Director, Commercial Real Estate Origination

nationallifeinsurancecompany; Addison (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

National Life Group seeks a Director, Commercial Mortgage Originations to lead sourcing, structuring and execution of CRE debt investments. You will develop a pipeline of institutional opportunities and align with underwriting, asset management, and senior leadership to close deals.

This role is onsite four days per week (Mon-Thu) with schedule adjustments possible by management. Strong CRE lending experience and a robust sponsor/broker network are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Real Estate, or related field and 6 - 8 years of related experience.
• 6 or more years of commercial real estate lending experience with a track record of originations.
• Experience underwriting stabilized, transitional/bridge, and construction loans.
• Strong knowledge of credit underwriting, real estate fundamentals, and loan structuring.
• Established network of sponsors, brokers, and mortgage bankers.
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills.
• Experience using commercial real estate (CRE) software used for valuation and cash flow modeling.
• Strong analytical, research, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Origination & Relationship Management: Build and maintain a pipeline of high-quality investment opportunities.
• Underwriting & Structuring: Originate, structure, and close commercial mortgage loans (typically $15M-$60M).
• Execution & Credit Approval: Prepare investment memoranda and coordinate closing.
• Portfolio & Market Strategy: Monitor market conditions and diversify across assets and geographies.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial modeling

Analytical skills

Communication skills

CRE lending experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Real Estate

Tools

CRE valuation software

Cash flow modeling tools

Job description

Come join one of America's fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures.

Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard.

We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good.

About Us

NLG Capital, the investment management company of NLG, manages approximately $40+ billion in AUM. Our purpose is simple - to allow NLG to keep its promises. How we do this - an obsessive focus on delivering investment results. We drive results through a rigorous but collaborative investment process, and we hold ourselves to the highest of standards, both as investors and teammates. While our process is based on rigor, our culture is based on our guiding principles: Meritocracy, Uncompromising Transparency, Intellectual Honesty, Performance Driven Learning, Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. These principles serve as the foundation of our team. They govern the way we conduct ourselves, how we interact with teammates and how we approach every investment decision. We act with the integrity and humility required to make the investment decision that is right for the firm, and ultimately our policyholders. Our culture has been deliberately built to foster curiosity and provide opportunities to learn and grow, both as people and investors. The flat and collaborative nature of our team promotes an atmosphere where the best ideas are continually expressed and rewarded. Our pursuit of excellence is unwavering.

Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Role Summary

The Director, Commercial Mortgage Originations is a senior originator to lead the sourcing, structuring, and execution of commercial real estate debt investments. This role is responsible for developing a consistent pipeline of institutional-quality opportunities and advancing the firm's credit strategy and portfolio objectives. The position is relationship-driven, focused on originating transactions across core property types while partnering closely with underwriting, asset management, and senior leadership through closing.

This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Origination & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain a pipeline of high-quality investment opportunities.
• Develop and manage relationships with sponsors, brokers, and mortgage bankers.
• Travel to key markets for client meetings, broker engagement, and site visits.
• Represent NLG Capital through industry engagement and conferences.

Underwriting & Structuring

• Originate, structure, and close commercial mortgage loans (typically $15M-$60M).
• Underwrite stabilized, transitional (bridge), and construction loans.
• Assess business plans, lease-up risk, capital expenditures, and exit strategies.
• Structure loans within credit parameters aligned with risk-return objectives.
• Perform cash flow analysis, market evaluation, and sponsor credit review.

Execution & Credit Approval

• Prepare and present investment memoranda to internal credit committees.
• Negotiate loan terms, pricing, covenants, and legal documentation.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders through closing.

Portfolio & Market Strategy

• Monitor market conditions and capital markets trends.
• Partner with portfolio management on diversification across assets and geographies.
• Collaborate with asset management to support portfolio performance and risk mitigation.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Real Estate, or related field and 6 - 8 years of related experience.
• 6 or more years of commercial real estate lending experience with a track record of originations.
• Experience underwriting stabilized, transitional/bridge, and construction loans.
• Strong knowledge of credit underwriting, real estate fundamentals, and loan structuring.
• Established network of sponsors, brokers, and mortgage bankers.
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills.
• Experience using commercial real estate (CRE) software used for valuation and cash flow modeling.
• Strong analytical, research, and communication skills.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and disciplined risk ap