Vice President of Mortgage Risk Leadership and Transformation

Morgan Stanley•New York, NY

About The Position

This role is within Firm Risk Management's Collateral Valuation team, supporting Residential Mortgage under Credit Risk Management, Wealth Management. The team is responsible for requesting and reviewing residential appraisals for the Firm's lending platform, collaborating with the mortgage business to provide timely, high-quality valuation services. The position is part of the Direct Engagement function, contributing to daily operational responsibilities while also supporting an initiative to expand the team's scope, including developing a new sub-team and enhancing engagement with individual appraisers. The Property Valuation Direct Engagement team focuses on identifying and engaging qualified appraisers in areas with capacity challenges and maintaining a Morgan Stanley-approved fee appraiser panel. The firm seeks an experienced, values-driven leader with a proven track record in leading people, making sound judgments under pressure, and delivering results with integrity. Officers are expected to communicate clearly, address issues directly, set high performance standards, and treat people with fairness and respect. They build trust through consistency, foster environments for ownership, and develop others through honest feedback and coaching. They make principled decisions in complex situations, remain steady through change, and understand that leadership is measured by outcomes and how they are achieved. This role is not suitable for individuals seeking a title without true leadership responsibility, those who avoid difficult conversations, or leaders who rely solely on positional authority. It is also not a fit for candidates who prefer ambiguity over accountability, defer hard decisions, or prioritize personal comfort over business and team needs. The role requires demonstrated experience leading people, owning outcomes, and operating with consistency, integrity, and sound judgment.

Requirements

College degrees in related field or equivalent experience required
Client experience is core to the team's work so must be constructive and solution oriented
Proven people management experience (approx. 10 years)
Experience managing through change, including process redesign, automation, vendor shifts, or regulatory updates
Strong judgment in escalation management, balancing risk awareness with pragmatic decision making, while working autonomously
Clear, confident communicator capable of engaging senior leaders as well as frontline staff
Ability to distill complex appraisal or valuation issues into concise, decision oriented messaging
Strong written skills for policies, procedures, executive summaries, and issue remediation documentation
Skilled in Microsoft Office programs, especially creating engaging PowerPoint presentations

Nice To Haves

Knowledge/experience in the real estate valuation space

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and oversight for the Direct Engagement team, including day to day workflow management and operational execution
Manage relationships with individual appraisers to support timely and high quality appraisal completion
Support the implementation of senior leadership's strategic direction through clear processes and consistent execution
Establish and monitor key performance indicators to improve turnaround times and operational outcomes
Serve as a liaison between associates and senior stakeholders, translating strategic priorities into clear, actionable guidance
Support the department in navigating organizational change through clear communication and staff alignment
Review current processes to identify gaps, reduce silos, and improve efficiency through collaboration
Simplify and enhance workflows by implementing scalable, sustainable process improvements
Mentor team members to support performance, development, and engagement
Optimize resource allocation to align capacity with business needs
Apply sound judgment and a forward looking approach to drive positive, risk aware outcomes