Senior Operations Manager, Servicing & Collections

About the role

This role focuses on the strategic leadership and execution of mortgage loan servicing and collections. The manager will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of servicing operations, including payment processing, escrow management, and customer service, while also developing and implementing collection strategies to manage delinquent accounts and maximize recoveries. A key part of the job is balancing customer service with recovery objectives.

The position requires ensuring strict adherence to federal, state, and local regulations governing mortgage servicing and collections, including guidelines from agencies like the CFPB and FDCPA. The manager will also lead and mentor a team, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and accountability. This involves monitoring key performance indicators and analyzing data to drive operational enhancements.

Success in this role means collaborating effectively with underwriting, risk management, and legal teams to resolve issues and maintain seamless operations. The manager will identify and mitigate risks related to loan servicing and collections, and define policies to create a customer-centric collections model. They will also contribute to the Lending Operations and Servicing Leadership team, aligning strategies across the organization.

The annual salary for this position is between $122,100 and $146,520 USD.

Skills that matter here

• leadership: Required for leading and mentoring a high-performing team in servicing and collections, fostering excellence and accountability.
• data analysis: Used to monitor KPIs, identify trends, inform decision-making, and drive operational improvements.
• compliance: Essential for ensuring adherence to all federal, state, and local regulations governing mortgage servicing and collections.
• process improvement: Needed to identify initiatives and enhance technology, systems, and policies for better service and employee retention.
• vendor management: Involves managing third-party service providers and reconciling vendor reports for data accuracy.
• strategic planning: Necessary for developing and executing the vision for mortgage loan servicing and collections, aligning with corporate goals.

Who this role suits

• A person who thrives on developing and implementing strategic visions for complex financial operations.
• Someone with a strong commitment to regulatory compliance and risk mitigation in a highly regulated industry.
• An individual who excels at mentoring teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• A leader who can effectively collaborate across different departments and manage external vendor relationships.

From the employer

What You’ll Do

• Develop and execute the strategic vision for mortgage loan servicing and collections, ensuring alignment with corporate goals and market trends.
• Manage mortgage servicing operations, including payment processing, escrow, complaint management, account maintenance, customer service, and collections efforts for delinquent accounts.
• Design and implement effective collections strategies and processes that balance customer service with recovery objectives, aiming to reduce delinquency rates, delinquency roll rates and maximize recoveries.
• Ensure adherence to all applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing mortgage servicing and collections, including compliance with guidelines from agencies such as the CFPB and FDCPA.
• Team Development and Results Accountability: Lead, mentor, and build a high-performing team, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement in both servicing and collections.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and conduct data analysis to identify trends, inform decision-making, and drive operational improvements in servicing and collections.
• Collaborate with underwriting, risk management, and legal teams to ensure seamless operations and effective resolution of servicing and collections issues.
• Identify and assess risks related to loan servicing and collections; develop strategies to mitigate these risks and enhance operational resilience.
• Define and execute policies and procedures to facilitate an enthusiastic, holistic, and effective collections model with a customer-centric approach.
• Identify initiatives and improvements in technology, systems, and policies to enhance service and employee retention; work collaboratively across functions to design and implement initiatives.
• Proactively evolve culture through providing feedback, ongoing monitoring, and coaching to develop highly effective team.
• Participate as a member of the Lending Operations and Servicing Leadership team; partner with other key stakeholders to champion, develop, and communicate a consistent strategic platform, mission, and purpose for the organization.
• Partner, communicate, and facilitate collaborative interactions with peer organizations to ensure objectives, tactics, and long-term strategies are aligned and executed appropriately to achieve business goals.
• Manage the reconciliation of vendor reports for data inaccuracies or discrepancies. Support data alignment initiatives and data validation with our vendors for the servicing portfolio.
• Support leadership team in systems / operations processes, customer relations & issue resolution, if escalation required.

What We Look For

• Minimum of ten (10) years in the financial service / consumer lending industry (preferably mortgage or HELOC experience).
• Minimum of five (5) years in a leadership position in at least two of the following areas (Collections/Recovery, servicing administration/Operations).
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in service operations strategies, strategic planning, principle and execution.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret and manage data and develop executive summary reports and conduct presentations.
• Develop, implement and monitor performance KPIs, SLAs and vendor performance metrics.
• Familiarity with Federal, State and Local regulations as it pertains to the Loan Origination, Servicing and Collections.
• Leadership skills with strong interpersonal skills including coaching staff and handling conflict resolution, implementing initiatives or projects, and collaborating with other professional and non-clinical staff required.
• Demonstrated financial analysis with basic accounting principles required.
• Process improvement skills.
• Ability to evaluate activities and support related corporate strategies.
• Communication, analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to comprehend and suggest modifications to technical computerized systems.
• Strategic thinker with strong hands-on leadership skills with the ability to influence and persuade others across organizational boundaries.
• Experience managing a geographically dispersed workforce.
• Proven experience managing third-party service providers/vendor management.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

What Would Be a Plus

• Collection and Default Management improvement strategies.
• Valid NMLS License and/or the ability to obtain state-specific required servicing and collections licenses in all 50 states within 180 days of employment.
• Experience with operating and working with various lending (Loan Originations and Servicing) systems.
• Experience with automated dialer platform/systems and the associated data structures.
• Experience working in a start-up and/or consulting environment.
• Experience using Notion and Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides).