Commercial Review Appraiser

Summary: This position provides appraisal services to First Foundation Banks’ lending community. Engages appraisals from the pre-selected vendor list and reviews commercial appraisals with responsibility for the assignment workflow. Assigns environmental report tasks to the outsourced vendors and monitors environmental workflow for each task assigned. This is a hybrid role and will be required to periodically come into the office.

Salary Range: The salary range budgeted for this position is $125,000/yr to $150,000/yr and represents the Company's good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary depending on several factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, and location.

The Company also offers a full range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and 401K match. Other rewards may include annual performance-based bonuses and wellness days.

Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a First Foundation Inc. position. Currently, we are unable to sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an Employment Visa.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify, request, and manage all commercial real estate appraisals
• Review and approve real estate appraisals for USPAP compliance, as well as the appropriateness of value conclusion
• Manage the approved appraiser panel, which is periodically submitted to the Board for confirmation
• Acts as a resource for credit and production on appraisal issues, regulatory requirements, and valuation questions
• Assist Special Assets and/or Credit with impairment analysis for real estate secured credits as needed
• Demonstrates compliance with all bank regulations for assigned job functions and applies to designated job responsibilities – knowledge may be gained through coursework and on-the-job training. Keeps up to date on regulation changes.
• Adhere to all Bank policies, procedures, and compliance regulations; complete all required annual and job-specific training
• Coach, mentor, or train others
• Serve as a subject matter expert and resource for credit Must be a licensed or certified appraiser and have performed these functions for another FDIC or OCC-supervised bank or as a review specialist on a fee basis for lending institutions and production on appraisal issues, regulatory requirements, and valuation questions
• Embrace the mission, vision, and values of the Company; actively learn, demonstrate, and foster Company culture through communication and action
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• Must hold a California Certified General license
• Bachelor's Degree
• MAI Designation preferred but not required
• Minimum of 7 to 12 years of fee appraisal report writing experience
• Minimal experience in reviewing commercial real estate appraisals is preferred but not required

Skills:

• Solid familiarity with USPAP, FIRREA, and IAG and understanding of how regulations apply to real-world lending scenarios
• Familiarity with RIMS is preferred but not required
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and groups across the company to manage internal and external customer relationships
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective written and verbal communication
• Organized and detailed, self-managing and self-motivated
• Proficiency with personal computers and related software packages such as Word, Excel, Adobe, and PowerPoint

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods; use hands to operate controls on a computer; reach with hands and arms for phone and computer work; to communicate on the phone wearing a headset for extended periods. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. This job description is subject to change at any time.

First Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, and status as a qualified individual with a disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.