Credit Underwriter

Position Summary

Korn Ferry has partnered with a growing bank in Tampa. The Credit Underwriter is responsible for evaluating credit applications, analyzing financial information, assessing creditworthiness, and making sound lending recommendations in accordance with established credit policies and regulatory requirements. This role involves reviewing financial statements, evaluating repayment capacity, identifying potential risks, and ensuring credit decisions align with the institution’s risk management objectives while supporting responsible lending and business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and analyze commercial and consumer credit applications, financial statements, tax returns, credit reports, and supporting documentation.
• Assess borrowers’ creditworthiness, repayment capacity, debt service coverage, liquidity, leverage, and overall financial condition.
• Evaluate credit risk and identify potential issues, inconsistencies, or areas requiring additional documentation.
• Prepare comprehensive credit analyses, underwriting summaries, and recommendations for approval, modification, or denial.
• Ensure lending decisions comply with internal credit policies, underwriting guidelines, applicable banking regulations, and risk management standards.
• Collaborate with relationship managers, loan officers, portfolio managers, and other internal stakeholders to obtain necessary information and facilitate timely credit decisions.
• Monitor existing credit relationships and assist with periodic reviews, covenant compliance, and ongoing risk assessments.
• Maintain accurate and complete credit files, underwriting documentation, and decision records.
• Identify opportunities to mitigate credit risk through appropriate loan structures, collateral requirements, guarantees, and financial covenants.
• Stay informed of economic trends, industry conditions, and regulatory developments that may affect borrower performance and portfolio quality.
• Support continuous improvement of underwriting processes, documentation standards, and credit risk procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field preferred.
• Previous experience in credit underwriting, commercial lending, financial analysis, or a related banking function.
• Strong understanding of financial statement analysis, credit risk assessment, lending principles, and loan documentation.
• Knowledge of cash flow analysis, debt service coverage ratios, leverage ratios, collateral valuation, and repayment structures.
• Familiarity with banking regulations, credit policies, and sound underwriting practices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other financial analysis tools.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain credit risks and recommendations.
• High attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Experience

• Experience underwriting commercial loans, business credit facilities, or other complex lending relationships.
• Familiarity with credit approval systems, loan origination platforms, and financial spreading software.
• Experience preparing credit memoranda and presenting underwriting recommendations to credit approval authorities.
• Knowledge of the Tampa Bay business market and regional economic conditions.