Role: The AVP, Mortgage Operations is responsible for leading the day-to-day operational performance of the credit union's mortgage lending function, including loan processing, pipeline management, closing coordination, quality control, member service delivery, vendor coordination, compliance oversight, and continuous process improvement. This position ensures mortgage applications move efficiently from submission through closing while maintaining strong regulatory controls, accurate documentation, timely communication, and a high-quality member experience.
The AVP serves as a hands-on operational leader and mortgage subject matter expert, partnering closely with production, underwriting, servicing, compliance, technology, finance, secondary market, branch, and member-facing teams to support growth, improve workflow discipline, strengthen accountability, and ensure scalable mortgage operations that align with the credit union's member-first mission.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:- Lead daily mortgage operations, including processing, pipeline movement, closing readiness, loan documentation, task management, service-level monitoring, and operational issue resolution.
- Manage, coach, and develop mortgage operations teammates, including processors, closers, coordinators, or other support staff as assigned.
- Establish clear expectations for productivity, accuracy, turnaround times, member communication, loan quality, and regulatory compliance.
- Monitor mortgage pipeline activity to identify bottlenecks, capacity concerns, aged files, documentation gaps, and opportunities to improve cycle times.
- Partner with mortgage production and underwriting teams to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent file movement from application through approval, closing, and post-closing handoff.
- Maintain strong knowledge of mortgage regulations, investor requirements, internal policies, secondary market standards, quality-control expectations, and credit union procedures.
- Support compliance with applicable mortgage lending laws and regulations, including disclosure timing, documentation standards, fair lending expectations, HMDA requirements, flood requirements, RESPA, TILA, ECOA, TRID, and other applicable rules.
- Develop, document, and maintain mortgage operations procedures, workflow guides, checklists, service standards, and quality-control practices.
- Review operational reports and dashboards to measure productivity, pull-through, fallout, cycle times, loan quality, member experience, and team performance.
- Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual work, improve data accuracy, enhance member communication, and support scalable mortgage growth.
- Partner with technology and system administrators to support effective use of the loan origination system, document systems, e-signature tools, reporting tools, and related mortgage technology.
- Assist with system enhancements, vendor implementations, workflow automation, testing, training, and change management related to mortgage operations.
- Coordinate with vendors and business partners, including appraisal, title, document preparation, flood, credit, verification, investor, servicing, and compliance partners, to support timely and accurate loan fulfillment.
- Serve as an escalation point for complex operational questions, member concerns, file exceptions, closing delays, and cross-functional service issues.
- Collaborate with leadership to support mortgage strategic initiatives, product expansion, acquisition or conversion work, audits, examinations, and enterprise projects.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, member advocacy, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Knowledge and SkillsEXPERIENCE: - Minimum of five years of progressively responsible mortgage lending, mortgage operations, real estate lending, or loan fulfillment experience required.
- Minimum of three years of leadership, supervisory, team lead, or operational management experience preferred.
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES: • Bachelor's degree in business, finance, management, or a related field preferred; equivalent mortgage lending experience may be considered.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: A significant level of trust, credibility and diplomacy is required. In-depth dialogue, conversations and explanations with customers, direct and indirect reports and outside vendors can be of a sensitive and/or highly confidential nature. Communications may involve motivating, influencing, educating and/or advising others on matters of significance. Typically includes subject matter experts as well as first level to middle managers.
OTHER SKILLS: Strong analytical, leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. Expertise in consumer lending and operational processes.
ADA RequirementsPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Is able to bend, sit, and stand in order to perform primarily sedentary work with limited physical exertion and occasional lifting of up to 10 lbs. Must be capable of climbing / descending stairs in an emergency situation. Must be able to operate routine office equipment including computer terminals and keyboards, telephones, copiers, facsimiles, and calculators. Must be able to routinely perform work on computer for an average of 6-8 hours per day, when necessary. Must be able to work extended hours or travel off site whenever required or requested by management. Must be capable of regular, reliable and timely attendance.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Must be able to routinely perform work indoors in climate-controlled shared work area with minimal noise.
MENTAL AND/OR EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to perform job functions independently or with limited supervision and work effectively either on own or as part of a team. Must be able to read and carry out various written instructions and follow oral instructions. Must be able to complete basic mathematical calculations, spell accurately, and understand computer basics. Must be able to speak clearly and deliver information in a logical and understandable sequence. Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization and demonstrate highest levels of customer service and discretion when dealing with the public. Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines / requirements for extreme accuracy and quality and/or fast pace. Must be able to effectively handle multiple, simultaneous, and changing priorities. Must be capable of exercising highest level of discretion on both internal and external confidential matters.
