Senior Construction Specialist

Live Oak Banking • Wilmington, NC

10d

About The Position

Live Oak Bank is a digital bank serving small business owners across the country. The Senior Construction Specialist actively manages and continuously monitors the specialty construction portfolio to identify and mitigate risk. The role uses construction expertise to guide borrowers, projects, and lending teams on relevant policies, procedures, and best practices, while ensuring construction standards are applied consistently and in accordance with Bank and government-guaranteed lending policies and procedures.

The specialist supports construction loan closing and disbursement from initial preparation through project completion. This includes coordinating documentation and due diligence, monitoring project budgets and timelines, reviewing and approving disbursements, maintaining loan records, and working with borrowers and internal and external partners. The role also provides training, coaching, and mentoring to Construction Specialist I and II and escalates issues as appropriate.

The position requires at least three years of commercial lending/customer service experience or demonstrated mastery managing specialty construction loans, experience managing construction projects across at least four specialty verticals and two product types, extensive knowledge of construction standards and lending programs, and knowledge of BUILT and Salesforce. The listed base pay range is $71,960 to $113,080 per year; compensation may also include annual bonuses and long-term incentives, subject to metrics and company policy.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of commercial lending/customer service experience or demonstrated mastery in managing specialty construction loans.
• Experience managing construction projects for at least 4 specialty verticals, including at least 2 different product types (SBA, 504, Conventional, USDA).
• Extensive knowledge of Bank and government-guaranteed programs’ construction standards, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of BUILT and Salesforce.
• Effective communication skills with a focus on conflict resolution.
• Detail-oriented, with a high degree of accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrate dedication, ownership, respect, innovation, and teamwork in accordance with Live Oak Bank’s stated values.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree or 3–4 years of equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Generate construction closing checklists and participate in closing kick-off calls to educate borrowers on construction loan closing requirements.
• Collaborate with lenders, underwriters, closers, borrowers, general contractors, and other third parties to collect required construction documentation before closing.
• Provide construction closing updates to lending teams during pipeline meetings.
• Initiate required credit enhancements and engage third-party firms for initial project reviews and construction inspections.
• Prepare, analyze, and present general contractor due diligence for approval.
• Review borrower construction documents for completeness and accuracy before submitting files for closing approval.
• Confirm final loan budgets and configure project setups in the disbursement software application.
• Monitor and confirm adherence to applicable loan agreement covenants during construction.
• Coordinate with internal partners on tax credit, syndicated, and/or participated loans to ensure timely funding; address participant questions or concerns and escalate issues to avoid funding delays.
• Create and submit disbursements in accordance with funding requirements.
• Ensure inspections and title updates are ordered on time, lien waivers and change orders are collected, and draw checklists are prepared to expedite disbursements.
• Initiate UCC and title filings to perfect security interests in collateral purchased with loan proceeds, and update collateral loan records with filing confirmations.
• Serve as borrowers’ construction point of contact throughout loan closing and disbursement; answer general loan questions, monitor project timelines, manage loan budgets, and maintain current loan files through project completion.
• Complete modification requests on multi-advance loans as necessary and coordinate with internal and external parties to facilitate documentation.
• Track monthly loan payments and promptly address delinquencies.
• Assist the internal servicing department with collecting updated borrower financials in accordance with loan agreements.
• Escalate problematic situations to the Construction Team Lead and Credit Administration as needed.
• Review and approve disbursement requests from initial funding through project completion and final disbursement.
• Train, coach, and mentor Construction Specialist I and II, and provide periodic progress updates to Construction Team Leads as needed.
• Review loan files for completeness before approving them for closing.
• Treat people with respect, keep commitments, work ethically and with integrity, uphold organizational values, and accept responsibility for actions.
• Maintain a high standard of regulatory awareness, including BSA, AML, CIP, and OFAC.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Paid sick leave at least to the minimum required in applicable states.
• Annual bonuses and long-term incentives may be included in compensation, subject to metrics and company policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed