Group Manager, Originations (CA)

Group Manager, Originations

The Group Manager, Originations is a senior operations leader responsible for the end-to-end management and continuous improvement of origination operations, including Underwriting and Funding/Booking. This position provides leadership and oversight for the Underwriting Manager and Funding Supervisor, ensuring fast, consistent, compliant, and dealer-friendly execution from application through booking. This position will be responsible for managing a team of up to 20 Underwriters, Loan Processors, Managers and Supervisors.

Position reports to Vice President of Operations or Chief Operating Officer.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management across Underwriting and Funding teams.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Originations leadership team; set clear expectations and drive accountability.
• Create a collaborative, high-performance culture with an obsession for high quality dealer service.

Operational Oversight (Underwriting & Funding)

• Manage the daily operating rhythm for Originations, including queue management, workflow distribution, and escalation paths.
• Establish and maintain Decision Turn Time and Funding Turnaround SLAs; monitor performance and take corrective actions.
• Ensure underwriting and funding activities are executed consistently and aligned to policies, procedures, and lending guidelines.

Credit Strategy Execution & Exception Governance

• Partner with senior leadership and stakeholders to operationalize credit strategies, underwriting standards, and loan program rules.
• Own the exception and escalation framework (approval authorities, documentation standards, and decision rationale expectations).
• Ensure underwriting decisions are supported by thorough due diligence analysis and clear audit trails.

Dealer relationships

• Support sales department and Sales Managers in their effort to build relationships with the Kawasaki Dealer Partners.
• Interact with finance managers and dealer principals on individual deals to find common ground on exception requests.
• Build, maintain and nurture relationships with dealer partners to build their confidence in our finance programs.

Funding, Booking & Documentation Quality

• Oversee funding and booking to ensure timely, accurate disbursement of funds and clean loan setup.
• Ensure documentation completeness and compliance prior to funding; drive strong file quality and minimize rework/defects.
• Oversee collateral and supporting documentation review expectations to support collateral perfection readiness (as applicable).

Controls, Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Ensure Originations processes comply with regulatory requirements and internal policies; maintain strong internal controls.
• Oversee audit readiness for underwriting and funding files through proactive reviews and issue remediation.
• Identify operational risks and implement corrective actions to prevent repeat issues.

Reporting, Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Define, track, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) for Originations (e.g., turn times, approval rates, defect/rework rates, dealer satisfaction drivers).
• Lead identification of process improvements and ensure consistent adoption of best practices across Underwriting and Funding.
• Prepare and present performance reporting, trend analysis, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Systems & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Oversee effective use of the Loan Origination System (LOS) and related tools; partner on workflow design, enhancements, training, and adoption.
• Collaborate with Sales, Compliance, Finance, and Servicing to ensure seamless handoffs from booking into servicing while keeping servicing execution out of scope.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex dealer, credit, or operational issues requiring judgment and cross-department coordination.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or a related field preferred; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in retail finance originations and/or credit operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing managers or team leads.
• Strong understanding of underwriting operations,…