Chief Operating Officer

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer
Location: Remote (in-office preferred - Meridian, ID)
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: VP of Underwriting, Operations Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time
Scope: Owns production operations end-to-end (origination, underwriting, fulfillment) and provides advisory input into servicing strategy. Servicing and secondary/capital markets operations are owned by their respective functions

Who We Are
Retail-focused independent mortgage bank (IMB) originating $2B+ in annual volume, with a growing servicing portfolio (~$400M UPB) and an all-agency (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA) approval footprint. The organization runs lean and flat by design — this hire replaces layers of middle management with one senior operator who can own credit risk, run people, and fix throughput directly.

Role Summary
This is a true COO-level mandate, distinct in scope and authority from a VP Operations role. The scope — credit risk ownership, direct agency relationships, systems/process strategy including AI implementation, and direct management of underwriting and operations leadership — calls for full executive-level authority and accountability.
The COO will work closely with the CEO, executive team, and department heads to enhance operational efficiency, improve service quality, and drive growth.

Key Responsibilities
1. Own credit risk policy and credit box strategy — author, defend, and evolve the credit box as an active policy owner.
2. Manage the VP of Underwriting and Operations Manager — set performance targets, build a culture of accountability, and coach and develop both leaders directly.
3. Own agency relationships and escalations — serve as the direct point of contact with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and VA on overlays, QC findings, and repurchase demands.
4. Own systems and process strategy for origination, including the AI implementation roadmap — set the strategy and priorities, drawing on vendors or a systems hire for technical execution.
5. Advise on servicing strategy from the production side — provide strategic input on how credit box and product-mix decisions affect MSR value and retention, keeping production operations as the core focus.
6. Retain hands-on fallback capability — step in personally to work a stuck file or a broken workflow when direct reports need support, reflecting a hands-on leadership style.

Required Qualifications - Priority Order
1. Deep credit risk expertise (highest priority)
• Has personally authored and defended credit box and credit policy design as a true policy owner, taking ownership of authorship rather than enforcement alone.
• Has personally negotiated with agencies on overlay treatment, QC escalations, or repurchase demands, leading these conversations directly rather than delegating them.
• Understands how credit decisions flow through to servicing and MSR performance.
2. Strong people management
• Has directly managed underwriting and operations leaders in a flat, accountability-heavy culture, maintaining a direct span of control rather than managing through layers of middle management.
• Sets clear targets, holds people to them, and coaches and develops direct reports.
• Steps in personally to work a file or a process when needed, balancing hands-on involvement with team autonomy so the team keeps moving rather than becoming dependent.
3. Deep agency knowledge
• Fluent in Fannie Mae DU, Freddie Mac LPA overlays, FHA TOTAL Scorecard, and VA automated underwriting.
• Understands how overlays get built into underwriting policy through direct, practical application, going beyond theoretical or classroom knowledge.
4. Retail fulfillment and throughput background
• Has personally owned pull-through rate, cycle time, and underwriter capacity planning as direct, individual KPIs, with hands-on accountability rather than secondhand oversight.
• Built this experience at a $1.5B–$5B retail-focused IMB, in an environment distinct from depository banking or correspondent-heavy lending models.
5. Compliance and audit experience
• Experience serving as a key point of contact through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac audits, from information requests through findings and remediation.
• Experience with Ginnie Mae oversight and audits, including the reporting and compliance expectations tied to Ginnie Mae issuer status.
• Extensive experience with compliance oversight more broadly, with a track record of building and maintaining a strong compliance posture across origination operations.

Preferred Qualifications (Additive Strengths)
• AI/automation implementation experience in origination — a strong plus, and equally well covered through a systems hire or vendor partnership.
• Direct servicing operations experience