Senior Credit Strategy & Risk Leader

Farm Credit Illinois; Illinois; On-site; USD 220,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Vacation and sick days

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Volunteer leave

Job summary

Farm Credit Illinois is seeking a Chief Credit Officer to lead credit analysts and support staff, shaping credit policy, risk management, and portfolio analysis to support sound lending operations. The CCO will oversee risk policy design, approval processes, and communication across the organization.

The role requires strategic leadership, collaboration with executives, and a focus on strengthening member experience while ensuring compliance and robust risk controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business, finance, or agriculture.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in financial agribusiness or credit analysis.
• Minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience leading and developing teams.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the role.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and monitor credit policies, underwriting guidelines, approval processes, and internal controls aligned with regulatory requirements and the Association’s Risk Appetite.
• Oversee portfolio monitoring, credit trends, reporting, systems, and lending pipelines to support sound decisions and meet service commitments; provide expertise on large and complex loans.
• Partner with executive leaders and field operations to align credit and sales strategies, strengthen collaboration, and enhance the member experience.
• Build relationships with AgriBank, the Farm Credit Administration, other Farm Credit institutions, service providers, and partners; prepare analyses and presentations for senior management, committees, and regulatory exams.
• Set strategic direction and departmental structure for the Credit Services Division (CSD), communicate lending philosophy and risk priorities, model Association values, and serve on key credit and risk committees.
• Recruit, lead, coach, and develop CSD staff through clear expectations, timely feedback, recognition, career development, and succession planning; mentor staff across the Association.
• Protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of Association and customer systems and data.

Skills

Credit policies

Team leadership

Analytical mindset

Communication

Numerical reasoning

Computer literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Farm Credit Illinois is seeking a Chief Credit Officer to lead credit analysts and support staff, shaping credit policy, risk management, and portfolio analysis to support sound lending operations. The CCO will oversee risk policy design, approval processes, and communication across the organization.

The role requires strategic leadership, collaboration with executives, and a focus on strengthening member experience while ensuring compliance and robust risk controls.