Allowance for Credit Losses Director (ACL) - Commercial Execution

This is a hybrid role (if located in Raleigh, NC or Charlotte, NC) with the expectation that time working will regularly take place inside and outside of a company office. Three days a week in office. Open to remote in several markets for highly qualified candidate.

This ACL Director (Allowance for Credit Losses) position leads the company's Commercial execution and governance process. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate execution of CECL processes across commercial loan portfolios-including C&I, CRE, equipment finance, and specialty segments-while driving operational efficiency, supporting model governance, and enhancing reporting transparency for senior leadership and regulators.

The Director will lead efforts to improve reporting automation, strengthen governance, and provide critical insights into portfolio performance, reserve drivers, and macroeconomic impacts on Commercial ACL estimates. Works closely with business leaders and project teams to strategically manage risk through data insights, partnering on new tactics or policies that improve risk management capabilities. May provide leadership and guidance to less experienced members of the management team.

* ACL Execution & Oversight: Lead the end-to-end ACL execution process for commercial portfolios, ensuring accurate and timely estimation of reserves in compliance with CECL and GAAP standards. Oversee quarterly and monthly allowance production cycles, validating model outputs, management overlays, and segment-specific assumptions. Ensure portfolio-specific factors-such as collateral trends, sectoral exposures, and borrower credit quality-are appropriately incorporated into ACL estimates. Maintain and strengthen governance frameworks around commercial ACL methodologies, assumptions, and documentation.
* Model Risk & Governance: Partner with model development and risk management teams to ensure commercial ACL models are well-calibrated, validated, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Lead refinement of segmentation strategies, risk factors, and overlays to better reflect evolving credit risk dynamics in commercial lending. Support remediation efforts for audit or regulatory findings related to commercial ACL models or assumptions. Align model and execution practices with Category 3 financial institution expectations and industry benchmarks.
* Regulatory & Audit Engagement: Act as a subject matter expert in regulatory and audit discussions, providing clear documentation and rationale for commercial ACL assumptions and results. Ensure reporting meets disclosure requirements for CECL and SEC filings. Drive remediation of audit and regulatory feedback, embedding sustainable enhancements into governance and reporting practices.
* Operational Efficiency & Process Improvement: Partner with Technology and Data teams to enhance ACL execution infrastructure for commercial portfolios. Automate manual processes and streamline workflows to reduce cycle time, error risk, and operational burden. Standardize reporting templates, assumptions logs, and supporting documentation to improve consistency and transparency across execution cycles.
* Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership: Collaborate with Finance, Risk, Credit, and Business leaders to align ACL execution with enterprise strategy and commercial credit risk appetite. Represent commercial ACL execution in governance forums, ensuring commercial risk considerations are well-articulated and understood. Lead and develop a high-performing team with specialized expertise in commercial credit analytics, ACL reporting, and regulatory engagement. Foster a culture of execution excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement within the ACL function.

Bachelor's Degree and 10 years of experience in Risk Management or Analytics in Financial Services industry and management role OR High School Diploma or GED and 14 years of experience in Risk Management or Analytics in Financial Services industry and management role

Preferred Education: Advance Degree

Preferred Area of Study: Quantitative disciplineLicense or Certification Type:

Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Information Systems Auditor, or CyberSecurity Forensic Analyst certifications

* Technical Knowledge: Deep expertise in CECL methodology, commercial credit loss modeling, and regulatory expectations (e.g., SR 11-7, Basel, LFI standards)

* Analytical Skills: Ability to interpret complex commercial loan dynamics, model outputs, and macroeconomic impacts on reserves

* Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing complex cross-functional processes.

* Communication: Strong ability to present technical analyses to senior management, regulators, and external auditors.

* Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA, CFA, or CPA strongly preferred.

Preferred Skills:

Experience across multiple commercial asset classes (C&I, CRE, equipment finance, specialized lending)

* Familiarity with ACL automation, reporting platforms, and data visualization tools.
* Experience engaging directly with regulators and external auditors.
* Strong project management and change management skills.

Benefits are an integral part of total rewards and First Citizens Bank is committed to providing a competitive, thoughtfully designed and quality benefits program to meet the needs of our associates. More information can be found at https://jobs.firstcitizens.com/benefits.