Senior Credit Officer, Director - US Insurance

BMO U.S.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

BMO Financial Group is seeking a strategic Credit Risk leader to oversee adjudication and portfolio management for U.S. Life and P&C insurers.

The role partners with Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, and Capital Markets to evaluate complex exposures and ensure alignment with risk appetite and credit policies. You'll bring deep industry knowledge, regulatory awareness, and strong stakeholder management to lead governance, portfolio analytics, and risk reporting, while coaching junior staff

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in credit risk, counterparty risk, insurance credit, or financial institutions.
• Significant coverage across U.S. Life Insurance and/or Property & Casualty sectors.
• Strong lending, credit underwriting, and counterparty credit risk expertise.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent credit adjudication of lending, trading, and counterparty exposures for U.S. Life and P&C insurers.
• Approve transactions within delegated authority and escalate when needed.
• Assess creditworthiness through financial performance, capital adequacy, liquidity, asset quality, and risk profile.
• Evaluate a broad range of products including corporate lending facilities, derivatives, and capital markets exposures.
• Monitor portfolio quality and communicate risks to risk appetite and credit policies.

Skills

Credit risk

Counterparty risk

Insurance sector

Executive presence

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

CFA/FRM/CPA/MBA

Job description

Reporting directly to the Counterparty Credit Executive, this highly visible leadership role in the second line of defence is responsible for the independent credit risk assessment, adjudication, and portfolio management of a portfolio of U.S. Insurance clients, with a primary focus on Life Insurance and Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance companies. The successful candidate will partner closely with Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, and Capital Markets teams to evaluate and approve complex lending, trading, and counterparty credit exposures while ensuring alignment with the Bank's risk appetite, regulatory expectations, and credit policies.

This role requires deep expertise in the U.S. insurance sector, including insurance company financial analysis, capital structures, statutory reporting, investment portfolios, liquidity management, reserving practices, and regulatory frameworks. The role also requires strong knowledge of lending products, derivatives, and trading-related credit exposures.

Credit Risk Adjudication & Portfolio Management

• Provide independent credit assessment and adjudication of lending, trading, and counterparty credit exposures involving U.S. Life Insurance and P&C Insurance companies.
• Approve transactions within delegated authority and provide recommendations for transactions requiring escalation.
• Assess borrower and counterparty creditworthiness through detailed analysis of financial performance, capital adequacy, liquidity, asset quality, profitability, and risk profile.
• Evaluate and approve a broad range of products, including corporate lending facilities, derivatives, securities financing transactions, repo, and other capital markets products.
• Monitor portfolio quality and emerging risks to ensure exposures remain within the Bank's risk appetite and established credit policies.
• Recommend transaction structures, covenants, collateral arrangements, and credit risk mitigants to appropriately manage risk.

Insurance Sector Expertise

• Serve as the subject matter expert for the U.S. Insurance sector, including Life, Annuity, Reinsurance, and Property & Casualty Insurance companies.
• Analyze statutory and GAAP financial statements, RBC capital metrics, reserving adequacy, investment portfolio composition, liquidity, and enterprise risk management frameworks.
• Maintain a current understanding of industry trends, regulatory developments, market conditions, and competitive dynamics affecting insurance companies.
• Identify emerging risks and opportunities across the insurance portfolio and communicate implications to senior leadership.

Strategic Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Partner with Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Trading, and Capital Markets teams to support client activities while maintaining strong independent risk oversight.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders on complex credit and risk matters.
• Influence transaction structures and risk outcomes through effective negotiation and stakeholder engagement.
• Present credit recommendations and portfolio views to senior management and credit committees.
• Build strong relationships across Risk, Front Office, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Regulatory functions.

Leadership & Governance

• Provide credit coaching, mentorship, and technical guidance to junior credit professionals and broader stakeholder groups.
• Support strategic initiatives, process enhancements, credit policy development, and risk management projects.
• Lead or participate in regulatory reviews, audits, and governance activities as required.
• Contribute to the development of portfolio reporting, risk analytics, and management information systems.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in credit risk, counterparty credit risk, insurance credit, or financial institutions.
• Significant coverage experience across U.S. Life Insurance and/or Property & Casualty Insurance sectors.
• Strong lending, credit underwriting, and counterparty credit risk expertise, including capital markets products.
• Experience presenting complex credit recommendations to senior executives and credit committees.
• Proven ability to manage large, complex portfolios and credit exposures.
• Deep knowledge of the U.S. insurance industry, including Life, Annuities, Reinsurance, and P&C sectors.
• Strong understanding of insurance financial analysis, capital adequacy, reserving practices, and regulatory frameworks.
• Advanced credit structuring, portfolio management, and risk mitigation skills.
• Expertise in lending products, derivatives, and capital markets-related credit exposures.
• Strong executive presence with exceptional stakeholder management and influencing abilities.
• Superior analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate complex credit concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and talent development experience.
• Thrives in fast-paced environments and effectively manages ambiguity.
• CFA, FRM, CPA, MBA, or similar professional designation.
• Experience within a major bank, rating agency, insurance company, or global financial institution.
• Experience with regulatory reviews, stress testing, or portfolio analytics.

Salary:

$130,000.00 - $270,000.00

Pay Type:

Salaried

The above represents BMO Financial Group’s pay range and type. Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group’s expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group’s total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.bmo.com/global/en/Total-Rewards

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

To find out more visit us at https://jobs.bmo.com/us/en

BMO is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other legally protected characteristics. We also consider applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

BMO is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e‑mail to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.