Underwriting Specialist

Mortgage Underwriting Specialist

Our client is a rapidly growing mortgage lending company. They are seeking a Mortgage Underwriting Specialist to lead both strategic and operational oversight of third-party fulfillment providers. This individual will ensure efficient, compliant loan origination while continuously improving systems, workflows, and infrastructure to support scalable, high-quality operations. This role will play a critical part in shaping the future of the underwriting platform by developing workflows, standard operating procedures, service level agreements, and quality control frameworks. The individual will partner closely with engineering teams, providing tactical and strategic guidance to build scalable, automation-first solutions that minimize human intervention wherever possible.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise across the full mortgage lifecycle, with advanced underwriting knowledge and a strong command of federal and state regulatory requirements. They are a compliance-first operator who balances regulatory rigor with performance optimization. They are systems-oriented, customer-focused, and committed to scalable, software-driven solutions over manual workarounds. They are comfortable managing multiple third-party fulfillment partners, setting clear performance standards, handling escalations, and driving consistent, high-quality loan delivery. They thrive in environments that value strong opinions, thoughtful debate, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement underwriting workflows, SOPs, SLAs, checklists, and quality control frameworks to ensure efficient and accurate loan underwriting.
• Continuously assess and optimize underwriting systems to support seamless file flow, compliance, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Oversee daily operations with third-party fulfillment partners to ensure consistent and timely loan delivery.
• Establish, monitor, and drive productivity standards and performance metrics on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Conduct second-level reviews, manage exceptions, and oversee escalations to maintain quality control standards.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to inform decision-making and support ongoing product development initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal stakeholders, partners, and engineering teams to enhance fulfillment infrastructure and product capabilities.
• Deliver guideline and technical training, identify areas for improvement, and facilitate ongoing development initiatives.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of mortgage origination processes and regulatory requirements to ensure full compliance.

Requirements

• 10+ years of underwriting experience, including leadership of underwriting teams across diverse loan products such as Conventional, Jumbo, Non-QM, and Government programs for both purchase and refinance transactions.
• Demonstrated experience building and implementing underwriting workflows, SOPs, SLAs, and quality control frameworks.
• Strong proficiency in configuring and optimizing underwriting systems for efficiency, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven success in managing decentralized underwriting teams.
• Experience overseeing strategic third-party fulfillment partners.
• Prior experience working on mortgage products within a fintech environment is strongly preferred.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity in the organization
• Top-tier medical, vision & dental with support for dependents
• 401(k)
• Flexible Time Off
• Hardware Allowance: $2,000 to fix up your workspace
• At-cost Mortgages