Assistant General Counsel, Consumer & Small Business Banking

Valley Bank; Morristown (NJ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Bank in Morristown, NJ, is seeking an Assistant General Counsel to provide legal support to the SMB, Private Bank, and Consumer Lending teams. You will serve as primary counsel to these lending groups on a broad range of commercial products and programs.

The ideal candidate has a JD, bar membership, and at least six years' experience in banking and lending, with strong knowledge of applicable regulations and collaboration with cross‑functional partners to enable compliant, scalable

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school required.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum six years’ experience in lending/financial services.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to SMB lending and credit teams on commercial loans.
• Support Private Bank lending products and residential mortgage lending teams.
• Draft, review, and negotiate loan documentation and related agreements.
• Advise on collateral structures, UCC Article 9, lien priority, and enforcement.
• Advise on origination, servicing, and collection of consumer and mortgage loans.
• Ensure compliance with TILA, RESPA, ECOA, FCRA, and UDAP statutes.
• Collaborate with lending, risk, and ops teams for efficient execution.
• Maintain and enhance template documentation for scalability.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Fast-paced environment

Attention to detail

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

The Assistant General Counsel role provides legal support to Valley Bank's Small & Micro Business (SMB) segment, which delivers credit and banking products to small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as to the Private Bank on select lending products and to the Consumer Lending and Residential Mortgage lines of business. The attorney will serve as primary legal counsel to the SMB, Private Bank and Consumer lending teams.

The role supports a high volume, standardized small business and consumer lending environment, requiring strong judgment, efficiency, and comfort operating at scale. The ideal candidate will bring commercial lending experience, a strong working knowledge of bank regulatory and operational frameworks, and the ability to advise business partners on banking matters affecting small business clients, private banking clients, and consumer lending clients, as applicable.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to SMB lending and credit teams in connection with commercial loans to small businesses, including term loans, revolving credit facilities, and other secured and unsecured lending products.
• Provide transactional legal support to the Bank's Private Bank in connection with a number of lending products, including securities‑based lending, premium finance lending, and other related private banking credit products, and to the Bank's Residential Mortgage team.
• Draft, review and negotiate standardized loan documentation, including loan agreements, notes, guaranties, security agreements, amendments, waivers, and related documentation.
• Advise on collateral structures, UCC Article 9 matters, lien priority, perfection, and enforcement, in a manner appropriate to SMB and private banking lending programs.
• Advise on legal matters related to the origination, servicing and collection of the Bank's consumer and residential mortgage lending products.
• Advise on laws, regulations, and standards that are applicable to consumer and residential mortgage loan products, including the Truth in Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Unfair Deceptive and Abusive Acts and Practices Act.
• Partner closely with lending, credit, risk, and operations teams to support efficient transaction execution while ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and policy requirements.
• Support ongoing maintenance and enhancement of template documentation to promote consistency and scalability across the SMB, private banking, consumer and residential mortgage lending platforms.

Required Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to navigate a fast‑paced environment and handle multiple projects.
• Impeccable attention to detail, unwavering commitment to excellence, and the highest standards of integrity.

Required Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of six years as a practicing attorney with relevant lending and financial services experience, including in‑house experience at a financial institution.