Finance role
Senior Commercial Lender Recruiters
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Avoid portfolio losses by hiring lenders who accurately assess financial statements before committing to credit memos.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
You need a person who can generate new C&I and CRE loans while maintaining strict credit discipline. How do you balance new deposit targets with current interest rates and internal risk appetites? Can you write a credit memo that receives committee approval?
They spend their days in the field meeting business owners and internal partners. They are responsible for the total lifecycle of their book from the initial prospecting call through the final closing documents. They must be able to spot weaknesses in an applicant’s financial statements before they spend time in underwriting.
Ask these questions: What was the largest deal you personally structured and why was it approved? How do you handle a client who refuses to provide updated tax returns or personal financial statements? How do you manage conflict with the credit department when they disagree with your risk assessment?
Define the asset classes and loan sizes that constitute the core of this portfolio. Ask candidates to walk you through a recent deal that was declined by their credit committee. Listen for whether they blame the credit team or if they can identify the specific underwriting flaw they missed. If they cannot explain why a deal failed to pass internal standards, they will struggle to get your loans approved here. Ask for a redacted credit memo they wrote personally. Check if their cash flow analysis accounts for cyclical industry trends or if they simply copy numbers from provided financial statements. During the scope conversation, clarify how much time they spend on pre-underwriting analysis versus sourcing. If they rely on staff to catch covenant breaches or structural risks, they are not the right fit. Require them to detail their process for identifying borrowers who are near their limits. Ask them how they decide when to walk away from a deal that does not fit your bank's risk appetite. If they focus only on closing, they are failing at risk management. Test if they can reconcile their production targets with the realities of liquidity management. Ask what specific documentation they require from a client before they will commit to a term sheet. If they express frustration about bank bureaucracy, probe whether their process was inefficient or if they simply resented the oversight. Look for lenders who view credit analysis as a competitive advantage rather than a chore.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify if they have formal credit training from a recognized bank program. This is non-negotiable for analyzing complex C&I deals. We look for a consistent history of portfolio growth that matches the specific market segment they claim to serve. We confirm their past loan approval authority limits against the size of the deals they propose. We filter for candidates who understand CECL implications on new loan originations. We check if they have managed a pipeline that includes both owner-occupied and investor CRE. We look for evidence of self-sourcing rather than just working internal leads.
03
Where do we find them?
We source candidates from regional banks, community banks, and large national financial institutions. We target individuals who are frustrated by changing lending policies or those who have seen their lending authority restricted by new management. People move when the bank imposes restrictive caps on certain asset classes or when the internal credit culture shifts toward excessive centralization. We also find talent in institutions that have recently undergone mergers and are seeing a thinning of the local decision-making authority.
We avoid applicants who have spent their entire careers in specialized back-office roles if this role requires active business development. We also look for lenders who are shifting focus from strictly production-based roles to those requiring more direct risk management and portfolio oversight.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring a candidate who relies solely on administrative support to draft their credit memos without understanding the fundamental cash flow analysis.
- 02Ignoring a candidate's lack of existing community relationships when the role requires immediate production in a new or competitive territory.
- 03Overlooking poor communication habits during the pre-closing phase that lead to client attrition.
05
The search in three steps
- 01Review of applicant lending history and portfolio performance records against bank risk standards.
- 02Detailed vetting of credit memorandum writing ability and underwriting philosophy.
- 03Direct discussion regarding the candidate's book of business and their ability to generate deposits.
How your Senior Commercial Lender search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Is payment needed to start looking for a lender who writes credit memos?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you verify a candidate's lending authority?
We cross-reference their stated approval limits with their historical deal logs and references from former credit managers. This confirms their claims match their actual past decision rights.
Does this role include responsibility for treasury management?
This role primarily focuses on loan production and credit quality. Treasury management is usually a separate function handled by dedicated officers.
Can you find candidates who are willing to relocate for this position?
We prioritize candidates already active in your market to maintain existing relationships. We only look outside the area if the specific technical expertise required cannot be found locally.
What is the fee for a Senior Commercial Lender search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Senior Commercial Lender shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Senior Commercial Lender hire?
We ask every Senior Commercial Lender candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Senior Commercial Lender job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.
What does the published pay data show?
$76,690 national annual median. SOC 13-2072: Loan Officers.
BLS reports Loan Officers, not a separate wage for Senior Commercial Lender. This broader occupation does not distinguish seniority, work arrangement or language requirements.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide