Chief Operating Officer, Federal Servicing

MOHELA; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

MOHELA invites a dynamic executive to join as Chief Operating Officer, Federal Servicing, reporting to the CEO and guiding strategic and operational management of federal contract service levels, financial performance, and daily operations. The COO will lead a seasoned team, drive efficiency, and strengthen customer satisfaction within a people-centered culture.

The role emphasizes partnerships with regulators, customers, and stakeholders, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, fostering risk

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, management, finance, or a related field; a master's degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in a senior management role, preferably in student loan servicing or banking.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing compliant operational policies that drive growth and profitability.
• Requires 6C personnel security screening per ED policy; ability to submit within 14 days of offer.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic objectives for MOHELA Federal priorities with timelines and measurable goals, outputs, and outcomes.
• Develop and implement operational policies and procedures that align with MOHELA's strategic goals, objectives, and values.
• Deploy and promote policies to strengthen customer relations and focus employees on achieving the customer's mission.
• Partner with federal, state, and local entities to respond to audits in collaboration with Legal, IT, Compliance, and Government Relations.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to student loan servicing.
• Oversee the work of operational departments including contact centers, loan servicing, and federal financial processing.
• Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders including Board Members, customers, education partners, and regulators.
• Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate operational risks.
• Monitor and analyze key performance statistics to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Ensure the organization operates efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner.
• Manage budgets and resources to ensure efficient use.
• Foster a positive, inclusive work environment and promote teamwork and continuous improvement.
• Provide regular reports to the CEO and executive team on status of operations and KPIs.
• Align employee performance plans with MOHELA's mission and goals.
• Promote transparency in decision-making and processes.
• Leverage technology to create integrated systems for better decision-making.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Policy development

Risk management

Communication

Team leadership

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration/related field

Master's degree preferred

Job description

MOHELA has an amazing opportunity available to the right candidate to help lead and guide our strategic plan as our next Chief Operating Officer, Federal Servicing. This is an opportunity to join our senior leadership team and a growing workforce of almost 2,000 employees. We have been voted as a top-rated workplace by USA Today and we are seeking a dynamic leader to join our team. We are looking for someone with a track record of proven success in a senior leadership role preferably in the student loan industry. This individual must be a problem solver and work with a sense of urgency in our people-oriented culture.

Position Overview:

The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for strategic and operational management of federal contract service levels, financial performance, and daily operations to ensure service requirements are consistently achieved. Develop strong partnerships with key customer staff, regulators, and stakeholders to promote trust and proactive conflict resolution. The COO leads a team of experienced professionals to be productive and efficient focusing on organizational effectiveness, development, change management, and employee engagement to strengthen employee commitment to their work, mission, and goals. The COO works closely with MOHELA’s CEO and executive team to develop and implement business strategies to drive growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop strategic objectives for MOHELA Federal priorities with timelines and measurable goals, outputs, and outcomes.
• Develop and implement operational policies and procedures that align with MOHELA's overall strategic goals, objectives, and values.
• Deploy and promote specific and effective policies and practices to strengthen customer relations and focus employees on achieving the customer’s mission and goals.
• Effectively partner with federal, state, and local entities to respond to audit and servicing inquiries in collaboration with MOHELA’s Legal, Information Technology, Compliance, and Government Relations departments.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to student loan servicing.
• Manage and oversee the work of various operational departments, including contact centers, loan servicing, and federal financial processing.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including Board Members, customers, education, and government business partners and regulators.
• Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate operational risks.
• Monitor and analyze key performance statistics to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Ensure that all operational activities are carried out efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner.
• Manage the budget and resources allocated to the operational departments to ensure that they are used effectively and efficiently.
• Develop and maintain a positive and productive highly inclusive work environment that fosters teamwork, collaboration, continuous improvement and ensures team members can thrive and that organizational goals are met.
• Provide regular reports to the CEO and other members of the executive team on the status of operational activities, key performance statistics, and other relevant metrics.
• Ensure employee performance plans are aligned with the MOHELA mission, goals, and strategic objectives, that employees receive constructive feedback, and that employees are realistically appraised and held accountable against performance standards that are clearly defined and communicated. Seek and consider employee input.
• Promote transparency in decision-making, processes, and outcomes.
• Leverage technological resources to develop open, common, and integrated systems that enhance processes, increase productivity, improve quality, and result in successful decision-making for federal services.
• Assess, analyze, and acquire resources in a manner that fulfills fiduciary responsibility, protects privacy, upholds cybersecurity, reduces administrative costs, and facilitates improved service for federal services.
• Must live in Missouri and/or be willing to travel 30-40% of the time to our headquarters in Chesterfield.
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, management, finance, or a related field. A master's degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in a senior management role, preferably in student loan servicing or banking.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing compliant operational policies and procedures that drive growth and profitability.
• This position requires (6C) personnel security screening in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) policy regarding the personnel security screening requirements for all contractor and subcontractor employees. A qualified applicant must successfully submit for personnel security screening within 14 calendar days from employment offer.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations related to student loan servicing.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, industry leaders, including federal employees serving the customer, regulators, internal stakeholders, and State of Missouri officials.
• Strong financial acumen including successful experience budgeting operations and personnel.
• Strategic planning and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Proven track record of managing and leading high-performing teams.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.