Senior Mortgage Underwriter

Hancock Whitney; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Hancock Whitney in New Orleans seeks a Senior Mortgage Underwriter to evaluate and approve or deny mortgage loans, ensuring completeness and compliance with loan product guidelines.

The role underwrites FHA, VA, RD, and portfolio loans, reviews appraisals, income, and credit, and ensures regulatory adherence. Strong analytical skills and attention to detail are essential; travel may be required in some cases.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2+ years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• An FHA DE designation is required and a VA LAP designation is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Underwrites conventional FHA, VA, RD, and portfolio loans.
• Ensures appraisals meet investor and bank requirements with reasonable, well-supported value.
• Reviews employment, income, and asset documents for accuracy and compliance.
• Assesses credit history and scores to meet investor requirements.
• Checks documents for potential fraud or regulatory compliance issues.
• Assembles loan documents and maintains loan files and databases.
• Coordinates approval requirements with originators, processors, closers, Realtors, builders, and others.
• Participates in second review committee for denied loans.

Skills

Mortgage underwriting

Regulatory compliance

Credit analysis

Documentation review

Attention to detail

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

FHA DE designation

VA LAP designation (preferred)

Tools

Loan origination system

Job description

JOB FUNCTION / SUMMARY:

The Senior Mortgage Underwriter approves or denies mortgage loans; reviews mortgage loan applications for completeness to ensure that it meets the guidelines for loan product requested and ensures file complies with regulatory and legal guidelines.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Underwrites conventional Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Veterans Affairs (VA), Rural Housing Development (RD), and portfolio loans.
• Ensures that appraisals meet investor and bank requirements and that the value conclusion is reasonable and well supported.
• Reviews all employment, income, and asset documentation to ensure that it is accurate and satisfies investor requirements.
• Reviews credit history and scores to ensure the borrower's credit meets the investor requirements.
• Reviews all documents and information for potential fraud or misrepresentation and for regulatory compliance.
• Reviews and evaluates information on mortgage loan documents to determine if buyer, property, and loan conditions meet establishment and government standards.
• Evaluates acceptability of loan to corporations that buy real estate loans on secondary mortgage markets, where existing mortgages are bought and sold by investors.
• Approves or rejects loan application, or requests additional information.
• Records loan rejections, specifying investor and institution guidelines and basis for declining application, such as insufficient cash reserves.
• Determines terms and acceptability of risk of prospective business.
• Sets prices for prospective mortgage loan applicants.
• Approves or rejects loan application, or requests additional information.
• Assembles documents in loan files, including acceptance or denial, and returns files to originating mortgage loan office. Maintains database on new and existing business.
• Manages and utilizes systems to ensure they accurately reflect the loan request and information (current loan origination system and other investor conduit systems, etc.).
• Communicates and coordinates necessary approval requirements and files status with appropriate persons (originator, processor, closers, Realtors, builders, etc.).
• Participates in implementing second review committee for denied loans.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE:

• 6+ years' experience preferred
• Bachelor's degree and 2+ years related experience and/or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
  • An FHA DE designation is required and a VA LAP designation is preferred.

ESSENTIAL MENTAL & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel if required to perform the essential job functions.
• Ability to work under stress and meet deadlines.
• Ability to operate related equipment to perform the essential job functions.
• Ability to read and interpret a document if required to perform the essential job functions.
• Ability to lift/move/carry approximately 10 pounds if required to perform the essential job functions. If the employee is unable to lift/move/carry this weight and can be accommodated without causing the department/division an "undue hardship" then the employee must be accommodated; hence omitting lifting/moving/carrying as a physical requirement.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, physical or mental disability or history of disability, genetic information, status as a protected veteran, disabled veteran, or other protected characteristics as required by federal, state and local laws.