Underwriting Manager, Residential Mortgage

North American Savings Bank • Kansas City, MO

6h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Underwriting Manager is responsible for leading and developing the residential mortgage underwriting function, including both credit and collateral underwriting teams. This role ensures consistent credit decisioning, superior service levels, underwriting quality, and compliance with NASB portfolio, agency, investor, and regulatory requirements. The Underwriting Manager oversees workflow distribution, underwriting capacity, productivity, and quality metrics while supporting the organization's growth objectives and customer experience standards.

This position provides leadership, coaching, and performance management for on-site and remote underwriting staff, fostering a culture of accountability, sound judgment, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Underwriting Manager serves as a key resource for complex credit scenarios, guideline interpretation, exception management, and risk assessment, partnering closely with Sales, Processing, Closing, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Secondary Marketing, and executive leadership to ensure consistent underwriting practices and timely loan decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance or related field preferred or equivalent years of experience.
• Minimum 10+ years of underwriting experience.
• Prior team lead or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of the mortgage loan lifecycle, documentation, disclosures, and closing requirements.
• Good communication, attention to detail, analytical, computer skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and teams in a high-volume environment.
• Proficiency in mortgage LOS systems (e.g., Encompass), Microsoft Excel, and reporting tools.
• Proficiency in mortgage LOS systems (e.g., Encompass), Microsoft Excel, and reporting tools.
• Ability to calculate all income types.
• Knowledge of FHLMC & FNMA guidelines and regulations governing mortgage lending and servicing
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and coaching abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all underwriting functions, ensuring consistent credit decisions, high-quality loan production, and compliance with NASB portfolio, agency, investor, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain expert knowledge of all NASB mortgage products and underwriting guidelines, including portfolio, conventional, government, and specialized lending programs, while ensuring underwriting practices remain aligned with current market and regulatory expectations.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management to underwriting staff, fostering a culture of accountability, sound judgment, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with the VP - Mortgage Operation Manager to identify opportunities for process improvements, standardization, recommend staffing or workflow adjustments within Underwriting workflows.
• Ensure underwriting decisions meets established credit quality standards while balancing customer experience, production goals, risk management objectives, and investor requirements.
• Partner with Sales, Processing, Closing, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Secondary Marketing, and Executive Management to resolve complex loan scenarios and maintain consistency in credit decisioning.
• Monitor underwriting productivity, workflow distribution, turn times, capacity, and service-level commitments to ensure departmental objectives are achieved.
• Serve as a member of the Residential Lending Risk Committee and participate in strategic initiatives related to loan quality, credit risk, operational efficiency, and portfolio performance.
• Analyze quality control findings, investor reviews, audit results, repurchase activity, delinquency trends, and early payment default data to identify opportunities for process improvements and risk mitigation.
• Recommend enhancements to underwriting policies, procedures, credit standards, and controls based on portfolio performance, market conditions, regulatory developments, and emerging risk trends.
• Ensure timely implementation, communication, and training related to agency, investor, regulatory, and internal policy changes across the underwriting function.
• Oversee third-party underwriting resources and vendor relationships to ensure production, quality, compliance, and service expectations are met.
• Develop and maintain underwriting training, onboarding, and professional development programs to strengthen technical expertise, support employee growth, and build a sustainable talent pipeline.
• Partner with Training and Development, Quality Assurance, and Operational Leadership to identify knowledge gaps and implement targeted training initiatives that improve underwriting quality and consistency.
• Utilize underwriting, quality-control, and operational performance metrics to identify trends, improve loan quality, reduce defects, and enhance overall underwriting effectiveness.
• Support internal and external audits, investor reviews, and regulatory examinations, including participation in discussions with bank regulators and examiners as required.
• Provide subject matter expertise and leadership regarding credit risk, guideline interpretation, underwriting exceptions, and loan quality initiatives across Residential Lending.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, and vision coverage)
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 50% employer match on the first 6% of your contribution
• Generous paid time off (PTO) including 11 holidays, your birthday, and volunteer time
• Exclusive mortgage and banking benefits.
• Employee referral bonuses
• Internal training and development programs to help reach your career goals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Associate degree