Mortgage Senior Underwriter

Classification: Non-Exempt

Reports To: Mortgage Loan Underwriter Supervisor

Department: Mortgage Operations

Our Mission:

Community Bank partners with individuals, businesses, and communities to realize their dreams, protect their financial futures and improve their lives.

Our Core Values:

Taking Care of Each Other.
Always Doing the Right Thing.
Being a Great Teammate.
Working Hard to Achieve Our Goals.
Giving and Expecting Mutual Respect.
Enjoying Life Every Day.
Being Positive.
Having a Sense of Urgency.

Summary/Objective:

The Mortgage Senior Underwriter is responsible for assessing the creditworthiness of loan applicants and determining the risk associated with extending credit for conventional mortgage loans, home equity loans, and consumer personal loans. This involves analyzing financial information, such as income statements, tax returns, and credit reports, to evaluate the applicant's financial stability and repayment capacity, and make informed decisions on loan approvals or denials based on established lending criteria and policies, investor and risk guidelines, and regulatory requirements. The Senior Underwriter is critical to maintaining the Bank’s loan quality and portfolio performance while minimizing credit risk.

Essential Functions:

Underwrite Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Construction and Jumbo loans. Consumer products as needed
Review and analyze loan applications, credit reports, income documentation, asset statements, appraisals, and other relevant documents.
Make sound credit decisions based on borrower qualifications, collateral, and loan terms.
Ensure adherence to internal underwriting standards and investor guidelines.
Assess risk and recommend appropriate loan terms or conditions to mitigate exposure.
Maintain compliance with federal and state lending regulations.
Participate in quality control audits and respond to findings with corrective actions.
Work closely with loan officers, processors, and closing teams to facilitate timely and accurate loan decisions.
Provide guidance and support to internal team members and assist in training initiatives.
Serve as a subject matter expert, contributing to the overall quality and efficiency of the underwriting process.
Communicate underwriting decisions clearly and professionally to internal stakeholders.
Conduct final review and approval of loan files to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with underwriting guidelines.
Assign and manage online loan applications, ensuring timely processing and workload distribution across the underwriting team.
Monitor and maintain the consumer loan pipeline, ensuring consistent progress, timely decision-making, and adherence to service level agreements.
Contribute to the development and refinement of underwriting policies and procedures.
Identify and implement process improvements to enhance operational efficiencies and risk mitigation.
Comply with government, regulatory, and Bank policies and procedures.

Other Duties:

Initiate and manage the ordering of appraisals, flood certifications, and property reports to support loan processing requirements.
Investigate and resolve discrepancies or issues identified in property reports to ensure data integrity and loan eligibility.
Review appraisal and flood reports for accuracy and completeness, follow up with vendors as needed, and ensure timely delivery to appropriate parties.
Prepare and issue re-disclosure packages in accordance with regulatory requirements for home equity loan requests.
Draft and distribute Adverse Action Letters in compliance with applicable lending regulations and internal policies.
Digitally scan and archive loan files to maintain organized and secure documentation.
Provide backup support to other department members during absences to ensure continuity of operations and service levels.
Perform other duties assigned, in support of departmental goals and organizational priorities.

Education and Experience:

Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent required.
Minimum of ten years of experience in mortgage and consumer lending underwriting required.
FHA Direct Endorsement designation required
VA LAPP knowledge and experience required
Experience with Construction Lending preferred

Key Competencies:

Requisite – Requires advanced expertise, supported by advanced experience or technical training.
Authority – Operates within a well-defined framework, with decisions and actions guided by supervisory oversight and established protocols.
Analytical – Demands a high level of analytical skills, decisive thinking, and the ability to assess complex situations with confidence and precision.
Supervision – Operates in an independent capacity, focusing on executing assigned tasks without direct supervisory responsibilities. While collaboration with colleagues and departments is essential, the position does not involve overseeing staff or managing personnel.
Interpersonal Relations/Customer Service – Requires a balanced level of interpersonal proficiency, including effective communication, collaboration, and relationship-building. The role involves engaging with colleagues, vendors, and service partners in a professional manner, ensuring clear exchanges of information and fostering a cooperative work environment.
Ethics/Integrity – Possesses a comprehensive understanding of industry best practices, professional behaviors, and the applicable laws, rules, and regulations that govern ethical business conduct. Consistently upholds the highest standards of integrity, demonstrating unwavering commitment to fairness, compliance, and respect in all interactions. Fosters a workplace culture rooted in professionalism, accountability, and ethical decision-making.
Adaptability – Knowledge of successful approaches, tools, and techniques to seamlessly transition processes, optimize workflows, and foster resilience in evolving environments.
Productivity – Manages workload effectively, ensuring tasks are prioritized and executed with efficiency. Maintains a purposeful approach, consistently meeting goals and objectives while optimizing resources and time management.
Quality - Identifies opportunities for improvement and delivers high-quality outcomes within established deadlines.

Knowledge and Performance Expectations:

Strong knowledge of conventional and government mortgage, home equity, and consumer loan underwriting.
Proficient in automated underwriting systems, loan origination platforms, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Excellent analytical, decision-making, and critical thinking skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
High attention to detail.
Comfort with working in a dynamic environment where priorities can shift quickly.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues across various departments maintaining a professional demeanor.

Efficiently perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the position.
Consistently attend work, meetings, and required training or staff events.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

The work environment is typically a professional office setting within a financial institution, which may include branch locations, administrative offices, and client-facing areas. Employees are expected to maintain a high level of professionalism and confidentiality in accordance with banking regulations and company policies.

Work is generally performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment with standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, printers, and copiers.

Physical demands of the position may include, but are not limited to:

Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a workstation or services counter.
Manual dexterity and fine motor skills for operating computers, handling documents, and using standard office equipment.
Routine walking within the office or branch to attend meetings, assist clients, or perform job-related tasks.
Visual acuity to read printed materials, review electronic documents, and perform detailed work.
Auditory ability to regularly communicate effectively in person and over the phone.
Sustained concentration and attention to detail are critical for performing analytical tasks and ensuring accuracy.
Occasional physical movements such as standing, reaching, bending, and twisting may be necessary.
Light lifting, up to 10 pounds, may be required to transport files, office supplies, or small equipment.

Accommodation:

The work environment and physical demands described provide a detailed representation of what employees might encounter in the workplace while performing the essential duties of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Work Schedule and Availability:

The Bank maintains a standard 40-hour work week to ensure operational consistency and employee engagement. While some schedule flexibility is required based on location assignments, availability during core business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) is essential for supporting key functions.

Travel Requirements:

Periodic travel is required to other branch locations or offsite venues for training, meetings, or operational support. Travel is typically planned.

EEO Statement:

Community Bank is an equal employment opportunity employer.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Job Description Acknowledgement

I have received a copy of my job description for my position, Mortgage Senior Underwriter.

I have reviewed this job description, and I understand all my job duties and responsibilities. I can perform the essential functions as outlined. I understand that my job may change on a temporary or regular basis according to the needs of my department without it being specifically included in the job description. If I have any questions about the job duties not specified on this description that I am asked to perform, I should discuss them with my immediate supervisor or Human Resources. This job description supersedes any prior job description(s) for my position.

I have discussed any questions I may have had about this job description prior to signing this form.

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