Chief Lending Officer

Korn Ferry

Oregon (WI)

On-site

USD 300,000 - 325,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

A leading executive search firm is seeking a Chief Lending Officer to guide a credit union's lending portfolio across various sectors including consumer, mortgage, and commercial lending. This executive role focuses on partnership with the COO and CFO to drive strategic initiatives and ensure the longevity of lending operations amid impending retirements. The ideal candidate will have robust lending experience, especially in consumer areas, and demonstrate the ability to foster upcoming leaders while enhancing member experiences. A commitment to on-site presence in southern Oregon is required.

Qualifications

Senior leadership experience in lending within a credit union or similar financial institution.
Expertise in consumer lending, preferably in auto and indirect lending.
Experience managing large, diverse lending portfolios with strong understanding of ALM and credit risk.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction across all lending areas, including consumer, mortgage, and commercial.
Oversee a $2.2B lending portfolio ensuring compliance and sound risk management.
Lead and mentor the next generation of lending leaders while enhancing membership experiences.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Direction

Risk Management

Lending Expertise

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or a related field

Job description

This range is provided by Korn Ferry. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$300,000.00/yr - $325,000.00/yr

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for Chief Lending Officer

The Chief Lending Officer (CLO) will serve as a strategic and visionary leader responsible for guiding the Credit Union’s lending portfolio across consumer, mortgage, commercial, indirect, and collections. This role is central to protecting the Credit Union’s strong consumer lending franchise, while also driving growth in commercial lending, stabilizing mortgage operations through succession planning, and advancing innovative partnerships in third-party and secondary markets.

The position is open due to the prior CLO being recruited to a CEO role— the Credit Union’s first non-retirement executive departure in over a decade. The next CLO will step into a highly stable, collaborative executive team with the mandate to both preserve the Credit Union’s lending strengths and position the organization for long-term growth.

This leader will partner closely with the COO and CFO, bringing credit expertise, balance‑sheet insight, and strategic influence to the executive table. Success requires balancing disciplined credit and ALM oversight with innovation and growth, consistent with the Credit Union’s philosophy of “risk management, not risk avoidance.”

Beyond portfolio leadership, the CLO will play a critical role in developing the next generation of lending leaders, addressing imminent retirements and ensuring succession depth across the business. For the right leader, this role may expand into broader product ownership responsibilities, consolidating stewardship of the Credit Union’s lending and financial solutions into a unified, member‑centric strategy.

In short, the CLO will have the rare opportunity to shape not just the loan portfolio, but also its culture, talent, and product strategy—leaving a lasting impact on members’ financial well‑being and the communities the credit union serves.

Key Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction and disciplined execution across all lending areas: consumer, mortgage, commercial, indirect, and member solutions (collections).
Oversee a $2.2B lending portfolio, balancing growth and innovation with sound risk management, ALM oversight, and regulatory compliance.
Safeguard and expand the consumer lending engine, particularly auto and indirect lending, while maintaining exceptional member experiences.
Advance growth in commercial lending and stabilize mortgage operations, with a focus on leadership succession planning.
Lead the Credit Union’s third‑party lending partnerships, secondary market strategies, and CUSO involvement in close partnership with the CFO.
Recruit, mentor, and develop the next generation of lending leaders, addressing succession needs and building organizational bench strength.
Act as a peer to the COO and trusted partner to the CFO, contributing to enterprise‑wide strategic initiatives and long‑term planning.

Required Experience

Senior leadership experience in lending within a credit union or comparable financial institution ($1B+ in assets preferred).
Deep expertise in consumer lending, with proven success in auto and indirect lending.
Broad knowledge of mortgage, commercial, and third‑party/secondary market lending.
Demonstrated ability to manage large, diverse lending portfolios and strong understanding of ALM, credit risk, and balance sheet management.
Executive presence with experience partnering at the C‑suite and Board level.
Proven success developing leadership pipelines and building succession depth.

Preferred Experience & Attributes

Background as an SVP/CLO at a $1–2B credit union ready to step up, or as a senior leader in a larger institution with strategic exposure.
Collaborative, relationship‑driven leadership style; ability to influence across a high‑trust, non‑siloed executive team.
Strategic innovator with a growth mindset who embraces “risk management, not risk avoidance.”
Commitment to relocation and on‑site executive presence in southern Oregon.

Skills and competencies