[Hiring] Managing Director, Lender Finance Underwriting @Synovus

Role Description

Pinnacle Financial Partners is seeking a Managing Director, Lender Finance Underwriting to serve as a senior credit leader and underwriter for lender finance and specialty finance credit facilities ranging from $10MM to $150MM. This role is responsible for end-to-end credit underwriting, structuring, and approval of complex specialty finance transactions and sits at the center of a relationship-driven, credit-focused platform. The Managing Director will partner closely with originations to deliver tailored financing solutions to non-bank lenders, specialty finance companies, and asset-based lenders, while ensuring disciplined risk management aligned with growth objectives. In addition, this individual will oversee underwriting standards, mentor junior professionals, and play a central role in credit committee presentations and approvals.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years in Asset-based finance, Lender finance / specialty finance, and/or Structured or private credit
• Deep experience underwriting and structuring collateral-based credit facilities in the $10MM–$100MM+ range
• Proven experience presenting to and interacting with senior leadership and credit committees

Requirements

• Underwriting of lender finance facilities, including warehouse facilities (consumer, commercial, fintech assets), asset-backed revolvers, and other structured credit solutions.
• Perform detailed analysis of:
  • Borrower financial performance and liquidity
  • Collateral quality, dilution, and performance trends
  • Advance rates, borrowing base mechanics, eligibility criteria, and concentration limits
• Structure credit facilities to optimize risk-adjusted returns, including covenants, reporting requirements, and control mechanisms.
• Own preparation of clear, decision-oriented credit memos and present transactions to credit committee in partnership with the originations team.
• Act as a strategic credit partner to deal teams (not a gatekeeper).
• Engage early in deal screening, structuring, and term sheet development.
• Provide pragmatic solutions to support execution within defined risk tolerance.
• Interface directly with clients, sponsors, management teams, and intermediaries as a senior credit representative.
• Ensure alignment with firm-wide credit culture, policies, and risk appetite.
• Identify and mitigate key risks, including collateral volatility, concentration exposure, operational risk, and counterparty risk.
• Partner with portfolio management to ensure effective transition from underwriting to ongoing monitoring.
• Maintain high-quality underwriting standards across the platform.
• Serve as a senior voice in credit committee discussions and decisions.
• Collaborate closely with originations, legal, portfolio management, and operations to execute transactions efficiently.
• Support negotiation of loan documentation and closing conditions.
• Provide structuring guidance throughout transaction lifecycle, from deal screening to term sheet development and through closing.
• Help build and scale Pinnacle’s lender finance platform, including credit frameworks, underwriting guidelines, and product capabilities.
• Contribute to portfolio construction strategy, including industry focus and concentration limits.
• Provide market insights on specialty finance trends, structures, and competitive dynamics.
• Assist with hiring, development, and mentoring of junior underwriters and analysts.
• Deliver training on structuring, collateral analysis, and credit judgment and promote best practices in credit writing and presentation.
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative underwriting culture while supporting scalable growth.

Benefits

• Expertise in collateral-based lending, borrowing base mechanics, and advance rate analysis.
• Strong financial modeling, structuring, and risk assessment capabilities.
• Deep understanding of legal documentation and intercreditor dynamics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to balance risk discipline with commercial pragmatism.
• Strong judgment in complex and ambiguous situations.
• Comfortable operating on a lean, high-accountability team.
• High ownership mindset with end-to-end accountability.