Chief Lending Officer

Avana Companies; United States; On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

401k

Job summary

AVANA Companies seeks a Chief Lending Officer to lead origination and syndication of CRE and SBA 504 lending in Arizona. They will set lending strategy, integrate credit policy, and oversee portfolio performance and regulatory compliance.

The CLO partners with the CEO and executive team, communicates with the Board, and champions data-driven credit analysis to drive sustainable balance sheet growth.

Qualifications

• 12 years of progressive experience in commercial banking or private credit.
• Deep expertise in CRE and SBA loan structuring and risk management.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate complex financial structures.
• Excellent communication skills to report to executive leadership and the Board.

Responsibilities

• Oversee origination and syndication of commercial debt across CRE and SBA 504 lending.
• Set structuring standards for large exposure transactions and review high risk credits.
• Drive balance sheet growth by aligning production with credit and profitability objectives.
• Foster enterprise strategy, governance, and represent lending to the Board and partners.
• Champion AI and data-driven tools to improve credit analysis and decision quality.

Skills

Leadership

Credit risk management

Portfolio administration

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Finance or related field

MBA or advanced banking credential

Job description

Chief Lending Officer Location Arizona Hours MondayFriday POSITION MISSION AVANA Companies is seeking a Chief Lending Officer to Sales Team in the origination and syndication of commercial debt across our CRE and SBA504 lending platforms to be based in Arizona Your mission is to set the enterprise lending strategy and integrate the credit policy that protects portfolio quality while driving sustainable balance sheet growth This role owns the full loan portfolios performance from origination standards and risk management to regulatory compliance and board level reporting The CLO partners closely with the CEO Origination leadership and Credit committee to align production goals with the companys risk appetite and profitability targets

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Loan Origination Structuring & Portfolio Growth Oversee origination and syndication of commercial debt across owner occupied investor and SBA 504 lending for CRE lendingSet structuring standards for complex and large exposure transactions and personally review or approve the highest risk creditsDrive balance sheet growth by aligning production goals across origination teams with credit and profitability objectivesIdentify and develop new lending programs and niche market opportunities that expand the companys addressable market responsiblyLeadership & Governance Partner with the CEO and executive team on enterprise strategy capital planning and new market or product expansionRepresent the lending function to the Board and where applicable affiliated bank or credit union partnersFoster a collaborative high performance culture aligned with the companys mission and valuesChampion the adoption of AI and data driven tools within sales team identifying opportunities to accelerate credit analysis strengthen risk detection and improve decision quality while ensuring adoption is governed responsibly and aligned with regulatory and credit policy standardsRegulatory & Compliance Ensure lending policies and procedures comply with applicable banking SBA and consumer protection regulationsServe as the senior escalation point for regulatory examinations audits and compliance inquiries related to lendingMaintain segregation of duties and governance controls consistent with the companys treasury and credit risk frameworkStrategic Partnerships Cultivate relationships with institutional capital partners correspondent banks and credit union partners to support balance sheet strategyRepresent AVANA at industry events and within the broader commercial banking and private credit communityPartner with marketing and business development leadership to align origination capacity with market opportunity

PERFORMANCE METRICS

Loan portfolio growth against enterprise production and balance sheet targetsRegulatory and audit outcomes across the lending functionDeal Closing Underwriting and Credit committee turnaround time and approval quality

REQUIREMENTS

Bachelors degree in Business Finance or a related field; MBA or advanced banking credential eg a graduate banking school program strongly preferred12 years of progressive experience in commercial banking private credit or commercial real estate lending including senior credit or lending leadershipDeep expertise in CRE and SBA loan structuring credit risk management and portfolio administrationDemonstrated track record of loan structuring risk management and balance sheet growth at a bank credit union or private credit institutionStrong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate complex financial structures identify key risk factors and make sound credit recommendationsExcellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to report clearly to executive leadership and the BoardProven people leadership experience with the ability to build and develop a sales team and build a high performance team Ability to work in a fast paced multi national environment across CRE SBA and affiliated banking entities

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience plus an incentive component tied to portfolio growth credit quality and enterprise profitabilityComprehensive benefits package including health dental and 401kOpportunities for professional development and executive level advancement

COMMITMENTS

As a member of the AVANA team you will be expected to demonstrate effective customer service in alignment with both the culture and goals of AVANA Companies along with expectations of implementing a high level of client relationship management that aligns with AVANA core values of Putting People First Doing the Right Thing Taking the Lead Making an Impact and understanding Excellence is a journey Customer service and satisfaction will be monitored and measured with all internal departments and with our external customers