Director, Funding

At Flagship Financial Group, we strive to make a positive impact on our customers’ lives through responsible auto financing and on our employees’ careers through continuous learning and advancement opportunities. Following our recent acquisition and the appointment of a new CEO, we are entering an exciting period of transformation, shifting toward a high-growth, tech-forward, and operationally excellent future.

We are seeking a Funding Director , to lead our Indirect Funding operation and ensure every contract package is funded accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with our credit policy and regulatory requirements. Leading managers and team members across our Tempe, AZ and Chadds Ford, PA locations, this role sets the department’s operating strategy, goals, and performance standards, holds senior funding exception authority, and owns the risk controls that protect portfolio quality. This role will report directly to the VP of Credit & Funding and serves as a strategic partner to Credit, Sales, Compliance, and our dealer network, driving the process improvement and automation that supports our growth objectives.

What You'll Do

• Lead the overall operations of our Indirect Funding department across all locations, setting priorities, staffing levels, and service-level targets so contract packages are reviewed, validated, and funded accurately and on time.
• Hold senior credit/underwriting and funding exception authority, defining exception guidelines and approval levels for managers and team members and monitoring decisions to protect portfolio quality.
• Lead, coach, and develop funding managers, supervisors, and team members, overseeing hiring, training, performance management, and succession planning for a multi-site team.
• Oversee the review and verification of retail installment contracts and funding packages, including stipulations, income and identity verification, and deal structure, to ensure each contract conforms to the approved credit decision and funding guidelines.
• Build staffing models, capacity plans, and workflows across both offices that keep pace with volume fluctuations, month-end peaks, and turnaround-time goals.
• Prepare and present reporting on key performance metrics, including contracts funded, time-to-fund, first-pass funding rate, pending/aged contract inventory, and error rates.
• Ensure funding practices comply with company policy and applicable federal and state regulations, and support internal audits, compliance reviews, and regulatory examinations.
• Partner with Credit, Dealer Relations/Sales, Compliance, Fraud, Servicing, and Finance to resolve funding issues, reduce contract defects, and identify fraud or misrepresentation risk.
• Oversee dealer funding communications and escalations, providing feedback to dealers and Sales on recurring contract errors and missing documentation.
• Design and lead process improvement and automation initiatives, partnering with IT and vendors on loan origination, e-contracting, and document-management enhancements.
• Develop and maintain funding policies, procedures, and quality-control programs, ensuring they are applied consistently across both locations.
• Contribute to annual budgeting and forecasting for funding volume, staffing, and headcount.

Who You Are

• The Operational Leader:
  You build consistent, scalable funding processes and hold every team accountable to the same standards of speed and quality.
• The Team Unifier:
  You create one cohesive Funding team across multiple locations through clear communication, visibility, and shared goals.
• The Risk-Minded Decision Maker:
  You balance funding speed with control and recognize when a contract, dealer, or trend requires closer scrutiny.
• The Data-Driven Planner:
  You use metrics and trend analysis to anticipate volume, allocate resources, and pinpoint the root causes of defects.
• The Dealer & Stakeholder Partner:
  You communicate clearly with dealers, Sales, and Credit to resolve issues quickly and prevent repeat errors.

Qualifications

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in auto finance or consumer lending operations, including at least 5 years in contract funding, loan processing, or verification.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including managing managers/supervisors and leading teams across multiple locations.
• Indirect auto lending experience required; non-prime/subprime auto finance experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with loan origination systems, e-contracting platforms (e.g., RouteOne, Dealertrack), and document-imaging tools preferred.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required (Business, Finance, or related field); Master’s degree preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Skills & Abilities

• Expert knowledge of credit, underwriting, funding, and contract compliance within an indirect auto finance company.
• Working knowledge of consumer lending regulations that affect funding (e.g., TILA/Reg Z, ECOA/Reg B, FCRA, OFAC, UDAAP) and state-specific contract requirements.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate company objectives into departmental goals, plans, and measurable results.
• Demonstrated ability to build and interpret operational metrics, dashboards, and capacity models.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required; advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to influence and present to senior leadership, peers, and dealer partners.

This is an on-site role based in our Tempe, AZ office, with periodic travel to our Chadds Ford, PA office.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to lead a function at the heart of our business, where every contract funded means a customer on the road and a dealer partner well served. You’ll shape how Funding operates across both offices, partner closely with Credit, Sales, and Compliance leadership, and lead the automation and process improvements that will help us scale accurately and efficiently as we grow.