POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Commercial Real Estate Underwriter plays a key role in supporting the bank’s commercial lending decisions by performing high-quality credit analysis and underwriting complex commercial real estate (CRE) transactions. This individual ensures sound credit decisions while balancing risk and profitability in alignment with the bank’s credit policy, regulatory expectations, and community-focused mission.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Five plus years of experience in commercial real estate underwriting
• Knowledge of the Bay Area real estate market
• Strong proficiency in spreading financials in related software
• Working knowledge of bank regulations, risk rating systems, and loan documentation
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to adapt to preferred communication style of internal stakeholders and external borrowers.
• Strong attention to detail, while still having the ability to scale analysis based on the strengths and weaknesses of each credit

• Underwrite and analyze a broad range of complex owner and non-owner occupied CRE loans, including permanent, bridge, SBA 504, and lines of credit across asset types such as multifamily, retail, office, industrial, and special purpose.
• Assess borrower creditworthiness by analyzing both business and personal financial statements, tax returns, rent rolls, operating statements, and appraisals.
• Review environmental, seismic assessment, and any other third-party reports and summarize conclusions in the Narrative
• Review and understand preliminary title report, in order to make recommendations related to exceptions.
• Prepare and evaluate global and enterprise cash flows.
• Evaluate property-level risks including market conditions, tenant concentration, lease terms, and collateral strength.
• Prepare clear and concise credit memos for presentation to loan committees, including detailed risk identification, financial spreads, and recommendations.
• Review borrower organizational documents and accurately present the borrower structure and guarantors.
• Collaborate with sales partners to structure loan terms that meet borrower needs while mitigating bank risk.
• Proactively identify deteriorating credit conditions or market shifts.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of current regulatory guidance, bank guidelines and policies, and economic trends impacting CRE lending.
• Mentor junior sales staff, credit analysts, and underwriters, reviewing their work and providing training as needed.
• Support internal and external audits, regulatory exams, and periodic portfolio reviews.
• Assist with crafting due diligence needs lists.
• Proactive member of the credit administration team, keeping track from the start of a loan through closing.
• Assist with crafting special covenants and loan documents, such as escrow holdback agreements.
• Initiate and lead kick-off calls with sales partners and credit team.
• Assist with special projects, as needed.