Loan Underwriting & Closing Manager

We are seeking an experienced Loan Underwriting & Closing Manager for a direct hire opportunity in Aliso Viejo, CA. This senior-level role is ideal for a private lending, hard money, bridge lending, commercial mortgage, or business-purpose real estate lending professional who can independently underwrite, structure, process, and close complex real estate loans. This position offers the opportunity to manage high-value transactions, protect investor capital, and play a key role in a fast-paced lending environment.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a professional, high-accountability setting where sound judgment, responsiveness, organization, and collaboration are essential to success. This is a strong opportunity for a decisive underwriting and closing leader who wants ownership of the full loan lifecycle and the ability to influence process improvement, deal quality, and funding efficiency.

• Underwrite borrowers, guarantors, collateral, liquidity, sources and uses, repayment ability, exit strategies, LTV, LTC, DSCR, and overall credit risk.
• Conduct borrower and guarantor interviews and assist with structuring loan amounts, pricing, terms, reserves, and risk protections.
• Manage the full closing process, including commitments, borrower packages, appraisals, title, escrow, insurance, legal documentation, and funding conditions.
• Review title, appraisals, loan documents, and entity structures to identify, resolve, and elevate potential risks.
• Maintain an accurate pipeline and CRM while providing timely status updates to brokers, borrowers, vendors, and internal teams.
• Mentor junior team members and support improvements to underwriting, processing, and closing procedures.

• Salary range: $120,000 to $140,000 per year.
• Job type:
  Direct hire.

• Manage business-purpose and investment-purpose real estate loans from initial request through funding.
• Underwrite, structure, process, and close complex private lending transactions.
• Support a high-volume pipeline with expected annual closed loan volume of approximately $150M.
• Help qualified transactions move quickly, including initial response or term sheet within approximately one business hour, launch within one business day, and closing in approximately 10 business days, subject to borrower and third‑party cooperation.
• 5 to 7+ years of experience in private money, hard money, bridge, commercial, or business-purpose mortgage lending.
• Proven experience underwriting and closing real estate loans of $2.5M+.
• Strong understanding of borrower and guarantor analysis, collateral review, liquidity, LTV, title, exit strategies, and income-property analysis.
• Knowledge of LLCs, LPs, trusts, syndications, and other complex ownership structures.
• Strong knowledge of loan documentation, title, escrow, appraisals, insurance, and real estate loan closing procedures.
• Ability to manage multimillion‑dollar transactions with minimal supervision while protecting investor capital.
• Proficiency with CRM and pipeline systems, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, PDF tools, and mortgage‑industry software.
• Excellent communication, organization, problem‑solving, decision‑making, and follow‑through skills.
• Decisive, analytical, trustworthy, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced lending environment.
• Knowledge of applicable business‑purpose lending and California compliance requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
• Experience mentoring junior underwriting, processing, or closing team members.
• Experience improving underwriting, closing, CRM, or pipeline management procedures.