Deputy Chief Credit Officer

RockBridge Search & Recruitment; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

RockBridge Search & Recruitment seeks a Deputy Chief Credit Officer to shape credit philosophy and lead a growing financial institution's risk framework from San Diego. This executive role blends analytical rigor with strategic leadership, balancing growth, risk, and sound judgment across diverse lending portfolios.

Based in California's desirable market, you will partner with executive leadership to steer credit strategy, underwriting standards, and regulatory alignment while mentoring credit

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or related field.
• Advanced degree or formal banking education preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive commercial banking and credit leadership experience.
• Significant experience managing large and complex commercial credit portfolios.
• Strong knowledge of credit underwriting, risk rating systems, loan review, and regulatory expectations.
• Experience working directly with executive management and board-level committees.
• Deep understanding of commercial real estate, C&I, SBA, and specialty lending structures.
• Exceptional analytical, leadership, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication abilities with the confidence to challenge assumptions when necessary.
• Ability to balance growth objectives with disciplined risk management.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in the development and execution of enterprise-wide credit risk strategy.
• Providing leadership and oversight of commercial, industrial, commercial real estate, and specialty lending portfolios.
• Reviewing and approving complex credit transactions within delegated authority.
• Partnering with lending teams to structure sound and profitable credit solutions.
• Monitoring portfolio performance, concentration risk, and emerging credit trends.
• Leading loan review initiatives and ensuring credit quality remains strong across the organization.
• Supporting regulatory examinations, internal audits, and compliance efforts.
• Coaching and mentoring credit officers, underwriters, and portfolio managers.
• Collaborating with executive leadership on strategic planning and growth initiatives.
• Enhancing credit policies, procedures, and underwriting standards.
• Evaluating stress testing results and portfolio sensitivity analyses.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Leadership

Credit risk management

Regulatory knowledge

Strategic planning

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or related field

Advanced degree or formal banking education preferred

Job description

The Opportunity

Some banking roles keep the gears turning. This one helps design the gears.

We are seeking a Deputy Chief Credit Officer who can blend sharp analytical thinking with executive leadership, balancing growth, risk, strategy, and sound judgment across a dynamic lending platform. This is a seat at the table where credit philosophy is shaped, portfolios are strengthened, and lending decisions create lasting impact throughout the organization.

Nestled along the sun-soaked coastline of San Diego, this role offers the opportunity to partner directly with executive leadership while helping guide the future of a growing financial institution. You'll serve as the trusted second-in-command to the Chief Credit Officer, helping steer credit strategy through both calm seas and economic squalls.

If spreadsheets, portfolio analytics, and regulatory guidance make your brain light up like a runway at midnight, keep reading.

What You'll Do

As Deputy Chief Credit Officer, you'll serve as a strategic leader responsible for supporting and enhancing the bank's overall credit administration framework.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting in the development and execution of enterprise-wide credit risk strategy
• Providing leadership and oversight of commercial, industrial, commercial real estate, and specialty lending portfolios
• Reviewing and approving complex credit transactions within delegated authority
• Partnering with lending teams to structure sound and profitable credit solutions
• Monitoring portfolio performance, concentration risk, and emerging credit trends
• Leading loan review initiatives and ensuring credit quality remains strong across the organization
• Supporting regulatory examinations, internal audits, and compliance efforts
• Coaching and mentoring credit officers, underwriters, and portfolio managers
• Collaborating with executive leadership on strategic planning and growth initiatives
• Enhancing credit policies, procedures, and underwriting standards
• Evaluating stress testing results and portfolio sensitivity analyses
• Helping build a culture where prudent risk management and business development work together instead of staring at each other across the conference table

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or related field
• Advanced degree or formal banking education preferred
• 12+ years of progressive commercial banking and credit leadership experience
• Significant experience managing large and complex commercial credit portfolios
• Strong knowledge of credit underwriting, risk rating systems, loan review, and regulatory expectations
• Experience working directly with executive management and board-level committees
• Deep understanding of commercial real estate, C&I, SBA, and specialty lending structures
• Exceptional analytical, leadership, and decision-making skills
• Strong communication abilities with the confidence to challenge assumptions when necessary
• Ability to balance growth objectives with disciplined risk management

What Makes You Successful

You possess the rare ability to zoom from a $50 million relationship discussion to a portfolio concentration analysis without missing a beat.

You understand that great credit leadership is equal parts science, art, and healthy skepticism.

You ask thoughtful questions, see risks before they become headlines, and help teams find pathways to "yes" without abandoning sound underwriting principles.

Most importantly, you're a leader who can inspire confidence from regulators, executives, lenders, and stakeholders alike.

Why Join Us?

• Executive-level visibility and influence
• Opportunity to help shape the future direction of a growing institution
• Collaborative leadership environment
• Strong organizational stability and market presence
• Retirement and incentive programs
• Career-defining leadership opportunity in one of California's most desirable markets

This is more than a credit role. It's an opportunity to help architect the financial backbone of an institution, guiding strategy, managing risk, and ensuring every lending decision contributes to a stronger future. In this position, your fingerprints won't just be on loan files. They'll be on the bank's next chapter. ????????????

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