Director of Lending

Meritus Credit Union•Lafayette, LA

About The Position

The Director of Lending is responsible for the credit union’s administrative management of consumer and mortgage lending functions. The role develops and implements consistent policies and procedures that comply with external regulations, supports and leads lending departments, and seeks to maximize lending profitability while acting in members’ best interests. The Director oversees consumer and residential mortgage lending, including mortgage origination, loan approvals, and secondary-market sales. The position establishes department goals and performance standards, creates and monitors the department budget, develops staff through mentoring and training, evaluates new lending products and program expansion, and works with senior management and other departments to manage risk and advance organizational objectives. The role also underwrites consumer and mortgage loans within defined lending authority and ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, investor requirements, and internal policies. This position oversees hiring, performance standards, training, and performance reviews within its areas of responsibility. It requires strong relationship-building, leadership, communication, analytical, and organizational skills, as well as extensive use of a personal computer and relevant lending and reporting software.

Requirements

Equivalent to a college degree (BS or BA in a relevant field).
Five to seven years of mortgage experience.
Two or more years of experience in consumer lending at a financial institution or credit union, or in central underwriting, risk management, or a related field.
Strong understanding of consumer and mortgage underwriting guidelines and policies.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
Knowledge and understanding of regulatory issues, financial and credit risk management, and internal controls in a financial institution setting.
Excellent analytical ability and ability to conduct thorough research, interpret laws and regulations, and provide workable recommendations and solutions.
Ability to handle multiple, conflicting deadlines.
Ability to interact positively with all levels of the organization, including management, the Board, volunteers, coworkers, and the public.
Exceptional relationship-building skills.
Proven success managing a team through organizational change.
Exceptional leadership, mentoring, and coaching skills.
Ability to translate high-level strategic thinking into strategic and tactical actions, initiatives, and results across the organization.
Extensive personal computer use and proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Proficiency using email and the internet.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including regularly sitting, standing, walking, talking, hearing, using hands, and reaching; occasionally stooping, kneeling, crouching, and lifting or moving up to 20 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Superior skills in consumer auto-decision models.
Knowledge of credit union operations or financial institutions.
Experience using Meridian Link, Calyx, Crystal Reports, Excel Pivot Tables, Report Analytics, and SQL databases.
Notary Public commission.

Responsibilities

Ensure loan policies, procedures, services, products, and documentation comply with federal and state regulations.
Establish department goals and ensure their implementation; communicate credit union goals, rules, requirements, and expectations to lending employees.
Oversee development and monitoring of performance standards, and provide staff mentoring, coaching, and training.
Create the department budget and monitor adherence; understand the credit union’s assets, liabilities, and financial objectives.
Oversee origination and approval of residential mortgage loans in accordance with department goals and standards.
Oversee the sale of residential mortgage loans on the secondary market.
Research and evaluate potential lending products and develop and implement plans to expand lending programs.
Monitor industry developments and lending trends and respond to maintain competitiveness.
Work with the Vice President of Lending, staff, and members on complex issues to prevent credit union losses and support members.
Represent and promote the credit union at external functions.
Maintain a motivated, well-trained staff and effective employee relations.
Underwrite and make decisions to approve, deny, or counteroffer consumer and mortgage loans within defined lending authority.
Review and direct others in analyzing tax returns, credit data, and financial statements to evaluate consumer loan requests.
Provide training, guidance, coaching, and support to Underwriters, MSRs, and Call Center Representatives.
Build partnerships across the organization to support lending initiatives, improve processes, resolve complex issues, and achieve strategic objectives.
Support credit union asset-quality and profitability goals by ensuring underwriting adheres to loan policy and approved pricing guidelines.
Work with senior management to produce ad hoc credit-risk reports and charts.
Maintain documentation of reports and data sources to meet auditor and examiner requirements.
Ensure compliance with federal regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Ensure compliance with applicable consumer and mortgage lending laws, regulations, investor requirements, and internal policies, including Fair Lending, ECOA, HMDA, TRID, RESPA, and TILA.
Work with other department management to minimize risks at all levels.
Oversee hiring, performance standards, training, and performance reviews within areas of responsibility.
Perform other duties as assigned.