Description

As a Private Bank Lending Specialist, you will lead the underwriting and execution of complex residential mortgage and home equity transactions for Private Bank clients. Following handoff from the Relationship Manager and Client Relations team, you will manage the assigned transaction through closing and coordinate with internal partners and third parties.

This role combines credit analysis, disciplined file execution, quality control, and high touch service. You will evaluate complex income, asset, ownership, trust, and property profiles; prepare clear and well supported credit recommendations; and help the team deliver timely, accurate decisions while protecting the Bank and the client experience.

What you will do

• Complete the initial underwriting review and prepare a clear, well supported credit recommendation based on verified information.

• Evaluate borrower income, assets, liquidity, liabilities, credit history, collateral, ownership structures, and overall ability to repay.

• Apply Private Bank Credit Policy, portfolio mortgage guidelines, product requirements, applicable law, and regulatory standards consistently.

• Document the underwriting approach, source support, calculations, conditions, exceptions, and any approved substitute methodology in the required systems and underwriting workbook.

• Identify and clearly distinguish standard guideline treatment, permitted substitute documentation or methodology, underwriting guideline variances, policy exceptions, and hard stop requirements.

• Partner with Private Bank Credit to resolve questions, address gaps, and support an independent approval decision.

• Manage the loan from setup through closing, including system data, rate lock coordination, appraisal and title orders, disclosures, condo or cooperative review, underwriting conditions, clear to close readiness, and closing coordination.

• Coordinate with Relationship Managers, Client Relations colleagues, Credit, Home Mortgage, Home Equity, appraisal, title, escrow, attorneys, and other transaction partners. Client communication is generally led by the Relationship Manager or Client Relations team.

• Maintain proactive communication, surface risks early, and set realistic expectations based on file readiness, complexity, capacity, and closing requirements.

• Perform quality control throughout the process to confirm that documents, calculations, system data, approvals, and conditions are complete and accurate.

• Monitor assigned pipeline, prioritize time sensitive transactions, and escalate issues with a concise statement of facts, impact, options, and recommended action.

• Contribute to consistent execution by sharing practical underwriting knowledge, following established standards, and incorporating feedback from quality and credit reviews.

What success looks like

• Credit recommendations are concise, balanced, complete, and supported by reliable evidence.

• Files move through underwriting and closing with clear ownership, fewer avoidable returns, and timely issue resolution.

• Clients and relationship teams receive proactive, accurate communication with no surprises late in the process.

• Quality control is embedded throughout the workflow, with complete documentation and a defensible decision record.

• Complex Private Bank borrower profiles are handled with sound judgment, consistency, and appropriate escalation.

• Assigned transactions are managed with appropriate oversight, clear accountability, and timely escalation.

Required qualifications

• Three or more years of residential mortgage underwriting, processing, credit analysis, or comparable lending experience, including complex or jumbo lending.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze personal and business tax returns, partnership and corporate income, trusts, investment assets, restricted stock, capital gains, rental income, and complex liquidity profiles.

• Strong working knowledge of residential mortgage credit, collateral, title, appraisal, disclosure, and closing requirements.

• Experience using mortgage loan origination systems and underwriting workbooks. Experience with Empower or EPIC is preferred.

• Ability to manage multiple complex transactions, meet firm deadlines, and maintain accurate documentation under pressure.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the judgment to explain complex credit matters in plain language.

• Demonstrated attention to detail, sound risk judgment, ownership, and responsiveness.

• Ability to obtain and maintain required SAFE Act registration and complete all assigned compliance, policy, underwriting, and system training.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience supporting high net worth or ultra high net worth clients in a Private Bank, wealth management, jumbo mortgage, or portfolio lending environment.

• Experience with complex ownership structures, trusts, entity borrowers, construction to permanent lending, cooperative properties, and higher line home equity transactions.

• Residential underwriting certification or experience operating within delegated lending authority. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Lending authority and certification

The Lending Specialist prepares and documents the initial credit recommendation and presents the completed analysis to the Credit Risk Officer. Final credit approval is owned by the Credit Risk Officer. Delegated lending authority may be granted separately through the Private Bank Lending Authority Process after required training, successful pilot underwriting, satisfactory quality results, and formal certification. Any assigned authority must be exercised within established limits and does not replace required independent Credit Risk Officer review.

Risk and compliance expectations

• Follow all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, Bank policies, credit standards, operating procedures, information security requirements, and records retention requirements.

• Apply underwriting standards consistently and without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

• Protect confidential client and Bank information and escalate suspected fraud, financial crime, control issues, or policy concerns promptly.

• Maintain complete and accurate records sufficient to support the underwriting conclusion, credit decision, and quality review.

Pay Transparency

The range for this position is $100,000 - $130,000 per year plus an opportunity to earn additional incentive earnings. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the budget, work location, and relevant skills and experience.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits.

Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.