Commercial Credit Team Lead

Job Title: Commercial Credit Team Lead

Location: Dallas, TX

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Commercial Credit Team Lead is a senior credit professional responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the commercial credit underwriting and analysis function. This individual serves as the primary credit resource and team manager for a group of credit analysts and portfolio managers, overseeing the quality, consistency, and throughput of credit work across the bank’s commercial lending portfolio. The role spans C&I, CRE, and specialty lending segments, and carries direct accountability for the team’s credit production, analytical standards, and professional development.

This is a working leadership role. The Team Lead remains actively involved in the underwriting and review of complex or large-dollar credits while simultaneously guiding junior analysts, enforcing credit policy, and serving as a key liaison between the credit team, lending officers, and senior credit leadership. The right candidate is an experienced commercial credit professional who has grown into a natural mentor and is ready to take ownership of a team and a credit culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of commercial credit analysts and portfolio managers, providing day-to-day direction, coaching, and performance feedback.

• Assign credit work across the team based on complexity, capacity, and individual development goals; monitor workloads and adjust priorities to meet pipeline demands and internal service level expectations.

• Conduct regular one-on-ones and structured performance reviews; identify training needs and create targeted development plans to build analytical depth and credit judgment across the team.

• Mentor junior analysts through complex credit situations, using each transaction as a coaching opportunity to develop underwriting skills, financial modeling capability, and risk assessment instincts.

• Foster a team culture defined by intellectual rigor, accountability, attention to detail, and a commitment to credit quality.

• Participate in the hiring, onboarding, and integration of new credit team members as the department grows.

Credit Underwriting & Review

• Personally underwrite and co-underwrite complex, large-dollar, or higher-risk commercial credits including C&I facilities, CRE transactions, owner-occupied real estate, and specialty lending relationships.

• Review and quality-control credit memoranda prepared by analysts and portfolio managers prior to submission to credit officers or loan committee, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and sound risk analysis.

• Apply consistent analytical standards across the credit team, including financial statement spreading, cash flow modeling, debt service coverage analysis, collateral valuation, and global exposure assessment.

• Ensure that credit presentations are well-organized, clearly written, risk-balanced, and provide decision makers with the information needed to make informed credit judgments.

• Serve as a technical credit resource for Relationship Managers and lending officers on structuring questions, policy interpretation, and pre-screening of prospective credits.

Credit Policy & Risk Management

• Serve as a primary enforcer and interpreter of the bank’s credit policy within the commercial credit team, ensuring all underwritten transactions comply with established standards and risk appetite guidelines.

• Identify systemic credit quality issues, underwriting inconsistencies, or emerging portfolio risks and escalate findings to the Chief Credit Officer or credit leadership with recommended corrective actions.

• Monitor the commercial portfolio for early warning signs of credit deterioration, including financial covenant violations, borrower operational challenges, or adverse industry trends, and ensure timely escalation and documentation.

• Support the bank’s classified asset management process by overseeing the credit team’s involvement in watch list reviews, special mention credits, and adversely classified relationships.

• Assist with the development and periodic revision of credit policy, underwriting guidelines, and internal credit procedures to reflect current regulatory expectations and best practices.

Loan Committee & Credit Administration

• Prepare and present complex credits to loan committee and senior credit officers, fielding questions and defending analytical conclusions with confidence and depth.

• Oversee the credit team’s pipeline management, ensuring timely completion of new originations, annual reviews, renewals, and modifications within established turnaround standards.

• Coordinate with loan operations, legal, and compliance on documentation requirements, loan boarding, and post-closing credit administration matters.

• Maintain and enforce standards for credit file integrity, covenant tracking, financial statement collection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring across all assigned relationships.

• Produce regular reporting on credit team production, pipeline status, portfolio quality metrics, and analyst performance for distribution to credit leadership and senior management.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Business Development Support

• Partner closely with Relationship Managers and Business Development Officers as a trusted credit counterpart, providing timely structuring input and analytical support on prospects and existing clients.

• Participate in joint calling efforts, client meetings, and term sheet discussions where credit expertise adds value to the business development process.

• Build strong working relationships with lending teams across all commercial segments, positioning the credit function as a collaborative partner rather than a transactional gatekeeper.

• Represent the credit team in cross-departmental meetings, project initiatives, and strategic planning discussions as directed by the Chief Credit Officer.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Seven or more years of progressive commercial credit experience within a commercial bank, regional bank, or financial institution, with a demonstrated track record of underwriting complex C&I and CRE credits.

• Prior experience in a lead, senior, or supervisory credit role with direct responsibility for reviewing or managing the work of other analysts or portfolio managers.

• Formal credit training program background strongly preferred; deep working knowledge of financial statement analysis, cash flow modeling, and commercial loan structuring across multiple asset classes.

• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced credit environment while maintaining high standards for accuracy and credit quality.

• Strong written communication skills with the ability to produce and edit clear, concise, and well-supported credit memoranda.

• Effective coaching and mentoring skills; genuine interest in the professional development of junior credit staff.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field required; MBA or advanced degree a meaningful plus.

• Proficiency in financial spreading software (Moody’s, Sageworks, or similar) and Microsoft Office, with strong Excel modeling skills.

CORE COMPETENCIES

COMPENSATION & STRUCTURE

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, team scope, and market; specific compensation is discussed on a per-opportunity basis and varies by institution.

• Annual performance bonus based on team credit quality, pipeline throughput, analyst development outcomes, and individual contribution to the credit function.

• Full benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k) with employer match, and paid time off.

• Natural progression path toward Senior Credit Officer, Chief Credit Officer, or hybrid credit and relationship leadership roles for high-performing candidates.

This position profile was prepared by L.D. Peck Executive Search | Confidential – For Authorized Distribution Only