AVP, Director of Mortgage Lending

SUMMARY

Responsible for providing strategic leadership, oversight, and prudent management of the credit union's mortgage lending operations and loan portfolio. This role evaluates and responds to changes in regulatory, market and competitive conditions. Plans, organizes, and directs the mortgage department's activities to drive sustainable loan growth, operational efficiency, compliance, and exceptional member experience. Provides prompt, professional and courteous support and assistance to internal departments, retail branches and members.

Provides strategic leadership for the mortgage lending function, including portfolio composition, product channels, delivery models, and growth objectives aligned with the credit union's overall strategic plan.

• Identifies, evaluates, and secures additional mortgage origination channels (branch, digital, referral, correspondent, or other) to increase loan opportunities and support balances growth.
• Develops and executes short- and long-term mortgage lending strategies, including annual production goals, profitability targets, staffing plans, and operational benchmarks.
• Assists in developing mortgage lending policies, procedures, and underwriting guidelines, ensuring compliance with federal, state, investor, and regulatory requirements.
• Conducts periodic reviews of systems, workflows, and vendor relationships to ensure efficiency, scalability, cost effectiveness, and regulatory compliance; initiates process improvements as needed.
• Monitors production, pipeline, turn times, quality control, and funding volumes, using data and reporting to improve performance.
• Directs and manages mortgage department staff, including hiring, training, performance management, coaching, and succession planning; ensures appropriate coverage during employee absences.
• Maintains working knowledge of all mortgage products and the end-to-end mortgage process, applying policy and underwriting standards consistently and prudently.
• Coordinates staffing levels and workload distribution to ensure service standards are met while controlling operating cost and member experience expectations.
• Partners with retail branches, lending teams, and member-facing staff to support referral activity, training, and mortgage product education.
• Ensures accurate processing, underwriting, closing, and documentation of real estate loans in accordance with policy and regulatory requirements.
• Provides guidance and escalation support for complex loan scenarios, exceptions, and member inquiries; approves loans within delegated authority and submits others to the SVP/CLO as required.
• Promotes a culture of service, accountability, and ethical lending, ensuring members are treated fairly and consistently while identifying opportunities to deepen member relationships.
• Performs essential administrative and leadership functions necessary for effective mortgage department operations, including back-up support for originating, underwriting, and/or processing loans and other duties as assigned by senior leadership.
• Supports secondary market or portfolio mortgage strategies, including pricing, investor requirements, servicing considerations, and risk management, as applicable.
• Evaluates and maintains functional knowledge of all mortgage lending systems, performance, workflows, report capabilities, testing, training, and enhancements.
• Support enterprise projects and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Assists with regulatory examinations, including coordinating examination requests, directing staff preparation activities, and ensuring timely and accurate responses.

Directly supervises employees in the mortgage loan department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Indirectly oversees the mortgage branch staff.

Accuracy in documentation from application taking to closing…