Manager, Transaction Management

Zillow

3d•Remote

About The Position

About the team The Post Closing team at Zillow Home Loans is a high-performing, collaborative group dedicated to operational excellence throughout the mortgage lending process. We cultivate a respectful, inclusive, and solution-focused environment where team members support one another, and individual contributions are recognized as we uphold our reputation as a leader in post-closing operations. About the role The Manager, Transaction Management leads the team responsible for executing post-close transactions with investors and warehouse lenders, ensuring loans are delivered, funded, and purchased accurately and on time. This role owns the day-to-day management of the Transaction Management (TM) team, serves as the primary operational contact for counterparties on post-close transactions, and partners closely with key cross-functional teams (Capital Markets, Post Closing, Servicing, and Finance) to reduce loan defects and investor suspense. A thorough understanding of investor/agency requirements and loan sale contracts is required, along with the ability to apply nuanced judgment.

Requirements

10+ years in mortgage originations or secondary marketing, with significant time in post-closing, loan delivery, or transaction management functions.
5+ years leading operations or capital markets teams (Manager or Team Lead), preferably in a remote environment.
Deep understanding of agency (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac), Ginnie Mae, and whole loan investor delivery, certification, and purchase requirements.
Strong working knowledge of loan origination systems (preferably Encompass), document management, investor/warehouse portals, and custodial workflows.
Familiarity with co-issue and flow sale structures, warehouse funding, and post-purchase risk mitigation is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and lead high-performing teams and a proven track record driving process improvement and defect reduction using data and root-cause analysis in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Strong cross-functional collaboration and excellent communication skills, with comfort working with data (Excel/Sheets, SQL, DataBricks, BI tools).
Builds strong internal and external relationships to expedite resolution of complex issues and drive business outcomes.
Proven ability to rapidly learn and adopt new technologies.
You are an inspiring leader who guides and empowers teams.
You possess exceptional organizational skills to ensure accuracy and attention to detail across a high-volume, deadline-driven transaction pipeline.
You are a proactive, data-informed problem-solver for complex investor and certification challenges.
You are committed to continuous improvement, embrace change, and collaborate seamlessly across Capital Markets, Operations, Risk, and external partners.
You are a self-starter who is highly proficient with mortgage technology platforms, Excel, and data management.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience standing up or scaling a Transaction Management team.
Prior experience designing interfaces and automations in AirTable.
Experience leading teams through technology and process change (e.g., technology migrations, automation initiatives).
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Transaction Management team, including setting expectations, providing regular feedback, and managing performance in line with Zillow’s leadership expectations.
Manage team workload, staffing coverage, and resource alignment based on pipeline volume and risk.
Recruit, onboard, and train new team members; build bench strength and succession plans.
Foster a high-performance culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Oversee the end-to-end post-close transaction lifecycle for all loan sales (agency, co-issue, whole loan)—from readiness through purchase confirmation—ensuring adherence to all counterparty requirements.
Manage daily transaction pipelines (deliveries, sales, funding) and act as the primary operational contact for investors, warehouse lenders, and custodians regarding post-close issues, purchase conditions, indemnifications, and scratch & dent scenarios.
Partner closely with Loan Review, Investor Suspense, Funding, Capital Markets Trading, and Servicing to coordinate file readiness, resolve discrepancies, and ensure seamless transfer of servicing and collateral.
Coordinate the resolution of investor audit findings and post-purchase issues in partnership with Investor Suspense, Servicing, and Compliance.
Support risk-mitigation strategies (e.g., repurchases, settlement negotiations) by providing root-cause analysis and recommendations to Capital Markets leadership.
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for Transaction Management (e.g., shipped-not-purchased, time-to-purchase, investor suspense) and use data to drive action plans for improving quality, speed, and cost.
Investigate root causes of recurring issues and implement sustainable process, policy, or tooling changes.
Ensure all TM procedures are documented, current, and aligned with investor, agency, and internal policy requirements, maintaining a cohesive control environment.
Collaborate with Product, Data, and Engineering to design and prioritize automation, data quality checks, and reporting dashboards.
Stay current on agency, investor, warehouse, and regulatory changes; partner with Credit Policy, Compliance, Risk, and Finance to ensure TM activities support ZHL’s control framework and risk appetite.