Freelance Credit Risk Manager Jobs in Massachusetts

Rockland Trust is a fullservice commercial bank and financial services company committed to helping our neighbors reach their financial goals. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in Massachusetts, we proudly serve individuals, families, and businesses throughout New England with a strong emphasis on personal relationships, local decisionmaking, and community impact.

With a broad range of banking, wealth management, and investment solutions, Rockland Trust combines the resources of a growing financial institution with the personalized service of a community bank. Our longstanding philosophy-Where Each Relationship Matters-guides how we work with our customers, colleagues, and communities every day.

At Rockland Trust, our employees are at the heart of our success. We foster a collaborative, inclusive, and valuesdriven culture that encourages professional growth, innovation, and worklife balance. We are deeply committed to community involvement, financial education, and creating a workplace where individuals can build meaningful, longterm careers.

The Credit Risk Oversight Officer is an independent Second Line of Defense role within the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) department. Reporting to the Enterprise Risk Strategist and Reporting Manager, the Credit Risk Oversight Officer is responsible for providing robust oversight of the Bank's credit risk management practices. This position works closely with the First Line Credit Risk Team to ensure credit risk management is aligned with the Bank's risk appetite, leading practices, and regulatory expectations. The role collaborates with Financial Risk Oversight (liquidity and market risk) and maintains a clear distinction from the Independent Loan Review function, as it will focus on broader credit risk governance. The Credit Risk Oversight Officer plays a critical part in the ongoing development and maturity of credit risk oversight, supporting the bank's strategic objectives and safeguarding its financial stability.

Duties and Responsibilities

Credit Risk Governance

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Second Line of Defense Credit Risk oversight program, aligned with regulatory expectations and industry leading practice, tailored to the Bank's size, complexity, and scope. 
• Advise and integrate the Enterprise Risk Management Framework into credit risk activities, ensuring consistency and coordination with internal Policies.
• Monitor adherence to credit risk appetite and limits and alignment with enterprise-wide strategy. 
• Partner with senior management in reviewing Credit Risk Management comprehensively including but not limited to credit approval, credit policy, portfolio monitoring and analytics, special assets management, conducting risk assessments, and advising on risk framework and oversight.

Portfolio-Level Credit Risk Oversight

• Ensure appropriate identification, measurement, monitoring, and reporting of credit risk exposures across all lending portfolios, ensuring alignment with the Bank's ERM Policy, Risk Appetite, credit-related governance documents, and the risk taxonomy.
• Monitor and assess credit risk metrics, key risk indicators, and key performance indicators for inclusion in ERM and First Line business unit reporting.
• Identify emerging trends and risks at the portfolio level. Stay current on industry trends affecting credit risk management and escalate emerging risks as appropriate.

Review and Challenge

• Support execution of bottom-up risk assessments to analyze, measure, and aggregate credit risks, including assessment of the Bank's risk management practices, techniques and controls. This includes active engagement in the Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) process and ongoing maintenance of the risk and control library for credit risk.
• Independently evaluate the adequacy of credit risk governance practices, portfolio management, policies, underwriting standards/criteria, and reporting and analytics. This also involves assisting and evaluating items related to model risk management (e.g. selection of assumptions). 
• Review and challenge credit risk modeling practices in partnership with the Second Line Model Risk Management team, including loan loss estimation and stress testing methodologies.

Risk Reporting and Communication

• Prepare and deliver risk reports to senior management and the Board, as appropriate.
• Communicate findings and recommendations clearly, highlighting material risks and proposed mitigation strategies.
• Support regulatory reporting requirements related to credit risk oversight, as needed.

Collaboration and Coordination

• Partner with Financial Risk Oversight to ensure an integrated risk management approach across key financial risks - credit, liquidity, and market and interest rate risk domains.
• Collaborate and coordinate with Independent Loan Review to avoid overlap and focus on portfolio-level oversight and governance.
• Coordinate with other ERM Programs to ensure risks and changes are tracked, monitored, and communicated effectively. Collaborate with various ERM stakeholders to create efficiencies in identification, risk assessment and reporting activities.
• Support remediation and root cause analysis of operational risk events with credit risk impact.

Regulatory Compliance and Best Practice

• Monitor regulatory developments impacting credit risk management, ensuring timely adoption and consideration of industry leading practices.
• Participate in internal audit and regulatory examinations related to credit risk, supporting remediation of findings as needed.

Required Skills

• Develop strong relationships across risk management and cross-functionally with ability to establish constructive dialogue internally and externally.
• Capability and experience with establishing strategic vision and driving change to achieve business targets. 
• Effective communication and presentation skills, including senior executive interactions - can present credibly to both large and small groups. 
• Articulate and highly effective communicator. 
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. 
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy. 
• Proficient in credit analytics and proven ability to conduct quantitative analysis. 
• Strong leadership and team management skills, personal responsibility to lead by example.
• Demonstrates strong ethics. 

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., MBA, CRC, FRM) preferred.
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in credit risk management, risk oversight, or related banking roles.
• Experience in a regulatory examiner or audit role overseeing credit risk, a plus.
• Knowledge and experience implementing credit risk practices (including use of models). 
• Experience with data analytic tools, languages, and/or visualization platforms (Python/R, SAS, Tableau, Power BI).
• Strong understanding of credit risk principles, regulatory requirements, and risk management frameworks - including RCSA, a plus.
• Knowledge of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) systems.

Benefits & Culture 

Our goal is to offer our colleagues the most generous benefits package possible. We provide a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support your health, financial security, and overall, wellbeing. Benefits include: competitive compensation with performancebased incentive awards, health and dental insurance, a 401(k) and DC retirement plan, LTD and life insurance, paid vacation, day care reimbursement, tuition assistance for undergraduate and graduate programs, an awardwinning wellness program, and much more! 

At Rockland Trust, you'll find a respectful and inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Pay Transparency 

Compensation for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including skills, experience, education, and internal equity. The salary range posted reflects the company's goodfaith estimate of the range for this position at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary. In addition to base salary, certain positions may be eligible for additional compensation, including commissions, incentive awards or stipends. 

Accessibility & Accommodations 

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their roles.