SENIOR LOAN PROCESSOR & UNDERWRITER

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior Loan Processor & Underwriter for a direct hire opportunity in Aliso Viejo, CA. This role is ideal for a seasoned private lending, hard money, bridge, commercial, or business-purpose mortgage professional who can independently underwrite, process, and close larger, more complex transactions secured by premium California real estate.

The Senior Loan Processor & Underwriter will own each transaction from accepted request through funding, applying strong credit judgment, disciplined documentation practices, and decisive problem-solving. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced private lending environment where speed, accuracy, communication, and investor protection are essential.

This opportunity offers a professional, performance-driven environment with supportive leadership, strong relationship discipline, and a team culture that values ownership, accountability, clear communication, and sound judgment. The right candidate will have the opportunity to handle sophisticated borrowers, complex ownership structures, and meaningful loan volume while serving as a senior resource to the team.

Key Responsibilities

- Independently underwrite and process private lending transactions, including borrower strength, guarantor analysis, liquidity, repayment ability, collateral quality, LTV/LTC, lien priority, and exit strategy.
- Lead borrower and guarantor diligence, including interviews, business-purpose confirmation, ownership structure review, source and use of proceeds, and risk-based deal structuring.
- Coordinate loan documentation and closing activities, including commitments, applications, disclosures, borrower checklists, appraisal, title, escrow, insurance, legal review, and funding conditions.
- Review appraisals, preliminary title reports, entity documents, insurance, notes, deeds of trust, assignments, guaranties, and closing packages for accuracy and risk exposure.
- Manage a high-volume pipeline with daily status updates, accurate CRM documentation, proactive broker and borrower communication, and timely escalation of material credit, collateral, title, or compliance concerns.
- Support process improvement by mentoring newer processors, refining underwriting templates, and helping strengthen closing procedures.

Compensation and Benefits

- Salary range: $110,000 to $140,000 per year.
- Employment type: Direct hire.
- Location: Aliso Viejo, CA.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

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For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

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We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Additional Skills

Required Qualifications and Skills

- Underwrite, process, and close private lending, hard money, bridge, commercial, or business-purpose mortgage loans from accepted commitment through funding.
- Analyze borrower, sponsor, guarantor, collateral, title, appraisal, liquidity, cash flow, sources and uses, repayment ability, and exit strategy.
- Manage closing coordination with escrow, title, appraisal, insurance, legal, brokers, borrowers, and internal stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate pipeline reporting, CRM documentation, daily transaction updates, and complete loan files with minimal preventable errors.

- 5 to 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in private money, hard money, bridge, commercial, or business-purpose mortgage lending.
- Hands-on underwriting and closing experience with larger and more complex loans, including transactions of $2.5M or greater.
- Strong knowledge of borrower and guarantor analysis, collateral analysis, liquidity review, cash-flow review, DSCR, NOI, cap rates, rent rolls, and exit analysis.
- Deep understanding of loan documents, credit documents, entity documents, title and escrow requirements, insurance, appraisals, promissory notes, deeds of trust, assignments, guaranties, and closing procedures.
- Working knowledge of sophisticated ownership structures, including LLCs, LPs, trusts, syndications, multiple guarantors, subordinate financing, and cross-collateralization.
- Working knowledge of federal and California requirements for business-purpose lending, with the ability to identify and escalate consumer-purpose or compliance concerns.
- Proficiency with mortgage-industry software, CRM or pipeline systems, PDF tools, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.
- Exceptional organization, written communication, verbal communication, judgment, follow-through, and attention to detail.
- Ability to respond quickly, manage time-sensitive transactions, communicate confidently with experienced borrowers and brokers, and protect investor capital.

Preferred Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in finance, real estate, accounting, business, or a related field, or equivalent depth of practical lending experience.
- Experience with premium California real estate, sophisticated borrowers, complex collateral, and loan sizes in the $1.5M to $5M range.
- Familiarity with ACT or similar CRM platforms for pipeline and relationship management.
- Prior experience mentoring processors, improving underwriting templates, or refining closing procedures.
- Professional confidence, calm judgment under pressure, strong ownership mentality, and the ability to challenge assumptions respectfully.