SVP Underwriting

Cornerstone Home Lending•,

2d•$175,000 - $225,000

About The Position

The Senior Vice President (SVP), Underwriting provides strategic and operational leadership for the underwriting organization, driving performance, scalability, and consistency across all lending channels. This role is accountable for building a high-performing organization that delivers sound credit decisions, maintains regulatory compliance, and supports the company’s growth objectives. The SVP leads enterprise-wide collaboration across Sales, Operations, Capital Markets, Product, Risk, Compliance, and Technology to continuously enhance underwriting capabilities, improve efficiency, and elevate both the customer and employee experience within a complex, matrixed organization.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive mortgage underwriting experience, with 7+ years in leadership roles.
Proven ability to lead within a complex, matrixed organization and drive enterprise-wide transformation.
Experience in agency, government, and investor underwriting guidelines (Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, etc.).
Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and risk management practices.
Demonstrated success building and scaling high-performing teams in dynamic environments.
Track record of delivering measurable improvements in quality, service levels, productivity, and operational efficiency.
Exceptional executive presence, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Experience with delegated underwriting authority and investor relationships.
Exposure across multiple lending channels (Retail, Wholesale, Correspondent, Consumer Direct).
Leadership experience in technology enablement, workflow automation, or digital transformation initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, or related field preferred
DE (Direct Endorsement) and/or SAR designation, where applicable.

Responsibilities

Set and execute a forward-looking underwriting vision aligned with corporate growth, risk tolerance, and long-term strategic priorities.
Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to enterprise decision-making and cross-functional strategic initiatives.
Lead transformation efforts that improve scalability, consistency, and operational resilience across all underwriting functions.
Champion continuous improvement through modernization of processes, tools, and operating models.
Build and evolve a high-performing underwriting organization capable of supporting multi-channel growth and changing market conditions.
Establish clear performance frameworks, KPIs, and accountability measures that drive quality, speed, and productivity.
Optimize organizational structure, capacity planning, and resource allocation to align with production demand and business priorities.
Drive operational excellence by improving cycle times, decision quality, and customer outcomes.
Cultivate a disciplined, enterprise-aligned credit culture that balances risk management with production and customer expectations.
Provide executive oversight of credit policy interpretation, exception management, and emerging risk trends.
Lead collaboration with Risk, Compliance, and Quality Control to proactively identify issues and implement sustainable solutions.
Ensure strong governance, transparency, and alignment with agency, investor, and regulatory expectations.
Oversee end-to-end underwriting execution across all products and channels, ensuring consistency and scalability.
Partner with Technology and Product teams to advance automation, decisioning tools, and workflow optimization.
Lead readiness and integration efforts for new products, investors, and strategic initiatives.
Continuously evaluate and improve underwriting processes to reduce friction and enhance throughput.
Develop and mentor senior underwriting leaders, building a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning across the organization.
Ensure alignment between performance management, incentives, and organizational objectives.
Promote engagement and professional development to retain top talent and strengthen organizational capability.
Drive strong, solution-oriented partnerships with Sales, Processing, Closing, Secondary Marketing, Product, and Technology teams.
Act as a key escalation point, resolving complex issues while balancing risk, service, and business needs.
Lead cross-functional initiatives that enhance the end-to-end loan lifecycle and improve organizational alignment.
Communicate underwriting performance, strategic priorities, and risk insights clearly to executive leadership.