Real Estate Lending Manager

Title

Real Estate Lending Manager

Billion-dollar credit union serving nearly 80,000 members throughout California's beautiful Central Valley is looking to expand their team. For over 75 years we have been providing superior service for our members and community. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative we believe in banking with a purpose and therefore annually return millions of dollars to our members in the form of better rates, lower fees, and access to fair credit.

We pride ourselves in helping our members achieve their financial dreams. At the end of the day, we are optimists, partnering with our members and community to empower a brighter future. Together, we are doing great things for the community we call home.

Reporting to the Vice President of Consumer Lending and Member Solutions, the Real Estate Lending Manager is responsible for the end-to-end leadership of the organization's real estate lending operations. This includes first mortgage and home equity origination, underwriting, secondary market execution, and correspondent and wholesale channel management. The manager holds loan approval authority within established credit parameters and is accountable for the performance, compliance, and member service quality of the real estate lending department.

A central part of this role is the hands‑on support and day-to-day direction of the real estate lending team, ensuring staff are equipped, coached, and held to clear performance standards – including KPI expectations.

This role directly supervises a team of Mortgage Loan Officers, Real Estate Loan Processors and Underwriters and is accountable for the team's performance, workflow management, and adherence to regulatory and institutional standards. The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge of real estate underwriting and documentation with strong operational leadership capabilities.

• Oversee the full real estate lending operations lifecycle – origination, underwriting, processing, closing, post‑closing, and secondary market delivery – ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance at every stage.
• Establish and manage secondary market relationships, including direct loan delivery to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; maintain working knowledge of Agency selling guides, eligibility requirements, and investor delivery standards.
• Build and manage correspondent and wholesale lending channel relationships and assist in evaluating and executing loan participation and loan purchase opportunities, including due diligence and ongoing oversight.
• Underwrite and approve real estate loan requests - including first mortgages, home equity loans, and loans for ITIN borrowers - in accordance with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and internal credit guidelines, exercising delegated approval authority within established parameters.
• Manage all third‑party vendor relationships supporting the real estate lending function, including the Loan Origination System (LOS), Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), contract underwriters, and loan servicers; monitor performance, service levels, and compliance obligations.
• Own pre‑ and post‑closing audit processes – identify, clear, and resolve findings in a timely manner; serve as the department's primary liaison for regulatory examinations and investor audits, with experience interfacing with regulators considered a strong plus.
• Develop, implement, and maintain written policies, procedures, and SOPs for all real estate lending functions; revise as regulatory requirements, Agency guidelines, or internal practices change.
• Monitor department performance against established KPIs and production goals; analyze results, identify gaps, and take corrective action to ensure the team meets or exceeds targets.
• Onboard, mentor, and coach real estate lending staff and new hires; provide ongoing performance feedback and foster a culture of accountability, member service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and expand first mortgage originations, developing strategies to grow application volume, improve pull‑through rates, and ensure a consistent, high‑quality member experience from application through…