Senior Credit Officer

BankFirst Financial Services; Columbus, Northern (MS, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

BankFirst Financial Services in Birmingham, AL seeks a Senior Credit Officer to direct evaluation, structuring, and approval of complex commercial lending relationships. You will serve on the loan committees, mentor production staff, and ensure credit quality across the institution.

The role requires 12+ years of commercial credit experience, with 5+ years in senior credit approval and deep CRE/C&I underwriting expertise.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive commercial credit experience.
• 5+ years in a senior credit approval role with delegated authority.
• Proven CRE and C&I underwriting expertise.
• Experience with Agricultural Lending and SBA programs preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree; Graduate Banking program a plus.

Responsibilities

• Credit Approval & Portfolio Oversight: evaluate, structure, approve complex loans.
• Risk Rating & CECL Integration: ensure CECL alignment.
• Policy Exception Management: review policy exceptions.
• Lender Mentorship & Capacity Building: mentor lenders on credit packages.
• Credit Culture & Training: lead internal trainings.
• Regulatory Compliance & Policy Refinement: adhere to policy and regs; assist CCO.

Skills

Credit analysis

Underwriting

Regulatory compliance

CECL

Staff mentorship

Communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics

Graduate School of Banking

Job description

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Senior Credit Officer

Full-time Regular Dir/Sr/Dept Mgr Birmingham, AL, US

6 days ago Requisition ID: 1693

BASIC PURPOSE OF POSITION

Directs the evaluation, structuring, and approval of complex commercial lending relationships within the bank's Second Line of Defense. Upholds asset quality and asset discipline by serving on executive loan committees, enforcing risk policy, and actively mentoring production lending staff to elevate credit analysis, risk identification, and underwriting quality across the institution.

DUTIES OF POSITION

Credit Approval & Portfolio Oversight: Exercise delegated lending authority to evaluate, structure, and approve complex loan requests; serve as a voting member on the Executive Loan Committee for relationships exceeding individual approval limits.

Risk Rating & CECL Integration: Ensure portfolio risk rating accuracy and alignment with Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) methodology; collaborate with lenders and Special Assets to execute proactive workout and exit strategies for deteriorating credits.

Policy Exception Management: Review and approve commercial loan policy exceptions, ensuring key mitigating factors are documented, tracked, and aligned with overall risk appetite parameters.

Lender Mentorship & Capacity Building: Partner directly with commercial lenders during pre-flight and structuring stages to refine credit package quality, cash flow analysis, and deal mechanics prior to formal credit submission.

Credit Culture & Training: Develop and lead internal training sessions on credit fundamentals, collateral valuation, and loan structuring, actively shifting the credit administration dynamic from a traditional "policing" role to strategic "partnering" with production staff without compromising credit standards.

Regulatory Compliance & Policy Refinement: Ensure strict adherence to internal Loan Policy, Federal Reserve guidelines, and Mississippi DBCF regulations; assist the CCO in refining policies to address emerging concentration risks and market conditions.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & TECHNICAL SKILLS

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related business discipline required.

Completion of a recognized Graduate School of Banking (e.g., LSU, Barret, Stonier) is a plus.

Experience

12+ years of progressive commercial credit/lending experience, including 5 or more years serving in a senior credit approval role holding significant delegated lending authority at a similarly sized or larger financial institution.

Proven, deep expertise in underwriting complex Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) transactions.

Experience with Agricultural Lending and SBA (7a/504)/FSA programs preferred.

Technical Skills

Advanced knowledge of Federal Reserve and MS/AL DBCF commercial banking regulations.

CRE concentration risk management, stress testing, and CECL frameworks.

Superior credit analysis, deal negotiation, and staff development capabilities.

Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the demonstrated ability to deliver tough credit decisions and decline deals with tact and empathy while maintaining a constructive, developmental approach with production staff.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Standard office environment. Must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods and occasionally travel within the bank’s footprint for site visits or client meetings.

BankFirst is an EO employer- M/F/Veteran/Disability