Lead Credit Officer, Digital Infrastructure

A career at CoBank can offer you the opportunity to make a personal impact on the people and communities where we do business. In order to be the best, we hire the best!

Remarkable Benefits Offered by CoBank

• Careers with a purpose
• Time-Off Packages, 20 days of vacation, 10 paid sick days and 11 paid holidays
• Competitive Compensation & Incentive
• Hybrid work model: flexible arrangements for most positions
• Benefits Packages, including Medical, Dental and Vision coverage, Disability, AD&D, and Life Insurance
• Robust associate training and development with CoBank University
• Tuition reimbursement for higher education up to $10k per year
• Outstanding 401k: up to 6% matching and additional 3% non-elective contribution
• Community Impact: United Way Angel Day, Volunteer Day and Associate Directed Contribution
• Associate Resource Groups: creating a culture of respect and inclusion
• Recognize a fellow associate through our GEM awards

Lead advisor and technical credit expert within all Digital Infrastructure (DI) industries and across all DI market verticals including regional, large corporate/syndicated/sponsor and data center/tower/project finance including businesses owned by strategic Financial Sponsors and other non-traditional investors. Independently leads and appropriately delegates underwriting and portfolio management responsibilities to credit officers to execute complex underwriting and portfolio management responsibilities for the bank's largest and most complex borrowers across all DI verticals. Mentor and expert advisor to other credit officers, relationship management and portfolio management staff including, but not limited to structuring, underwriting approach, portfolio management, syndication strategies and overall credit risk analysis. Sponsors and supports deal opportunities and reviews and approves credit actions across credit team based on delegated authorities. Understands, articulates, and implements best practices related to all industry segments within DI. Adds significant value to account relationships and is a strong contributor to the achievement of volume, fee income, credit quality and overall profitability goals through direct deal execution leadership while maintaining interface with relationship management, portfolio management, capital markets, leadership staff, direct customers and strategic financial sponsors.

• Provides expert leadership on complex negotiation strategies, due diligence and credit evaluation while being responsible for complete credit package and managing appropriate resources to meet internal and external guidelines. Provides expert technical, industry and structuring knowledge to credit, relationship management, portfolio management, capital markets and leadership staff, including leading communications/meetings, direct interface with clients and leading overall credit process across all DI verticals and most complex debt arrangements including project finance structures.
• Provides deep and unique expertise in all industries or market sectors, leveraged lending, and project finance type transactions. Keeps abreast of industry trends, competitive environment and new lending structures.
• Ability to act as secondary Relationship Manager and lead negotiations concerning the development, structuring and presentation of complex credit arrangements.
• Takes a leadership role in managing the credit origination process (in coordination with Relationship Management / Portfolio Management team) from application through final approval, closing, booking, and servicing. Provides mentoring to credit and relationship management staff.
• Reviews audits, interim statements, projections, and other pertinent financial information to provide expert analysis of financial trends and potential opportunities and challenges (short and long-term).
• Identifies strengths and weaknesses of the borrower, lending structure and evaluates specific risks to the bank. Independently analyzes and determines validity of customer/sponsor business plans based on an assessment of the industry outlook, competition, technology, management, and capital structure. Prepares projection models to test loan-structuring alternatives. Provides estimates of company and/or collateral value. Determines appropriateness and approach to sensitivity analysis, to provide alternative views on key risks associated with the proposed transaction.
• Actively and independently monitors credit quality of high profile and complex accounts across a portfolio that spans all DI verticals. Takes pro-active approach with customer interaction, compliance reporting, research and evaluation to identify emerging trends/concerns and communicates trends and credit view with Relationship Management, Portfolio Management, Capital Markets and credit leadership.
• Ability to establish, lead and maintain direct communication with borrower and sponsors to execute deal process, portfolio management requirements and meet compressed internal and external deadlines.
• Leads interaction with Credit Approvals Group, Asset Review and other 3rd parties to support, defend and gain consensus on underwriting and portfolio management approaches on high-profile transactions across all DI verticals.
• Independently authors and presents research and analysis on specific industry sectors as part of DI’s Center of Excellence in coordination with CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. Collaborates and provides guidance on enterprise valuation multiples published as part of COE and used as guidance in underwriting/portfolio management risk analysis which can ultimately lead to Probability of Default and Loss Given Default conclusions which can impact hold levels and syndication capabilities.
• Assists with internal research and portfolio analysis and prepares and volunteers to deliver presentations and teach-ins on topics as necessary.
• Provides first level advice/assistance on procedures and work methods for others. Provides mentoring to credit and relationship management staff.
• Actively identifies areas for improvement in templates, spreadsheets, programs, systems, and procedures used in overall origination process. Champions potential solutions and helps implement across cross-functional and cross-division teams/platforms.
• Approves or recommends credits for approval based on research and analysis completed by credit officers. Reviews and approves other credit actions across all verticals within delegated authorities and division policies.
• Volunteers and serves on cross-functional teams related to improvement and efficiency initiatives and other bank wide goals and projects.
• Ability to serve as resource when needed to other banking divisions due to diverse credit knowledge, intellectual curiosity and strong teamwork/engagement.

• Bachelor's Degree required
• Master's Degree MBA and/or CFA preferred

• 10 years of credit experience in banking industry. required
• 3 years experience in digital infrastructure and/or project finance and/or corporate agribusiness and/or sponsor finance. required

Sedentary Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Occasional Travel occurs infrequently (typically, once a month or less).

The typical base pay range for this role is between $131,100 - $161,300. Compensation may vary based on individual job-related knowledge, skills, expertise, and experience. This position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive program driven by organization and individual performance.

The listed salary, other compensation and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. This job will be posted for a minimum of five (5) business days or until the position is filled. CoBank reserves the right to adjust compensation for all positions and to modify or discontinue benefits programs at any time in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law.

CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

We are committed to ensuring that our online application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all applicants, including qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability, or are assisting an applicant with a disability, and require accessibility assistance or would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the application process, including completing an application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please submit a request by emailing recruiting@cobank.com. Include your contact information and specific details about your requested accommodation.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

CoBank is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.