Director | Small Business Bank Lending Operations

Director | Small Business Bank Lending Operations

As the Director of Credit & Underwriting, you will lead the credit analysis and underwriting strategy across conventional, SBA, and CDFI lending programs. You will manage a high-performing team of credit analysts and underwriters to ensure sound credit decisions, exceptional portfolio quality, and alignment with established risk tolerance, while supporting targeted operational efficiencies and process modernization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day credit analysis and underwriting operations across conventional lending, SBA, and CDFI/mission-driven loan portfolios.
• Exercise credit approval authority to evaluate, structure, and decision complex credit requests.
• Maintain and refine departmental procedures and business continuity plan.
• Partner with the Credit Intent Team and the second line to refine credit policies, underwriting guidelines, and risk-rating methodologies across all product lines.
• Monitor overall portfolio health, industry concentration risks, and credit trends to proactively address emerging risk factors.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal credit audits, SBA reviews, and regulatory examinations.
• Collaborate with sales, risk, compliance, legal, and special assets teams to ensure seamless deal execution and risk management alignment.
• Mentor and develop a team of credit analysts and underwriters, driving analytical rigor and technical excellence in cash flow modeling and collateral valuation.
• Identify practical opportunities to streamline underwriting workflows and leverage automation to optimize efficiency without compromising risk controls.

Qualities of a Successful Candidate

• Analytical & Rigorous: You delve deep into complex financial data, tax returns, and cash flow structures. You maintain an unyielding standard for credit quality and base decisions on sound risk evidence.
• Discerning & Deliberative: You evaluate complex credit requests methodically, balancing growth objectives with policy discipline to steer the portfolio away from unmitigated risk.
• Action-Oriented & Results-Driven: You exercise credit authority decisively, keep underwriting pipelines moving efficiently, and balance multiple priorities under tight timelines.
• Up for a Challenge: You enjoy navigating complex loan structures across diverse product lines—from strict SBA requirements to mission-aligned CDFI frameworks.
• Communicative & Influential: You articulate credit decisions and risk rationale clearly to senior leadership, commercial lenders, auditors, and regulatory bodies.
• Collaborative & Team-Oriented: You partner effectively with cross-functional teams and invest in upskilling your team to build high-level credit expertise.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or Military experience
• At least 8 years of experience in Commercial and/or Small Business Credit Analysis and Underwriting
• At least 3 years of Direct People Management experience
• Prior experience holding formal Individual Lending Authority (ILA)
• Experience with loan origination systems (LOS) and credit automation workflow tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or MBA
• 10+ years of Commercial and/or Small Business Credit Analysis and Underwriting experience
• 5+ years of Direct People Management experience
• Expertise in SBA (7(a) and 504) underwriting requirements and CDFI lending frameworks
• Completion of a formal bank credit training program
• At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

Salary

• Richmond, VA: $209,500 - $239,100 for Director, Small Business Banking Workout
• Plano, TX: $209,500 - $239,100 for Director, Small Business Banking Workout

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being.

Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace.

Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco California Police Code Article 49, Sections ; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

At Capital One, we’re building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit.