Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Ascent Developer Solutions – Encino, California

The Role

Ascent Developer Solutions is seeking an experienced and strategic Vice President, Portfolio Manager to lead the oversight, performance, and optimization of our growing real estate loan portfolio. This senior-level role plays a critical part in safeguarding portfolio quality, driving process and technology innovation, and informing capital strategy as AscentDS continues to scale.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years of experience in real estate lending, credit, or asset managementcombining deep financial acumen with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset. This leader will serve as a trusted partner to executive leadership, ensuring portfolio decisions align with Ascents risk appetite, return objectives, and long-term growth strategy.

The Work:

Portfolio Leadership: Oversee the health, performance, and composition of the loan portfolio, ensuring alignment with AscentDS strategic and risk management goals.

Reporting & Analytics: Deliver comprehensive, data-driven reporting on loan performance, risk concentration, and emerging trends and metrics for executive leadership, capital partners, and the Board of Directors. Provide strategic insights to inform business decisions.

Special Assets Strategy & Department Leadership

• Own the overall management of Ascents special assets portfolio, including criticized, classified, distressed, and non-performing loans, ensuring proactive oversight and timely resolution.
• Develop comprehensive resolution strategies for each special asset, including restructures, negotiated settlements, enforcement actions, foreclosures, and bankruptcy-related matters.
• Direct and manage legal enforcement strategies when necessary, including defaults, demand notices, foreclosure actions, bankruptcy proceedings, receiverships, litigation support, and collateral recovery.
• Lead the strategic development, buildout, and execution of special assets department establishing the infrastructure, policies, reporting, and workflows necessary to scale as Ascent Grows. Maintain a comprehensive, continuously updated list of all special assets and associated business plans, strategies, milestones, and resolution timelines.
• Establish performance benchmarks and key metrics to measure recovery performance, resolution effectiveness, and portfolio risk trends.
• Provide executive-level reporting, portfolio insights, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders.

Asset & Capital Partner Management

• Serve as primary portfolio contact for capital partners, equity partners, and other stakeholders.
• Deliver transparent asset-level performance updates, including variance analysis and business plan tracking.
• Coordinate with special servicers, asset managers, and third-party consultants to protect collateral value.
• Facilitate capital calls, payoff strategies, refinances, and exit planning with asset partners.
• Lead investor Q&A sessions and provide detailed performance attribution reporting.

Credit Oversight: Lead the loan extensionevaluating borrower performance, market conditions, and collateral positionwhile preparing detailed credit rationales and recommendations for approval.

Annual & Ongoing Borrower Reviews: Manage the comprehensive annual review cycle and ongoing surveillance of borrower relationships, ensuring financial health and compliance.

Covenant & Risk Management: Monitor and enforce all portfolio covenants; identify early warning indicators, escalate risks proactively, and lead corrective strategies to maintain credit quality.

Technology & Data Innovation: Partner with technology and operations teams to evolve loan management systems and reporting tools that improve automation, data accuracy, and decision-making visibility.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Credit, Capital Markets, and Finance teams to ensure portfolio decisions support funding strategies, liquidity management, and investor confidence.

Leadership & Mentorship: Provide guidance and oversight to analysts or portfolio support staff; help build scalable portfolio management processes that can grow with the business.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develop board-level reporting materials summarizing portfolio health, asset performance trends, risk exposure, and strategic outlook.
• Lead credit risk assessments, loan modifications, restructurings, extensions, and workout strategies.
• Lead complex restructurings, note sales, foreclosures, deed-in-lieu transactions, and discounted payoffs.
• Ability to negotiate intercreditor agreements and settlement structures. Optimize recovery strategies to preserve capital and maximize returns.

Your Skills & Experience

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in real estate lending, credit analysis, portfolio management, asset management, risk management, or a similar role, ideally within a private lender, debt fund, or commercial bank.
• Education: Bachelors degree in Real estate, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Analytical Skills: Strong quantitative and analytical abilities, with proficiency in financial modeling, data analysis, and interpreting complex financial statements.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Excel skills are a must. Experience with real estate specific software, loan management operating systems, and business intelligence tools (e.g. Power BI) is highly desirable.
• Influential Communicator: Skilled at presenting financial insights and risk assessments to executive leadership and capital partners with clarity and confidence.
• Operational Excellence: Proven record of developing scalable reporting processes, data frameworks, and technology solutions that enhance portfolio management efficiency.
• Leadership & Ownership: High initiative, accountability, and the ability to lead through influence in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Integrity & Precision: Exceptional attention to detail, commitment to compliance, and a reputation for sound judgment and follow-through.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of presenting information clearly and concisely.

The Work Environment

• Full-time, and 4 days a week in our Encino HQ.

Salary Range

$200,000 $225,000 with 25% bonus target