Senior Analyst

Your Role 

As a Senior Analyst, you will play a key role in evaluating and structuring new lending opportunities at the earliest stages of the credit process. You will independently analyze borrowers, guarantors, and collateral, identify key credit risks, provide preliminary transaction recommendations, and partner closely with Underwriters, Loan Officers, and Credit Leadership to determine deal viability. 

In addition to managing more complex transactions, you'll serve as a resource for junior analysts, help improve screening processes, and contribute to maintaining consistent credit quality across the pipeline. 

What You’ll Do 

• Perform independent preliminary credit analysis of borrowers, guarantors, and collateral to determine transaction viability.  
• Analyze borrower financial statements, tax returns, rent rolls, operating statements, and cash flow performance.  
• Build and review financial models, preliminary underwriting analyses, and screening memorandums.  
• Identify key risks, mitigants, and structural considerations before transactions move into formal underwriting.  
• Recommend whether opportunities should proceed based on Ascent's lending guidelines and credit appetite.  
• Partner directly with Loan Officers to discuss deal structure and identify information needed for credit evaluation.  
• Coordinate with Underwriting, Legal, Operations, Servicing, and Capital Markets to facilitate smooth deal progression.  
• Manage multiple transactions simultaneously while maintaining speed and accuracy.  
• Mentor junior Screening Analysts by reviewing work, providing coaching, and sharing best practices.  
• Recommend process improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and quality throughout the screening process. 

What You Bring 

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Real Estate, or related field.  
• 3-5 years of commercial real estate lending, underwriting, screening, or credit analysis experience.  
• Strong understanding of commercial real estate lending fundamentals.  
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills.  
• Ability to independently identify credit risks and recommend transaction structures. 
• Excellent communication skills with the confidence to discuss transactions with senior stakeholders.  
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize competing deadlines.  
• Experience mentoring junior analysts or reviewing work products is preferred. 

What Success Looks Like 

• You communicate proactively and follow through consistently  
• You take ownership of your work and operate with accountability  
• You are adaptable and comfortable working in a dynamic environment  
• You approach challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset  
• You balance analytical rigor with practical execution  
• You contribute positively to team culture and collaboration 

The Pay 

• Salary for this role is $100,000 - $120,000 annually plus eligibility for a 15% bonus. 

The Work Environment 

• This role works on-site from Ascent's Encino office, Monday - Thursday (Fridays are work-from-home).