Manager, Servicing Operations

Ascent is a leading provider of innovative financial products and student support services that enable more students to access education and achieve academic and economic success. Everything Ascent offers is designed with the best-in-class teams and technology to increase every student's ability to plan, pay, and succeed in their education and career. Ascent's planning tools and financing resources are co-created by students for those in college, graduate school, and career training programs.

Ascent offers financial wellness education, student success services, and one-on-one and digital career coaching that put students' academic and professional goals within reach. Ascent has been widely recognized for its strong culture – named “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal for the past 5 years – and as an industry leader – named “Best Student Loan” by Nerd Wallet for the past 3 years.

The Manager, Servicing Operations will oversee the day-to-day performance and oversite of Ascent's loan servicing portfolio, serving as the primary operational liaison with Launch Servicing and other third-party vendors. This hands-on leadership role requires a blend of analytical rigor, vendor management expertise, and a passion for improving the borrower journey — with a focus on reducing delinquencies, increasing ACH enrollment, and leveraging AI and automation to drive scalable performance improvements.

In This Role, You Will:

Portfolio Performance & Analytics

• Monitor and analyze portfolio performance metrics (delinquency, cure rates, roll rates, ACH enrollment, borrower satisfaction), develop data-driven strategies to reduce delinquencies through proactive outreach and loss mitigation programs, and deliver regular performance insights to senior leadership and investor stakeholders.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Serve as the primary operational contact for Launch Servicing and other third-party vendors, ensuring SLAs are met, conducting regular business reviews and scorecard tracking. Coordinate implementation of operational enhancements and ensure new programs are set up in a timely manner.

ACH & Payment Optimization

• Design and implement strategies to increase ACH enrollment and on-time payment rates by optimizing payment workflows, borrower communication cadences, and incentive structures in partnership with Launch Servicing and internal teams.

Borrower Experience

• Drive continuous improvement of the end-to-end borrower servicing experience by overseeing communication strategies, monitoring borrower feedback and complaint trends, and ensuring all processes meet regulatory requirements and align with Ascent's mission.

AI, Technology & Process Improvement

• Identify and champion opportunities to leverage AI, automation, and emerging technology to drive operational efficiency, scalability, and cost-effective growth.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Credit & Analytics, Compliance, Finance, Product, and Treasury teams to ensure operational alignment, support audit and investor reporting requirements, and oversee the deployment of new products and servicing programs with vendors.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in consumer lending, student lending, loan servicing, or financial services
• 2+ years in a management or team leadership capacity
• Demonstrated experience managing third-party vendors/servicers, including SLA management and performance monitoring
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable strategies
• Experience with or strong interest in leveraging AI and automation to improve operations
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build productive relationships across teams and partners

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with student loan servicing operations or education finance
• Familiarity with loan servicing platforms (e.g., Launch Servicing System)
• Experience with delinquency management vendors or early-stage collections
• Background in call center or contact center management
• MBA or advanced degree

Qualities We Look For:

• Strategic thinker with a drive for operational…