Underwriter 3

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we're committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

The Credit Underwriter III is an experienced credit professional responsible for the independent underwriting and oversight of complex commercial credit relationships, typically involving aggregate credit exposure exceeding $5-10 million. This role is a key contributor to the Bank's risk management process and supports sound credit decisioning across a broad range of Commercial & Industrial (C&I), Commercial Real Estate (CRE), and specialized lending segments. The Underwriter III also serves as a technical resource to junior underwriters and may be a recognized subject matter expert in financial analysis, credit structuring, and risk assessment.

Essential Duties:

• Maintain extensive knowledge of and demonstrate ongoing compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to this position, ensure ongoing adherence to pertinent policies, procedures, and internal controls and meet all job specific training requirements in a timely fashion.
• Produce a high volume of loan requests with the ability to work independently and complete duties within short timeframes, with little or no oversight from a Supervisor/Manager.
• Prepare financial spreadsheets on complex relationships for existing or potential borrowers using accountant prepared and company prepared financial statements and tax returns.
• Prepare Credit Offering Memorandums on complex borrowers which includes the description of the credit request and all associated structural components, detail of the borrower's existing banking relationship, financial statement analysis, corporate historical/projected and personal financial statement and cash flow analysis, detailed collateral evaluation and OCC stress testing on commercial real estate projects, accurate identification of loan policy exceptions, regulatory structural weaknesses, loan coding and assessment of appropriate risk rating.
• Provides basic on the job training and guidance to Credit Underwriter I's and II's.
• Accurately assess borrowing needs/causes, proper loan structure, well developed and accurate credit analysis techniques, knowledge of industry related issues, risk rating recommendations and a thorough understanding of loan policy and structural weaknesses.
• Advises Commercial Lenders of appraisal and environmental requirements that must be approved prior to the loan proposal's submission for approval.

Ancillary Duties:

As an integral member of the Credit Administration Department, this position is also responsible to provide assistance wherever necessary to help the Credit Administration Department and the Bank in achieving their annual goals.

Education/Training: B.S. or B.A. degree in a business related field of study (finance, management, economics, or accounting) with at least 6 credits in accounting; specialized financial analysis training. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Skills: Proficient reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics skills; proficient interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written); a thorough knowledge of current lending and banking regulations, loan policies, and procedures; proven ability to analyze and interpret financial statements and information; advanced loan structuring skills; technical supervisory skills sufficient to provide guidance and training to Credit Underwriter I & II(s); proficient knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and all other departmental computer programs.

Experience: Minimum of four (4) experience as a Credit Underwriter I/II normally required.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience plus potential for annual merit increase. In addition to your competitive salary, you will be rewarded benefits including: 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, Medical, Vision & Dental insurance, 401K with generous match, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, Banking discounts and the list goes on!

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk or sit. Use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms, and speak and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to lift and or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to focus.

The Company is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

The Company will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability. If you have a physical or mental impairment and would like to request an accommodation with respect to the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.