Senior Middle Market Credit Lead

Senior Middle Market Credit Lead

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General Function

The Senior Credit Lead is accountable for active portfolio management leadership, team development, and credit risk oversight across a Regional or Industry aligned portfolio within Credit Solutions, combining deep credit expertise with strong leadership capabilities to set strategic portfolio direction, effectively manage escalations, partner strategically with Banking and Credit Risk stakeholders, and execute portfolio strategy with discipline. The role requires maintaining a forward-looking view of risk, proactively identifying emerging credit issues and industry trends, and acting decisively to protect asset quality, while serving as a trusted advisor to Banking partners, Credit Risk, and Senior Management and fostering a strong risk culture anchored in consistently high standards of credit judgment and execution.

Responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and personally following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for doing the right thing for customers and colleagues and ensuring that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. While operating within the Bank's risk appetite, achieves results by consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Maintain an enterprise level view of portfolio risk with ownership of portfolio themes and risk outcomes across a Regional or Industry portfolio, ensuring proactive, disciplined portfolio management.
• Act as the primary point of escalation for complex, higher risk, or sensitive credit situations and lead resolution and risk decisioning in partnership with senior stakeholders.
• Partner with Banking leadership (Regional Presidents, Group Heads, or Coverage Leaders) to understand business strategy, growth objectives, and pipeline dynamics.
• Review deal structures, assess borrower viability, and advise on term sheets
• Maintain a forward-looking, independent assessment of borrower and portfolio creditworthiness, including early identification of emerging risks.
• Drive credit excellence metrics, including asset quality, policy adherence, underwriting quality, risk rating accuracy, problem loan identification, and timely remediation of issues.
• Ensure consistent application of credit policy, underwriting standards, and portfolio management practices across teams.
• Lead portfolio reviews, risk discussions, and escalations with Credit Risk, Credit Risk Review, and Senior Management.
• Oversee portfolio reporting and ensure delivery of clear, actionable insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Engage with clients and prospects as needed, particularly in complex or escalated credit situations.
• Establish workflow priorities and resource alignment to support effective execution across deal and portfolio activities.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives, special projects, and strategic enhancements to credit and portfolio management processes and systems.
• Ensure system integrity, documentation accuracy, and regulatory compliance across the portfolio.

Supervisory Responsibility

Includes the direct and indirect supervision and direction of the day-to-day activities of Credit Solutions professionals. Responsible for providing employees with timely, candid, and constructive performance feedback. Develop employees to their fullest potential and provide challenging opportunities that enhance employee career growth. Develop the appropriate talent pool to ensure adequate bench strength and succession planning. Recognize and reward employees for accomplishments.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in commercial credit, portfolio management, underwriting, or credit risk leadership.
• Advanced expertise in commercial credit underwriting, structuring, portfolio management, and legal documentation.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high performing credit teams.
• Proven ability to maintain a forward-looking view of portfolio risk and proactively identify emerging credit issues.
• Deep knowledge of commercial lending policies, regulatory requirements, and risk governance frameworks.
• Strong communication and influence skills across senior internal stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and decision making capabilities, including comfort operating in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Proficiency with internal banking systems and Microsoft Office tools.

Total Base Pay Range 121,900.00 - 262,100.00 USD Annual

At Fifth Third, we understand the importance of recognizing our employees for the role they play in improving the lives of our customers, communities and each other. Our Total Rewards include comprehensive benefits and differentiated compensation offerings to give each employee the opportunity to be their best every day.

The base salary for this position is reflective of the range of salary levels for all roles within this pay grade across the U.S. Individual salaries within this range will vary based on factors such as role, relevant skillset, relevant experience, education and geographic location. In addition to the base salary, this role is eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan, with any such payment based upon company, line of business and/or individual performance.

Our extensive benefits programs are designed to support the individual needs of our employees and their families, encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about those programs on our 53.com Careers page or by consulting with your talent acquisition partner.

Location -- San Diego, California 92130

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.