Private Bank Underwriting & Portfolio Management Director

Description

The Private Bank Underwriting & Portfolio Management Director is the executive responsible for credit decisioning, portfolio oversight, credit policy adherence, and disciplined risk management across the Private Bank lending suite. This includes core lending products (e.g., residential mortgage, HELOC, credit card), specialty lending solutions (e.g., partnership loans, custom credits, SBL), and commercial lending (e.g., commercial real estate, C&I, PE/VC subscription lines, and management company lending).

This leader ensures underwriting quality, credit consistency, and overall portfolio health while enabling responsible growth aligned with the Private Bank’s client strategy, risk appetite, and business objectives. The role oversees all underwriting teams, credit portfolio managers, and associated credit support functions. As a key leader of the Private Bank, this executive collaborates closely with Product Directors, Credit Risk, Operational Risk, and front line leadership to deliver sound credit outcomes and a cohesive credit strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Credit Leadership
• Sets the strategic direction for underwriting and portfolio management across the Private Bank’s full lending suite.
• Aligns credit analysis and decisioning tools with the Private Bank’s credit policy, product procedures, and overall private bank strategy/service objectives.
• Works closely with Product Directors to ensure credit structures, policies, and portfolio strategies support product competitiveness and client needs.
• Plays a central role in Private Bank business planning, risk strategy, and strategic growth initiatives.
Underwriting Excellence
• Oversees underwriting quality, credit decisioning, and risk assessment across all consumer, specialty, and commercial lending solutions.
• Ensures consistency, fairness, and disciplined judgment across underwriting teams and product types.
• Establishes underwriting standards, due diligence frameworks, and approval protocols that align with regulatory expectations and business objectives.
• Provides senior level oversight and decision making on complex, bespoke, and high profile credit opportunities.
Portfolio Management & Risk Oversight
• Supports 1st line credit risk with ongoing portfolio monitoring and analytics across all Private Bank lending portfolios.
• Reviews credit performance, emerging trends, segment dynamics, concentration risk, and potential vulnerabilities.
• Ensures appropriate early warning indicator systems, risk triggers, and mitigation strategies are in place in alignment with 1st line credit risk.
• Provides input to portfolio reporting for senior leadership, Credit Committees, and regulatory bodies.
Credit Policy, Governance & Controls
• Works closely with Product Directors and Credit Risk on the development, maintenance, and governance of credit policies and underwriting guidelines across the Private Bank.
• Ensures alignment with 1LOD and 2LOD standards, regulatory requirements, and enterprise risk frameworks.
• Oversees audit interactions, regulatory reviews, and remediation of credit related findings.
• Ensures strong control environments, documentation standards, and adherence to operational and compliance requirements.
Cross Functional Partnership & Client Strategy
• Serves as senior credit advisor to front line leadership, Relationship Managers, and business executives.
• Partners with Product Directors to align credit design with product strategy, client segmentation, and competitive positioning.
• Collaborates with Operations, Loan Servicing, and Experience Owners to promote efficient processes and a high quality client and advisor experience.
• Ensures credit decisions and portfolio strategies support the Private Bank’s broader client value proposition.
Leadership & Talent Development
• Leads and develops underwriting leaders, lending specialists, credit analysts, and portfolio managers.
• Builds a strong leadership pipeline and fosters deep credit expertise within the organization.
• Sets performance expectations and drives a culture of accountability, strong judgment, and disciplined risk management.
• Champions professional development, mentorship, and workforce planning for all credit functions within scope.

Qualifications, Education, Certifications and/or Other Professional Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related discipline; Masters Degree preferred.

• 10+ years of extensive executive‑level experience in underwriting, portfolio management, or credit risk management across consumer, commercial, or private banking.
• Expertise across a broad range of credit types; from standardized consumer lending to highly bespoke commercial and specialty structures.
• Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, risk governance, credit policy, and enterprise risk disciplines.
• People management experience and demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams and influence decisions across a complex, matrixed organization.
• Strong analytical capabilities, excellent communication skills, and executive presence.
• Proven track record of balancing business growth with disciplined credit judgment.

• Experience overseeing quality control, workflow prioritization, and timely completion of credit reviews, risk ratings, covenant monitoring, and annual reviews. Proven success designing or enhancing credit processes, monitoring frameworks, and policy initiatives.

• Hours per Week: 40
• Work Schedule: M-F
• Office/Work Locations: Boston, MA, New York, NY, Johnston, RI, San Francisco, CA
• In office requirements. Travel Required as needed across the Private Bank footprint

Pay Transparency 

The salary range for this position is $238,000 -300,000 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 .

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.