Jobs › Wells Fargo

Lead Equipment Finance Underwriter

Wells Fargo · Chicago, IL · $153,000–$239,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Wells Fargo

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a deal you declined or restructured. What did you see that others missed?

What they are checking: Whether they have the judgment to spot risk and the courage to say no or change the structure.

Tell me about how you've mentored a less experienced underwriter.

What they are checking: Whether they can grow others' credit judgment, which the lead role explicitly asks for.

What would you do

A request is above your credit authority but you believe in it. How do you build your recommendation?

What they are checking: Whether they can make a clear, balanced case with risks and mitigants for a higher approver.

During a periodic review, you find a borrower's financials have weakened. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they update the risk rating honestly and raise concerns early instead of waiting for a missed payment.

How do you balance sales pressure to approve deals quickly with careful underwriting?

What they are checking: Whether they can keep good relationships with sales while protecting credit standards.

About the work

Walk me through how you'd underwrite a fleet financing request from a regional trucking company.

What they are checking: Whether they look at cash flow, collateral value, utilization and industry cycles specific to commercial vehicles.

How do you think about residual value and collateral risk on Class 8 trucks?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how used truck markets move and how that affects loss if the borrower defaults.

How would you structure a deal for a borrower with thin financials but strong equipment value?

What they are checking: Whether they can use structure like down payment, term and guarantees to make a deal work responsibly.

What's the difference between a loan and a lease from an underwriting standpoint?

What they are checking: Whether they understand ownership, tax and recovery differences between these two equipment finance structures.

Why is keeping risk ratings accurate in the system of record so important?

What they are checking: Whether they see that ratings drive reserves, reporting and portfolio decisions across the bank.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Wells Fargo from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Wells Fargo.

About this role: Wells Fargo is seeking a Lead Equipment Finance Underwriter to support a growing equipment finance platform in the Commercial Vehicle Group within Wells Fargo Equipment Finance. In this role, you will: • Lead complex initiatives for researching financial and credit information for underwriting larger and more complex commercial or business loan and lease requests • Assist in structuring and approval of loan or leases within delegated authority and recommend transactions in excess of credit authority • Review and research financial and credit information for larger and complex loans and lease requests that require in-depth evaluation • Make decisions in complex and multifaceted situations requiring exceptional understanding of the Equipment Finance Underwriting functional area, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements • Collaborate and consult with peers, colleagues, and managers to achieve business objectives • Mentor or review analysis of less experienced individuals • Maintain risk ratings and other relevant data of systems of record • Perform periodic reviews on assigned portfolio credits Required Qualifications: • 5+ years of Equipment Finance Underwriting experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education Desired Qualifications: • Candidates must have 5+ years' experience in underwriting commercial transactions • Experience working on transactions in the bus/shuttle/motorcoach sectors. • Must have 5 years' experience in underwriting commercial transactions. • Experience working on transactions $3MM • Experience with Siebel • Strong cash flow analysis skills • Financial Analysis experience • Experienced and proficient with Microsoft Office suite of products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Job Expectations: • This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship • This position offers a hybrid work schedule, 4 days in the office • Willingness to work on-site at state job location on the job opening • Specific compliance policies may apply regarding outside activities or personal investing; affected employees will be expected to provide information to the Wells Fargo Personal Account Dealing Team and abide by applicable policy requirements if hired. Information will be shared about expectations during the recruitment process. Pay Ranges: • Minneapolis, MN-Pay Range: $153,000-$239,000 • Chicago, IL-Pay Range: $167,000-$260,000 Pay Range Salary is just one component of Wells Fargo's total rewards package. Depending on the role, a Wells Fargo's employee may be eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as sales incentives, discretionary bonuses, and/or equity in the company in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to demonstrated examples of prior performance, skills, experience, or work location. Employees may also be eligible for incentive opportunities.
$139,000.00 - $260,000.00 Benefits Wells Fargo provides eligible employees with a comprehensive set of benefits, many of which are listed below. Visit Benefits - Wells Fargo Jobs for an overview of the following benefit plans and programs offered to employees. • Health benefits • 401(k) Plan • Paid time off • Disability benefits • Life insurance, critical illness insurance, and accident insurance • Parental leave • Critical caregiving leave • Discounts and savings • Commuter benefits • Tuition reimbursement • Scholarships for dependent children • Adoption reimbursement Posting End Date: 7 Oct 2026 * Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants. We Value Equal Opportunity Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic. Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements. Applicants with Disabilities To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo . Drug and Alcohol Policy Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more. Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements: a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo. b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.

Apply at Wells Fargo