Senior Credit Reviewer

East West Bank is  currently seeking a Senior Credit Reviewer. The Senior Credit Reviewer will conduct loan and credit file reviews to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the Bank’s credit risk management policies and processes (e.g., loan classification, loan risk grading, identification of potential credit weaknesses, etc. 

• Attempt to obtain all possible evidence through loan files, Relationship Managers, and management prior to determining risk rating differences; explain IAR’s position in a factual, non-judgmental, and unbiased manner. Note: given the same facts, two equally qualified professionals may come to different conclusions;
• Ensure that the results of asset reviews are adequately documented and the conclusions reached are sufficiently supported so that work papers (e.g., lineslips or other standardized template) should be complete and self-explanatory to an equally-qualified credit reviewer and internal and external auditors;
• Be knowledgeable of IAR policies and procedures;
• Be knowledgeable of the Bank’s lending policies, guidelines and practices;
• Be aware of applicable federal and state banking regulations related to credit risk management and governance to identify gaps in the Bank’s credit and underwriting policies and procedures;
• Knowledgeable of the Bank’s loan products and applicable policies and procedures of the Bank related to credit and underwriting;
• Perform continuous monitoring of product-based portfolios, as assigned;
• Understand the importance of building rapport with Relationship Managers and their teams, and other departments of the Bank in order to conduct asset reviews in a professional and efficient manner with minimal disruption to the Bank’s operations;
• Understand that the impact of regulatory, economic and industry developments may significantly affect the risk profile of the Bank’s credit portfolio;
• Execute on special projects and other assignments, as assigned.

• Must have actual prior underwriting and lending experience in C&I loans;
• Internal transfers preferred;
• Bachelor's or Master’s degree, preferred in Accounting, Finance, Business, Economics, or other related fields; other industry recognized professional certifications;
• Experience in financial services or with a regulatory agency; demonstrated expertise in credit risk management including commercial lending, credit administration, or credit review;
• Must have a clear understanding of credit principles and strong analytical skills in, including but not limited to, cash flows (both operating and guarantor/sponsor level), perfecting collateral/security interests based on the review of documents (e.g., problem loan reports, operating statements, rent rolls, personal financial statements, tax returns, credit reports, appraisal reports, property inspections, broker price opinions, asset-based collateral reports, title insurance policies, payment histories and loan workout plans, loan documents, etc.);
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Must be aware of the need to identify and describe weaknesses noted during reviews including, but not limited to, underwriting, monitoring, collateral and documentation in order to provide support for decisions to upgrade or downgrade loans during the review, and render a conclusion on the portfolio examined, as well as make recommendations for the improvement of the underwriting and credit administration processes;
• Personal computer skills must include proficiency in the use of Microsoft Windows, Office and other related PC applications;
• Aware of the need to work in other areas of Internal Audit to support the broader audit function by leveraging credit knowledge to the best use of the department;
• Aware of the importance of building credible relationships with management and external parties (i.e., examiners, external auditors, vendors, etc.);
• Aware of the concept of the review planning memoranda including identifying and evaluating key risks, setting review scope, determining budgets and staff assignments;
• Be open to new ideas and flexible in adapting to new processes and procedures;
• Ability to work in, and contribute to, a collaborative, team-oriented work environment;
• Must have the ability to develop detail-oriented skills in order to preparation work papers to ensure the factual accuracy of all findings/grade differences and that the work papers meet department standards;
• Must be organized and self-motivating;
• Must have the ability to meet deadlines;
• Ability to recognize the develop project management skills with the potential to manage multiple tasks concurrently, with a high sense of urgency, to meet budgets and deadlines;
• Ability to recognize the importance of sound judgment in assessing potential findings for significance.