Sr. Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer

Job Summary Overview

The Senior Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer is responsible for originating, structuring, negotiating, and managing complex commercial real estate credit relationships while serving as a trusted advisor to commercial real estate investors, developers, sponsors, and owner-operators. This individual is a highly experienced lender with a demonstrated history of managing the largest and most complex commercial real estate relationships while serving as a trusted advisor to key members, investors, developers, sponsors, and centers of influence. The position focuses primarily on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, construction, development, bridge, refinance, and permanent financing opportunities across multiple property types. In addition to credit products, whether working in tandem with a BBO or otherwise, will seek opportunities to assist on growing AZFCU’s deposit base and other ancillary products, including retail loans, residential loans, treasury services, insurance opportunities, and investment opportunities.

The Senior Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer is expected to serve as a market leader, generating significant loan production, maintaining strong asset quality, mentoring commercial lending staff, and contributing to the strategic growth and development of Arizona Financial Credit Union's commercial real estate lending program.

Essential Job Functions

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with commercial real estate investors, developers, sponsors, business owners, brokers, attorneys, CPAs, and other centers of influence that generate significant lending opportunities and portfolio growth.
• Proactively identify and pursue commercial real estate lending opportunities through networking, industry involvement, business development activities, referral partner development, and market leadership initiatives.
• Consistently achieve or exceed established production, portfolio growth, and relationship development goals.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to commercial real estate investors, developers, sponsors, and business owners by providing sophisticated financing solutions and strategic financial guidance.
• Independently manage the largest, most complex, and most strategically significant commercial real estate relationships within the portfolio.
• Analyze, structure, negotiate, and manage highly complex commercial real estate credit facilities, including acquisition, refinance, construction, development, bridge, participation, syndication, and permanent financing transactions.
• Lead the structuring and negotiation of complex commercial real estate transactions involving multiple borrower entities, guarantors, collateral structures, ownership groups, and financing arrangements.
• Review and analyze borrower and guarantor financial statements, tax returns, property operating statements, rent rolls, appraisals, project budgets, market data, and other supporting documentation to assess creditworthiness and transaction viability.
• Assess highly complex credit relationships and develop financing recommendations that appropriately balance member needs, portfolio objectives, profitability goals, and risk management requirements.
• Prepare, present, and defend credit recommendations and loan structures through the approval process while serving as a subject matter expert on complex commercial real estate transactions.
• Order, review, and evaluate appraisals, environmental reports, valuations, surveys, title reports, and other third-party due diligence materials in accordance with regulatory requirements and Credit Union policy.
• Conduct property inspections and assess collateral quality to support underwriting, portfolio management, and risk management activities.
• Coordinate with underwriting, credit administration, loan operations, legal counsel, appraisers, environmental consultants, title companies, and other third-party professionals to facilitate the successful execution of complex loan transactions.
• Represent Arizona Financial Credit Union in loan negotiations, documentation processes, and loan closings involving sophisticated borrowers and complex financing structures.
• Review loan documentation to ensure consistency with approved loan terms, proper collateral perfection, lien position, and compliance with approval requirements.
• Manage and maintain an assigned portfolio of commercial real estate relationships to ensure strong asset quality, regulatory compliance, member satisfaction, and portfolio performance.
• Monitor assigned relationships through annual reviews, covenant compliance, risk rating maintenance, financial analysis, financial spreads, and ongoing portfolio surveillance activities.
• Identify opportunities to deepen member relationships through deposits, treasury management services, insurance products, residential lending, investment services, and other Arizona Financial Credit Union solutions.
• Provide formal coaching, mentorship, and technical guidance to Commercial Real Estate Loan Officers, credit analysts, underwriters, and portfolio management staff while supporting the development of lending talent across the organization.
• Serve as a resource and subject matter expert for complex commercial real estate lending matters, transaction structuring, portfolio management, and business development strategies.
• Assist lending leadership in evaluating market opportunities, portfolio trends, product offerings, and business development initiatives that support strategic growth objectives.
• Participate in community organizations, industry associations, civic events, and professional groups to strengthen Arizona Financial Credit Union's presence within the commercial real estate market.
• Represent Arizona Financial Credit Union as a senior commercial lending leader through industry involvement, professional organizations, and key market relationships.
• Maintain current knowledge of commercial real estate lending practices, market conditions, emerging industry trends, regulatory requirements, and Credit Union policies.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Position Required Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Real Estate, Economics, or related field preferred.  
• Minimum of at least seven (7) years of experience in commercial real estate lending, credit analysis, portfolio management, or a related financial service role. Minimum of five (5) years of experience independently originating, structuring, and managing commercial real estate lending relationships. 
• Demonstrated success managing large and highly complex commercial real estate relationships, developing referral networks, and achieving business development and portfolio growth objectives. 
• Demonstrated experience negotiating and structuring complex commercial real estate transactions involving multiple entities, guarantors, ownership structures, and financing arrangements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of commercial real estate lending principles, practices, structures, and portfolio management strategies.
• Advanced ability to analyze property cash flow, rent rolls, leases, real estate market trends, sponsor liquidity, contingent liabilities, and overall transaction viability.
• Ability to assess complex ownership structures, guarantor relationships, collateral positions, borrower strength, and portfolio risk.
• Ability to identify and mitigate transaction and portfolio risks while ensuring compliance with lending policies, credit standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Professional written, verbal, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to produce quality work within tight time frames while managing multiple assignments and changing deadlines.
• Strong work ethic, sound prioritization skills, adaptability, and the desire to work as part of a team to support the overall success of the Credit Union.

Licenses, Training, and Certifications Required

None.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal credit training.
• Established network of commercial real estate investors, developers, brokers, and referral partners within the market. 
• Experience managing commercial real estate relationships exceeding $10MM and complex relationships involving multiple entities and sponsors.
• Experience managing tight timelines and working with multiple departments to ensure deadlines are reached. 
• Experience working with outside counsel for loan documents on larger transactions.
• Demonstrated history of significant commercial real estate loan production and portfolio growth.
• Experience managing large, highly complex commercial real estate relationships involving sophisticated ownership structures, development projects, and multiple borrowing entities.
• Established reputation within the commercial real estate community and a strong network of investors, developers, brokers, attorneys, CPAs, and referral partners.

Hybrid Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting, 25 pounds or less.
• Sitting and standing for extended periods of time.
• Working on a computer for extended periods of time.

Employees who work from home must have business operational internet to complete work tasks and communicate via video call or chat messaging systems in a dedicated workspace.

NOTE: The job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Requirements listed in the above qualifications and physical requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill, abilities, physical demands, or work environment required or encountered that must be met by an employee to successfully perform each duty and each function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.