Executive Director - Real Estate Credit Risk, Mortgage & Structured Finance

Title: Executive Director – Real Estate Credit Risk, Mortgage & Structured Finance

Office Status: Hybrid – New York, NY

Base Salary: $220k – $260k + Bonus

Overview:

This Executive Director-level opportunity sits within the Credit Risk Management function of a leading global financial services group, offering senior leadership of the Real Estate Finance Credit Risk team in the Americas. The role carries genuine credit authority and team ownership — providing strategic direction and independent credit oversight across a broad real estate and mortgage portfolio spanning commercial real estate, business-purpose residential mortgage products, securitizations, and warehouse lending. The ideal candidate combines deep mortgage and real estate underwriting expertise with the stakeholder management skills to serve as the primary credit intermediary between clients, origination teams, auditors, and senior management, and the leadership presence to mentor and develop a team of credit risk professionals. With 12+ years of relevant risk experience required, this is the right seat for a seasoned real estate credit risk leader who brings both technical rigor and the executive presence to drive risk appetite decisions and influence key stakeholders across a globally integrated organization.

Key Responsibilities:

· Provide strategic direction and oversight for Nomura’s Real Estate Finance Credit Risk team in the Americas; engage directly with front office deal teams as an independent credit authority on deal structuring, transaction design, and commercial terms across a diverse real estate and mortgage portfolio

· Evaluate counterparties, mortgage and real estate collateral, securitization structures, and new products across both commercial and residential mortgage sectors including Conduit Loans, Balance Sheet Loans, SASB/Large Loan securitizations, warehouse lending, Residential Transitional Loans (RTL), DSCR/Investor Loans, Single-Family Rental (SFR), Built-to-Rent (B2R), and Small-Balance Commercial (SBC) Loans

· Take ownership of analyzing and assigning internal credit ratings; evaluate key risks and mitigants across novel transactions and prepare internal memorandums documenting decision rationale

· Conduct ongoing monitoring of portfolio collateral performance and counterparty financial performance; conduct on-site due diligence with counterparties to assess financial, operational, and managerial capabilities

· Oversee limit framework design, implementation, and enforcement; guide development of risk analytics and reporting frameworks

· Oversee regulatory reporting including preparation and presentation of key portfolio trends to risk seniors and regulatory reporting teams; track developments in the regulatory and industry-specific operating environment including key trends in securitization markets

· Monitor counterparty credit and changes in external ratings; ensure proactive socialization and escalation of material developments as needed

· Build and maintain strategic relationships with origination and structuring teams; act as the primary intermediary between clients, business units, auditors, and department heads

· Present risk assessments and strategic recommendations to senior management and executive committees; provide clear, impactful communication of risk issues to senior leadership

· Partner with global teams across different jurisdictions and time zones; influence key decision makers on risk appetite and portfolio strategy

· Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff; foster collaboration across risk and control functions; drive performance management and career development