Team Lead, New Loan Underwriting

Team Lead, New Loan Underwriting

Reports to : Credit Manager

Location : San Diego, California

Job Overview

Endeavor Bank has a diverse range of business clientele that are centered in San Diego and across the greater Southern California market. The Team Lead supports a group of Commercial Loan Underwriters to carry out the Bank’s mission to deliver tailored lending solutions with a strong emphasis on credit quality, risk management, and responsiveness, all with a consultative approach. The Team Lead is further expected to apply urgency, sound judgment, demonstrate technical competency, maintain a commitment to accuracy, sound underwriting practices, regulatory compliance, and provide quality service standards in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.

The Team Lead role is responsible for managing a team of Commercial Loan Underwriters that focus primarily on underwriting new loan originations for both new and existing clients. The Team Lead plays a critical role in overseeing complex underwriting assignments, ensuring high-quality credit analysis, maintaining underwriting timelines, and facilitating collaboration between Relationship Managers and Credit Administration. In addition to managing the underwriting team members, the Team Lead will also maintain an active underwriting pipeline, including new loan requests, as well as complex, high-balance renewals, and is expected to model and enforce the Bank’s credit culture and quality standards.

For direct underwriting role expectations, please refer to the job description for the Commercial Loan Underwriter provided here as an exhibit.

Team Management Responsibilities

The Team Lead role requires daily management of the team’s loan pipeline in ncino, including ensuring complete data input, timely uploading of loan documents, and preparation of loans for storage in Synergy. The Team Lead will conduct weekly pipeline meetings with team members to assess underwriting progress, address bottlenecks, ensure accountability to internal timelines, and identify underwriting red flags. The Team Lead will also generate and distribute key reports such as the open loan pipeline, active covenant tracking, and maturing loan reports to maintain portfolio visibility. On an ongoing and regular basis, the Team Lead will be responsible for leading and / or contributing to the Department 10 (D10) meeting to deliver headlines, assign department rocks and to-dos, address and raise issues, through clear understanding of the EOS process.

The Team Lead is additionally responsible for assigning new loan requests to team members within 24 hours of receiving the signed proposal. While additionally facilitating the discussion between Relationship Managers and Underwriters within 48 hours of assignment to review the loan request, clarify loan structure, identify documentation requirements, and propose appropriate financial covenants.

The role of the Team Lead is also responsible for the initial review of all team member Loan Approval Memorandums (LAMs) for accuracy, consistency with loan policy, strength of analysis, and quality of credit recommendations. When necessary, the Team Lead will assist in reviewing loan documentation drafts and collaborate with Credit Administration or outside counsel to confirm alignment with approved terms.

The Team Lead will support regulatory and compliance expectations by enforcing internal timelines and policies and guiding team members through ongoing credit training and professional development.

Staff Development and HR Responsibilities

In a supervisory capacity, the Team Lead is accountable for ensuring team members are properly trained and held to performance expectations. Responsibilities include quarterly performance reviews, timecard and time-off approval, administration of performance improvement plans as needed, and ensuring team members’ completion of required HR or compliance training.

The Team Lead also serves as a mentor and first point of escalation for complex credit questions, offering guidance and coaching to help team members develop their technical and analytical skills. The Team Lead will support the overall success of the department by promoting collaboration, accountability, and a consistent approach to underwriting across the team.

Underwriting and Credit Responsibilities

In addition to the management of team members, the Team Lead is expected to directly underwrite complex commercial loans across all loan types for both new and renewal loan requests. This includes preparing detailed LAMs that incorporate full financial analysis, business background, risk identification, industry / market analysis, collateral review, and covenant recommendations. The Team Lead will also engage and provide guidance in due diligence reviews including financial statements, entity formation document review, and other third-party reports. As part of the Bank’s credit process, the Team Lead will participate in loan committee presentations to support the approval of their own credits as well as those underwritten by their team.

Portfolio Management

For portfolio management, the Team Lead is responsible for ensuring, both direct obligations and team obligations, for timely renewals, financial reporting collection, spreading, covenant compliance testing, and risk rating assessments are all completed timely.

The renewal process is to commence 90 days prior to maturity, and the Team Lead must ensure that renewals are completed within 15 days of loan maturity to avoid red flag classification. The Team Lead is expected to monitor loans that are trending negatively for risk rating assessment and the preparation and review of problem loan reports as needed. They will also support the Bank’s credit culture by ensuring accurate financial analysis and timely escalation of emerging credit concerns.

Loan Types

The Team Lead must maintain a comprehensive understanding of the Bank’s full range of credit products. This includes Commercial & Industrial (C&I) loans such as lines of credit, equipment loans, working capital loans, business acquisitions, partner buyouts, and SBA 7(a). It also covers a variety of Commercial Real Estate (CRE) loans, including owner-occupied real estate, investment properties, and construction loans, consisting of commercial, retail, industrial, multifamily, and hospitality asset types.  The Bank also utilizes SBA 504 loan structures, State and Federal guaranteed loan programs, and various other loans for commercial business purposes. including owner-occupied real estate, investment properties, and construction loans, consisting of commercial, retail, industrial, multifamily, and hospitality asset types.

Performance Metrics

• Timeliness and accuracy of team’s new and renewal underwriting submissions
• Quality and completeness of loan approval memorandums
• Reduction of matured, past-due, and extension-dependent loans
• Adherence of underwriting practices to internal guidelines and loan policy
• Effectiveness of team meetings and communication in driving accountability and consistency
• Quality of mentorship, coaching, and team development outcomes
• Exemplifying the Bank’s core values and credit culture in leading by example
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in commercial loan underwriting, including C&I and CRE transactions
• Prior leadership or mentoring experience preferred
• Strong understanding of financial statements, credit analysis, loan structuring, and regulatory frameworks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex credit issues clearly and confidently
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with ncino and Salesforce strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field; formal credit training preferred
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and detail-oriented with a commitment to excellence

Qualifications