Chief Credit Officer -Consumer

Description

The Chief Consumer Credit Officer is responsible for leading the strategic direction, policy development, and oversight of the consumer credit portfolio, including mortgage, home equity, auto, credit card, and unsecured lending. This role involves implementing market-leading credit risk management techniques and advanced credit risk analytics to ensure a balanced approach to risk and reward through a robust risk management framework. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with executive leadership, product lines, and business unit teams to ensure prudent risk-taking, sound governance, and adherence to regulatory expectations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategy & Leadership
  • Develop and execute Citizens’ consumer credit lending and risk strategy in coordination with business lines and enterprise risk management.
  • Provide strategic guidance and constructive, effective challenge to ensure consumer credit activities align with Citizens’ risk appetite and enterprise risk framework.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive credit risk management strategies and frameworks that align with Citizens’ overall risk appetite and business objectives.
  • Collaborate with product design and marketing teams to understand and mitigate risks associated with client selection and product offerings.
  • Lead a high-performing team of risk professionals, driving a culture of accountability, development, and continuous improvement across credit risk activities.
  • Serve as a member or participant of key governance committees including the Credit Policy Committee, Compliance and Operational Risk Committee, ACL Committee, and the Enterprise Risk Management Committee.
  • Engage with key stakeholders, including senior management, regulators, and external partners, to communicate risk strategies and outcomes.
• Credit Risk Management
  • Establish and maintain comprehensive credit policies, underwriting standards, portfolio management routines, loss forecasting, loss mitigation policies and risk assessment models for all consumer lending products and credit risk elements.
  • Oversee credit decisioning frameworks including scorecard development, automation initiatives, and exception monitoring.
  • Conduct regular portfolio reviews to assess asset quality, concentration risks, and emerging trends. 
  • Lead ad-hoc risk assessments, retrospective reviews, and due diligence on noteworthy events or transactions.
  • Evaluate and enhance the business unit risk and control framework, ensuring effective design, execution, documentation, and sustainability.
  • Oversee the documentation of risk management practices, including governance routines, control effectiveness, incentive plans, policy changes, material risk takers, and significant risk events.
• Regulatory & Compliance Oversight
  • Ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations including Fair Lending, ECOA, CRA, UDAAP, and other consumer protection statutes.
  • Serve as a liaison with regulators, auditors, and internal compliance teams on matters related to consumer credit risk.
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Analytics & Performance Monitoring
  • Oversee development of key risk indicators (KRIs), performance dashboards, and early warning systems for the consumer loan portfolio.
  • Integrate client, market, economic, and transaction data to develop and maintain a robust risk forecasting framework.
  • Partner with Finance and Business Intelligence teams to evaluate profitability, capital usage, risk-adjusted returns, and strategic portfolio composition.
  • Monitor and report risk exposure trends, emerging risks, and key credit metrics to senior executives and the Board, delivering high-impact insights and recommendations.
• Innovation & Digital Delivery
  • Support digital transformation initiatives by integrating credit risk principles into digital lending platforms and fintech partnerships.
  • Champion the use of data analytics, alternative data, and AI/ML models to enhance credit decisioning and customer experience.
  • Utilize advanced credit risk analytics to assess and monitor credit risk, ensuring the use of modern techniques and tools.
  • Champion risk innovation by leveraging risk enablers—such as analytics, reporting, and operating models—to drive consistency and effectiveness across the Consumer Bank’s risk landscape.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of combined experience in banking/financial services and credit risk management, with deep expertise in consumer credit, credit policy, and credit analytics.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field. Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) preferred.
• Governance Acumen: Familiarity with designing and managing appropriate and effective risk management and product governance forums approval forums.
• Proven knowledge of product and market data, performance reporting, analytics, and assumption modeling.
• Collaboration Mindset: Ability to foster healthy relationships across first and second lines to create client focused, market leading consumer credit products.
• Executive Judgement: Comfort making calls that could materially impact P&L, with awareness of loss-generating portfolios (credit cards, overdrafts).
• Executive Communication: Speaks in both boardroom and operational terms; can explain risk concepts clearly to non-experts.
• Influence Without Authority: Uses expertise, credibility and process to guide and challenge rather than dictate.
• Proven engagement with executive management, regulators, boards, and peers in high-stakes environments.
• Credit Risk Strategy Knowledge: Proven leadership in managing large credit portfolios across diverse consumer credit and lending products.
• Strong understanding of risk modeling, regulatory expectations, and credit lifecycle management from origination through collections and loss mitigation.
• Experience working with federal and state regulators, including OCC, FDIC, CFPB, or FRB.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
• Familiarity with credit bureau data, FICO scoring models, and loan origination platforms.
• Experience in implementing risk frameworks under CECL and Basel standards.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with product, compliance, technology, and finance teams.
• Prior experience in merger integration or scaling credit capabilities in a growth environment.

Leadership and Team Development:

• Develop, mentor, and manage a team of senior risk professionals with clear goals, performance metrics, and career development plans.
• Foster a culture of transparency, integrity, and proactive risk management.
• Oversee salary planning, coaching, training, and succession planning for team members.

Pay Transparency 

The salary range for this position is $275,000- $350,000 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the 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.

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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.