Senior Credit Analyst

The Agency; Elk River (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Agency is seeking an experienced Senior Credit Analyst / Credit Officer to join its commercial banking team in Elk River. This key role will underwrite commercial relationships and provide independent analysis to support sound lending decisions.

Responsibilities include analyzing financial statements, cash flow, and collateral; preparing credit presentations; evaluating terms; and partnering with lenders through underwriting and approvals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, economics, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive commercial credit, underwriting, portfolio management, or related banking experience.
• Strong knowledge of commercial lending principles, financial analysis, cash flow analysis, loan structuring, and credit risk management.
• Experience underwriting C&I and commercial real estate relationships is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently analyze complex financial information and make well-supported credit recommendations.
• Strong understanding of risk ratings, loan policy, documentation, and regulatory expectations in a community banking environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with lenders, senior management, and other internal partners.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to articulate credit risks and recommendations.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience mentoring or developing junior credit professionals is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Independently underwrite new and existing commercial credit relationships, including C&I and CRE.
• Analyze borrower and guarantor financial statements, tax returns, cash flow, collateral, industry trends, and other relevant information.
• Prepare credit presentations and recommendations identifying risks, mitigating factors, and repayment sources.
• Evaluate loan structure, collateral, covenants, pricing, and terms to balance customer needs with risk parameters.
• Partner with lenders through underwriting and approval, providing credit guidance.
• Complete annual reviews, renewals, and ongoing monitoring of portfolios.
• Assign and support risk ratings and identify emerging credit concerns.
• Present credit recommendations to approval authorities and loan committee.
• Assist with identification and management of criticized or higher-risk credits.
• Ensure requests and documentation comply with policy and regulatory standards.
• Serve as a senior resource to the credit team and mentor junior staff.
• Contribute to credit process improvements and ongoing monitoring.
• Maintain understanding of economic and market conditions affecting borrowers.

Skills

Financial analysis

Cash flow analysis

Credit risk management

Communication

Independent under-writing

Underwriting complex credits

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The bank is seeking an experienced Senior Credit Analyst / Credit Officer to join its commercial banking team in Elk River. This is a key role within the credit function, responsible for providing thoughtful, independent analysis of commercial credit relationships while partnering closely with lenders and credit leadership to support sound lending decisions and maintain strong overall credit quality.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in commercial credit, understand how to evaluate risk beyond the numbers, and be comfortable working with both straightforward and complex commercial relationships. This individual will serve as a senior resource within the credit function and will have the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of the bank's credit culture, processes, and team.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently underwrite new and existing commercial credit relationships, including C&I, commercial real estate, and other business lending opportunities.
• Analyze borrower and guarantor financial statements, tax returns, cash flow, collateral, industry trends, and other relevant financial information.
• Prepare comprehensive credit presentations and recommendations that clearly identify key risks, mitigating factors, repayment sources, and overall creditworthiness.
• Evaluate loan structure, collateral, covenants, pricing, and other terms to ensure transactions appropriately balance customer needs with the bank's risk parameters.
• Partner closely with commercial lenders throughout the underwriting and approval process, providing credit guidance and assisting with deal structure when appropriate.
• Complete annual reviews, renewals, modifications, and ongoing monitoring of existing commercial relationships.
• Assign and support appropriate risk ratings and identify emerging credit concerns within the portfolio.
• Present credit recommendations to appropriate approval authorities and loan committee.
• Assist with the identification and management of criticized or higher-risk credits.
• Ensure credit requests and documentation comply with bank policy, regulatory requirements, and established underwriting standards.
• Serve as a senior resource to other members of the credit team, providing guidance and support on more complex credit matters.
• Contribute to ongoing efforts to improve credit processes, underwriting consistency, portfolio monitoring, and overall credit administration.
• Maintain an understanding of economic, industry, and market conditions that may impact the bank's borrowers and loan portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, economics, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive commercial credit, underwriting, portfolio management, or related banking experience.
• Strong knowledge of commercial lending principles, financial analysis, cash flow analysis, loan structuring, and credit risk management.
• Experience underwriting C&I and commercial real estate relationships strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently analyze complex financial information and make well-supported credit recommendations.
• Strong understanding of risk ratings, loan policy, documentation, and regulatory expectations within a community banking environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with lenders, senior management, and other internal partners.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate credit risks and recommendations.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience mentoring or developing junior credit professionals is a plus.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for an experienced credit professional who enjoys the analytical side of banking but also wants to have a meaningful voice in the broader credit conversation. The bank is looking for someone who can ask the right questions, identify risk early, work collaboratively with lenders, and bring sound judgment to the decision-making process.

The position offers a high degree of independence and visibility within a relationship-driven community banking environment.