Senior Paralegal - Director of Legal Operations

About Ascent

Ascent Developer Solutions is a leading private lending platform, serving real estate developers nationwide in the acquisition, renovation, and construction of residential real estate. Founded by a leadership team with a deep understanding and personal experience in virtually every facet of real estate development, Ascent is uniquely positioned to create custom, innovative lending solutions for a variety of real estate development business strategies.

The Role

We are seeking a self-starting, entrepreneurial senior paralegal to join our growing legal team. Working with the General Counsel and our small and mighty legal/compliance team, this role works with our loan operations and leadership teams to help us grow and scale our lending operations.

This role will focus strategically on the start-to-finish soup-to-nuts process of loan originations and documentation, including building out loan documentation workflows and controls, a QC function to ensure accurate loan documentation, technology integration with regard to loan documentation, and special assets functionality. As the ideal candidate, you'll have strong experience with real estate secured lending, proven leadership in legal and loan documentation operations, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

The Work

In this role, you'll roll up their sleeves to work on complex, nuanced issues and deals. We're a growing company so this is a hands-on position. Working with our General Counsel and loan operations team, you'll have a proactive and influential role in shaping our trajectory. This is an exciting segment of the real estate industry; people who love to create and deliver new and novel deals and have an ability to take on calculated risk tend to work best in this role. Our compliance needs will adapt as we continue to grow, so experience with the dynamics of a growth company is a plus.

• Review the end-to-end loan documentation process and help shape, refine, and scale an effective and efficient loan documentation process
• Build a legal QC function to ensure loan documentation is accurate prior to closing
• Build a joint function with operations to provide effective legal review and QC regarding operational and trust documentation
• Collaborate on technology utilization and implementation to gain efficiencies
• Draft, review, and negotiate NDAs as needed and build and maintain NDA repository
• Advise internal stakeholders on process flow efficiencies regarding title work and interaction with title companies
• Coordinate with operations colleagues, external counsel and title/escrow agents on closing logistics and creating a robust closing framework
• Review and analyze borrower entity documents, organizational charts, and SPE/separateness compliance and assist with processes for accurate signature blocks
• Analyze and maintain compliant special asset workflow; collaborate with leadership on default scenarios and workouts
• Develop and maintain a loan modification workflow with associated documents
• Provide guidance on state-specific legal requirements, lien priorities, and enforceability, including as it relates to enforcement matters
• Create and maintain legal documentation templates, checklists, and best practices (including proactive creation of job aids and guidance for the front line)
• Help maintain a team-oriented environment within the legal compliance team and in the company overall!

Your Skills and Experience

•  Paralegal Certificate.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in in real estate finance law, preferably with a lender, law firm, bank, debt fund, or institutional investor, to include 5+ years of leadership experience in legal operations.
• Track record in building strong and effective legal operations programs for companies on a growth trajectory
• Please highlight any experience with construction lending in your resume
• Effective communicator with the ability to engage stakeholders across departments and management levels.
• Comfort liaising with multiple departments and leading cross-functional teams on projects.