Director of Lending

DIRECTOR of LENDING 

The position description is a guide to the critical duties and essential functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and revised to meet the changing needs of the organization at the sole discretion of management.

TITLE: Director of Lending 

DEPARTMENT: Lending 

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Lending and Servicing

FLSA: Exempt 

SALARY RANGE: $110k - $125k 

About the Center

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods (the “Center”) promotes and protects affordable homeownership in New York so that distressed homeowners and working-class families are able to build strong, thriving communities. Established by public and private partners, the Center meets the diverse needs of homeowners throughout New York State by offering free, high-quality housing services. The Center’s current projects support our policy goals and help to keep homeownership affordable by responding to the ongoing effects to avoid foreclosure, the rising cost of homeownership, predatory scams, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather. The Center, through its wholly-owned CDFI subsidiary, Sustainable Neighborhoods, LLC makes residential loans that other NYS licensed lenders are often unwilling or unable to originate to qualified individuals and families to support these goals.

The Center’s Lending team operates a statewide portfolio of low- and no-cost lending programs on behalf of vulnerable homeowners, particularly BIPOC and senior homeowners underserved by traditional credit providers and disproportionately affected by predatory scams. The organization’s programs are responsive to threats to homeownership caused by the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change. 

Position Summary 

The Director of Lending, reporting to the Vice President of Lending and Servicing, will be responsible for the successful operation of lending programs and a team of 13 staff. The Director of Lending must be a flexible, proactive, and initiative-taking professional with substantial experience in successfully facilitating the operation of residential lending programs and managing a team. The Director of Lending must also have a proven track record of playing an integral role in the implementation of systems, policies, and strategies on a departmental level. The Director of Lending will work with the senior management team in supporting existing lending programs. 

The Director of Lending will have a strong emphasis on staff development, including building strong managers within the team and providing training opportunities for the full team. The Director of Lending will also manage internal and external compliance and vendors and serve as the manager of all aspects of existing and new loan products and programs. 

Core responsibilities include:

• Provide oversight of loan intake, origination, processing, underwriting, closing and servicing activities;
• Collaborate with senior managers about staff hiring and personnel issues as needed;
• Track deliverables and prepare dashboards and reports for internal and external needs;
• Continuously improve policies and practices to meet program goals and deliverables and deliver positive outcomes for homeowners;
• Manage successful completion of state and federal compliance, licensing, reporting, and certification processes;
• Lead the implementation of new residential 1-4 family lending programs as opportunities arise or are presented;
• Manage procedures, loan documentation, and outreach materials for all lending programs to ensure continuity, transfer of knowledge, and accuracy;
• Learn from peer institutions and adopt best practices for lending operations;
• Identify areas for improvement and/or innovation pertaining to current lending operations;
• Management oversight of the lending team;
• Serve as BytePro Administrator.

Key responsibilities include:

• Directly supervise the lending team staff.
• Provide oversight, direction, and support to the underwriting team while adhering to loan origination - underwriting compliance barriers.
• Supervise all application and lending compliance activities of internal staff and managers.
• Manage implementation and updates of loan program and loan product policies and procedures. 
• Manage any outside consultants and third-party vendors providing online application, underwriting, loan closing, and other program services.
• Responsible for quality control of the lending programs.
• Lead and support LOS platform updates and LOS administration.
• Lead efforts to secure a new LOS system that better supports the loan origination process and is compatible with the other related technology used throughout the agency. 
• Assist the Vice President with the application and activation of secondary market outlets for loan products as needed.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred;
• Minimum five (5) years of verifiable experience in the business of making residential mortgage loans and credit evaluation experience, or equivalent educational or work experience;
• Possess qualifications of at least 5 years underwriting experience and clearance of personal and financial questionnaire, and willing to immediately submit an application to request approval to become a Qualified Individual for NYS Department of Financial Services;
• Preferred to currently possess or have the qualifications and ability to immediately apply for a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) license;
• Significant (at least three years) staff management and supervisory responsibilities and a proven ability to lead;
• Experience working with origination and/or servicing CRMs;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated success in innovative leadership, project planning and implementation, problem-solving, judgment, and decision‐making;
• Understanding of various alternative loan and grant funds preferred;
• Familiarity with issues related to foreclosure and the subprime/credit crisis;
• An energetic and flexible team player;
• Experience with Google and Microsoft Office suites required. Experience with Salesforce.com or other CRM platform preferred;
• Demonstrate Ownership by showing initiative, acting conscientiously, and putting team results above individual accomplishments;
• Demonstrate a Growth Mindset through resilience, engaging in expansive thinking, and showing curiosity; 
• Works collaboratively by demonstrating the ability to work in teams, exhibiting emotional intelligence, and having positive energy.

Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package.