Loan Review Officer I - Paramus, NJ

At Valley Bank, we believe in people's growth potential. We invest in it. We protect it. We focus it. For nearly 100 years, we've been the Bank that clients from every industry turn to for our expertise, strategies, and advice-building the kind of trust that can fuel every goal. We are the leading relationship bank built for growth-with over $60 billion in assets, 3,800 experts, and more than 200 consumer branches and commercial banking offices in communities across the US.

At Valley, we're all driven by an ambition that goes deeper than just having a job. That's why when you work for us, we make it our goal to help you focus on what drives you-working to turn your passions and strengths into assets you can use to propel your ambitions and build the professional legacy you want. Because when we say we're a relationship bank built for growth, that's not just reserved for our clients-that includes all our associates as well.

The Loan Review Officer II will serve as a principal assistant to the Department Head, Chief Loan Review Officer in establishing goals and objectives and guiding/leading the team of reviewers to meet them. This position will provide an independent assessment of credit risk by evaluating portfolio trends and examining individual credits and portfolios for adherence to policies and procedures, adequate supervision, appropriate risk ratings, and sound underwriting.

• Perform independent assessment of credit to determine quality of underwriting, administration and problem loan management.
• Evaluate the accuracy of loan officer risk ratings; assigning and supporting more suitable risk ratings where appropriate.
• Assess the adequacy of loan and collateral documentation.
• Test loan officer compliance to Bank policies/procedures.
• Test for compliance to any applicable federal laws/regulations.
• Assess management supervision; determine sufficiency of credit risk management processes.
• Prepare detailed opinions through written/oral communications, reports and dashboard summaries to support exam findings.
• Identify existing and emerging risk trends within portfolios; providing suggestions/recommendations for improvement.
• Track issues identified in reviews and ensure action plans are developed to address and mitigate.
• Interact with and support other credit related functions within the Bank.
• Assist in the preparation of regulatory reports as directed.
• Participate in due diligence activities of potential acquisitions as required.
• Will typically work on site and at remote locations as deemed necessary to complete work assignments.

• Must have a comprehensive understanding of lending products, lending process and the Loan Review function as it relates to the review of lending portfolios. This includes understanding loan origination, loan maintenance, loan accounting, regulatory requirements, and regulatory examiners' expectations and how the combination of these areas translates across KRIs with focus on commercial lending (CRE and C-I), residential and consumer products.
• Must be able to understand loan documents and common loan terms in credit files.
• Must be familiar with moderate to complicated lending products and lending structures.
• Upper-Intermediate-/Advanced PC skills for Microsoft Office -- Word, Excel and Outlook; focus seen in MS Excel.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills- Must be able to compile data collected during reviews and interpret the data in narrative and analytical form to present the resulting review findings to senior management with nominal supervision.
• Must be able to present well-formed and supported opinions of process and procedure to senior management with nominal supervision.
• Must be able to prioritize and organize assignments and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to calculate simple to complex-level lending and financial calculations, including but not limited to discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages.
• Ability to navigate multiple software systems with a level of ease or minimal disruption in productivity; must feel comfortable in a digital environment.

Required Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business related field and a minimum of three years' experience as a Loan Review Officer or High School Diploma/GED and a minimum of seven years' experience as a Loan Review Officer, Commercial Credit Analyst, or Commercial Loan Officer.
• Bachelor's Degree in related field and above experience preferred.
• Loan Review Certification preferred.