Chief Credit Officer — Sturgis, MI

Sturgis Bank & Trust Co; Sturgis (MI); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Sturgis Bank & Trust Co in Michigan is seeking a Chief Credit Officer to lead credit quality, risk management, and portfolio performance across retail and commercial lending. You will partner with executive leadership and the Board to set risk appetite, oversee underwriting, loan review, and regulatory compliance, and drive sustainable loan growth while protecting asset quality.

This role requires a strategic thinker with deep credit expertise and strong leadership, capable of aligning credit

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, or equivalent experience.
• Completion of master’s level business degree and/or degree from Graduate School of Banking preferred.
• Ten to fifteen years of cumulative credit analysis, commercial lending, and management experience required.
• Experience as a Senior Credit or Chief Credit Officer preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee overall credit risk and the entire credit function for retail and commercial lending.
• Develop and refine loan policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and alignment with industry best practices.
• Ensure credit processes are efficient, scalable, and support timely decision-making.
• Provide strategic oversight of the loan portfolio including performance, trends, and risk.
• Lead portfolio analytics and reporting for executive management and the Board.
• Ensure underwriting standards and appraisal requirements align with regulatory requirements.
• Direct the Bank’s loan review process and respond to emerging credit risks.
• Lead problem loan identification and resolution, including workout strategies.
• Chair or oversee asset quality meetings to reduce criticized assets.
• Collaborate with lending, credit, wealth, and treasury teams to grow sound loan portfolios.
• Review and present loan relationships to the loan committee.

Skills

Credit risk management

Underwriting

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Strategic planning

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration/Finance/Accounting

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Summary

The Chief Credit Officer (CCO) is responsible for the overall credit quality, risk management, and loan portfolio performance of the Bank including retail and commercial. This position provides strategic leadership and oversight of all credit-related functions, ensuring safe and sound lending practices, regulatory compliance, and alignment with the Bank’s risk appetite. The CCO partners with executive management and the Board of Directors to support sustainable loan growth while maintaining strong asset quality.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for the overall credit risk and overseeing the entire credit function of the Bank. This includes both retail and commercial lending.

Leads the development and ongoing refinement of loan policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and alignment with industry best practices.

Ensures credit processes are efficient, scalable, and responsive to support timely decision-making in a competitive market.

Provides strategic oversight of the loan portfolio, including performance, trends, concentrations, risk grading, exceptions, and overall credit quality.

Oversees portfolio analytics and reporting, delivering clear and actionable insights to executive management and the Board of Directors on a regular basis.

Ensures underwriting standards, appraisal requirements, and other credit administration practices align with regulatory requirements in partnership with the Chief Compliance Officer.

Directs the Bank’s independent loan review process and ensures timely identification and response to emerging credit risks.

Provides leadership in problem loan identification and resolution, including oversight of workout strategies to minimize risk and loss.

Chairs or oversees asset quality meetings to evaluate portfolio health and drive strategies to reduce criticized and classified assets.

Collaborates with commercial lending, credit, wealth, and treasury teams to support sound, profitable loan growth consistent with the Bank’s risk appetite.

Reviews and recommends credit relationships and loan requests before presenting loans to the loan committee. Serves as Chair of Loan Committee.

Serves as the primary credit liaison with regulators, auditors, and external reviewers. This also includes examinations and audits.

Monitors economic, industry, and market conditions to assess potential impacts on the loan portfolio and credit strategy.

Other tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Commercial Credit Manager, Loan Portfolio Manager, Commercial Processor Supervisor, and Mortgage Underwriting Supervisor.

Qualifications

Strong knowledge of credit risk management, underwriting, and regulatory expectations. Strong leadership skills and the ability to develop people within the department. Excellent organizational, written, and oral communication skills. Highly effective people skills with individuals at all levels, and the ability to work in a team environment. Strong decision making, problem solving, and negotiation skills. Technologically proficient with various business software suites and Microsoft Office Suite.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, or equivalent experience. Completion of master’s level business degree and/or degree from the Graduate School of Banking preferred. Ten to fifteen years of cumulative credit analysis, commercial lending, and management experience required. Experience as a Senior Credit or Chief Credit Officer preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Professional certifications preferred but not required.

Work Environment

General office working conditions exist. Employee may experience sustained moderate/high periods of activity with multiple tasks being performed. They may experience communication with a variety of internal and external sources under favorable and unfavorable conditions. Noise level in the work environment is usually minimal. Occasional travel to various branches, travel to current and prospective customer meetings, seminars/training, as well as other bank related meetings and events.