisfaction of working for a respected 170-year-old institution with deep community roots and a tradition of giving back. First County Bank - It's where you belong! We are looking for a Credit Manager to join our Credit Administration team! This individual maintains primary responsibility for the department and is a member of the Bank’s Senior Lending Committee responsible for approving loans, modifications, and other Credit Administration reports within Lending Policy delegation. Work Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Primary Responsibilities: Manages Credit Administration’s workflow and skills in alignment with Business Banking loan production; has broad and deep knowledge of commercial real estate, commercial & industrial, and commercial construction lending, with particular focus on the Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester, New York markets. Maintains primary responsibility for quality, detail, appropriateness, and timeliness of credit underwriting. Manages credit administration requirements (financial statement receipt, financial covenant tracking, and management of an annual review schedule). Supports the Chief Credit Officer with loan review, audit, and regulatory examination requirements, Lending Policy and procedures, and awareness of regulatory, audit, and marketplace changes that affect the Bank. Monitors loan pipeline, workflow, credit administration requirements and individual task assignments. S chedule staff to ensure adequate coverage; cross-train staff to maintain accuracy, data integrity, and operational efficiency while maintaining compliance with Bank, state, and federal regulations and guidelines. Be the first point of contact for analysts and lenders for Credit Administration matters. Develop and maintain a firm understanding of the Bank’s Lending Policy and be able to make decisions based on policy, procedures and/or regulatory guidance as well as prior experience. Ensure team adherence to deadlines, including credit approval & annual review timelines and Reg. B deadlines. Oversee the maintenance and management of the Bank’s commercial credit underwriting software platform (Abrigo), including the Business Banking loan origination workflow. Use loan origination/underwriting/portfolio management software (Abrigo) to obtain financial statements and required portfolio management/credit administration materials. Represent Credit Administration internally and externally, with particular focus on relationship with Business Banking partners; May present certain reports to senior and executive management. Maintain awareness of changes to the regulatory/audit environment and recommend corresponding changes in policies and procedures, as necessary. Maintain the Credit Administration procedures manual. A ssist with selection/hiring staff appropriate for any vacant Credit Administration role(s); identify team and individual training/coaching/development needs and cultivate the annual credit training syllabus; prepare performance reviews and conduct performance review sessions; make compensation and promotion recommendations. Support the Chief Credit Officer in the preparation and submission of required financial and board reports on a timely basis. Oversee the execution of established appraisal process with internal and third-party entities, as applicable. Collaborate with Business Banking colleagues to anticipate and respond to credit needs of customers and prospects; Visit/call customers and prospects with or without Loan Officers to conduct necessary due diligence. Assist with obtaining required credit administration materials, including financial statements and other due diligence materials, and ensure appropriate financial information is entered into loan origination/underwriting/portfolio management software. Ensure analysis of the borrower and the credit request is completed within an acceptable time frame and in conjunction with the Bank’s credit approval delegations, including assessment of management, financial statements, sensitivity to changing market conditions and interest rates, collateral, industry, borrower, and guarantor, etc. to support loan structuring and approval. Identify/analyze risks and develop/identify mitigating factors; Determine/recommend risk rating. Collaborate with Business Banking partners to develop structure of credit facility during the issuance of term sheets and during underwriting, as appropriate. Be innovative and creative within the Bank’s Lending Policy and regulatory guidance. Utilize approval authority to approve facilities within that authority; Ensure credit facilities are documented and closed according to the approval, including validating that loan conditions are satisfied. In conjunction with Chief Credit Officer, allocate and adjust portfolios to individual analysts for ongoing underwriting, monitoring, and reporting while maintaining appropriate distribution of work across the team and aligned with the skill levels of the analysts. Maintain annual review schedule aligning with Lending Policy and ensure team adherence to the defined schedule each month. Ensure portfolio management includes timely and accurate assessment of the borrower’s risk profile through appropriate analysis of the borrower, collateral, guarantor(s), industry, financial statements, borrower cash flow, global cash flow, sensitivity analysis, etc. to support origination, renewal and servicing events. Ensure timely and accurate risk ratings and appropriate escalation of deteriorating credits to senior and executive staff and the board of directors, as necessary; Transition loans to workout/remediation, as appropriate. Utilize lending authority to approve renewals and modifications in accordance with Lending Policy. Perform servicing events on assigned portfolio as scheduled, including regular reviews, borrowing base calculations, collateral evaluations, covenant compliance calculations, etc. Assess risk in assigned portfolio by independently conducting reviews, analysis and research. Ensure credit administration ticklers are addressed in a timely fashion and updated within the portfolio management software. Provide an excellent customer experience by assisting in problem resolution for customers and responding to customer requests for modifications, extensions, increases, etc.; Identify deteriorating credit situations and recommend appropriate action. Proactively monitor the portfolio for additional credit opportunities (i.e., recommend guidance lines for borrowers with frequent equipment purchases) and refer such opportunities to Business Banking partners. Establish strong working relationships and provide excellent customer service to partner groups including Business Banking, branch managers, cash management, credit risk review, and other operational areas. Provide timely and thorough responses to all requests for information. Prior experience with allowance for credit losses methodologies and calculations a plus. Supports construction portfolio oversight. Assists with quarterly certification of key and mitigating controls for the division. Ability to identify data integrity issues and recommend solutions to improve data across in Credit Administration and Business Banking. Report writing experience with tools such as Abrigo and iDashboards. Assist with monitoring and management of Credit Administration’s annual Strategic Plan ScoreCard and annual budgeting. Seeks out opportunities to improve job skills and personal development; Volunteer and/or provide leadership in community/civic activities. Innovate within Bank policies where possible, i.e. assisting with writing underwriting policies and procedures for new products and services. Requirements/Qualifications: College degree or equivalent experience required. Completion of a formal commercial credit-training program or equivalent. Minimum five years of experience in commercial credit team management, underwriting, portfolio management, credit administration, and/or commercial relationship management with a heavy concentration on financial analysis. Thorough knowledge of financial accounting theory and logic, loan structuring, commercial products and services, as well as regulatory and accounting guidance. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong interpersonal and presentation skills required. Ability to interpret and discuss analytical data. Prior experience managing a commercial credit team is preferred. Excellent PC, software and financial analysis skills. Limited travel required; Ability to travel to business locations. Position eligible for the Bank’s Remote Work policy. Salary commensurate with experience. Wage Range: $125,000 - $160,000