Senior Investor Suspense Analyst

Zillow

4d•Remote

About The Position

As a Senior Investor Suspense Analyst at Zillow Home Loans, you’ll be a seasoned mortgage professional responsible for resolving complex and often ambiguous post-closing suspense issues and audit findings to ensure timely, compliant loan purchases. You will work across a broad range of products and investors, applying deep mortgage underwriting knowledge and sound judgment to protect revenue, reduce defects, and maintain strong investor relationships. You will independently own and prioritize your work, frequently handling the most challenging files within the suspense pipeline. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional partners to address recurring issues, contribute to process improvements, and serve as a go-to resource and mentor for Investor Suspense Analysts on the team. In this fully remote position, you’ll gather documentation, address deficiencies, and uphold high service standards as part of a supportive, high-performing team committed to integrity and operational excellence.

Requirements

Minimum of 7 years of experience in mortgage underwriting, processing, post-closing, investor delivery, or other directly related roles (or equivalent combination of education and experience), with a strong track record handling complex loan scenarios.
Proven expertise in lending requirements for Jumbo, Conventional, FHA, and VA loans.
Detailed knowledge of the origination/underwriting process and loan decisioning.
Detailed knowledge of origination loan documents, closing and legal documents, credit and income documents, and insurance documents.
Demonstrated expertise reviewing and completing income calculations, ordering and reviewing appraisal reports, credit reports, and other loan documentation to cure loan deficiencies.
Experience communicating documentation requests to borrowers, overcoming objections, and creating urgency.
Strong understanding of compliance with respect to Disclosure documents (LEs and CDs) and related timing, as well as MDIA and APR rules (TILA, RESPA, etc.).
Demonstrated ability to work on a broad range of issues where the problem is somewhat defined but often includes areas of ambiguity that require deeper investigation and interpretation and offer creative, innovative solutions to a wide range of issues.
Proven ability to use professional concepts, policies, and prior experience to offer solutions within an established framework, but with intermittent supervision. This role requires some decision making authority.
Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and functions, building productive relationships with internal partners and external contacts (e.g., investors, MI companies, vendors).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex situations clearly and professionally to varied audiences.
Exceptional attention to detail and time management skills.
Ability to produce and maintain reports outlining trends and key findings from investors.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, handle pressure, and meet deadlines.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
Willingness to work overtime as required.

Responsibilities

Research and resolve suspense issues and audit findings from external sources (MI companies, investors, agencies) and internal Post Closing reviews, in accordance with investor-specific timeframes, focusing on the more complex or high-risk scenarios, in accordance with investor-specific timeframes, up to and including re-underwriting the loan.
Independently diagnose and resolve a wide range of complex suspense issues, including those with ambiguous or partially defined root causes, using established guidelines, investor overlays, and professional judgment.
Gather all documentation necessary to cure issues, including contacting internal employees, borrowers, and outside vendors.
Exercise judgment in prioritizing work based on severity, financial impact, and aging, escalating only when necessary or when policy interpretation is unclear.
Partner with Capital Markets, Loan Delivery, Insuring, Fulfillment, Compliance, and other teams to gather documentation, clarify requirements, and resolve issues that span multiple steps of the mortgage lifecycle.
Input and maintain information within the Loan Origination System (Encompass) and/or AirTable from initial notification to loan funding.
Identify recurring trends and defects that originate upstream and share clear, actionable insights with partners to prevent future suspense issues.
Build and maintain relationships with investors and internal employees to ensure efficient issue resolution.
Collaborate with other Post Closing roles to ensure timely completion of daily duties.
Ensure loans are purchased within the time frame set by Capital Markets.
Maintain company service level and turn-time standards, including return-call times, return-email times, and task completion times, even when handling a high volume of complex loans.
Uphold high standards for data quality, documentation completeness, and compliance in all suspense resolution activities.