Loan Exception Desk

About the Role

Acra Lending offers employees the opportunity to work with great people and celebrate several events throughout the year, including raffles and giveaways. We are committed to giving back to our community and fostering a collaborative work environment. Our headquarters are located on a beautiful campus in Irvine, California, and employees working from this office receive a free gym membership.

The Loan Exception Desk oversees the review, analysis, and approval recommendation process for mortgage loan exception requests within the Company's Non-QM lending platform. This role serves as a key risk management function, balancing loan production objectives with portfolio performance, investor guidelines, and regulatory requirements. It requires strong credit judgment, deep knowledge of Non-QM lending, and the ability to structure solutions that support responsible lending while maintaining acceptable risk levels.

Responsibilities

• Credit Risk Management
  • Review and evaluate loan exception requests outside published underwriting guidelines.
  • Assess borrower creditworthiness using compensating factors and holistic credit analysis.
  • Evaluate credit, income, asset, collateral, occupancy, reserve, and documentation exceptions.
  • Make approval, decline, or modification recommendations based on risk-adjusted decision-making.
  • Establish consistent risk assessment methodologies across loan programs.
  • Ensure exception decisions align with company risk appetite and portfolio objectives.
• Loan Review and Structuring
  • Analyze complex borrower scenarios, including:
    • Bank statement loans
    • DSCR loans
    • Asset utilization loans
    • Foreign national loans
    • ITIN loans
    • Jumbo Non-QM transactions
    • Investor property financing
  • Develop alternative structures to mitigate identified risks.
  • Collaborate with underwriting and sales teams to create viable lending solutions.
• Policy Governance
  • Maintain oversight of underwriting guideline exceptions.
  • Identify emerging risk trends and recommend policy revisions.
  • Monitor exception volume, approval rates, and loan performance.
  • Participate in credit policy committee meetings.
  • Maintain detailed records supporting all exception decisions.
• Leadership and Collaboration
  • Manage and develop a team of exception analysts and senior underwriters.
  • Provide guidance on complex credit scenarios.
  • Partner with:
    • Underwriting
    • Sales
    • Capital Markets
    • Secondary Marketing
    • Compliance
    • Quality Control
    • Servicing
  • Act as final escalation point for complex exception requests.
• Reporting and Analytics
  • Produce and analyze exception tracking reports.
  • Monitor performance of approved exceptions against portfolio expectations.
  • Present exception trends and risk analyses to executive management.
  • Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for exception management.
• Compliance and Audit Support
  • Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state mortgage lending regulations.
  • Support internal and external audits.
  • Maintain documentation supporting exception rationale and approvals.
  • Assist in preparation for investor, warehouse lender, and regulatory reviews.

Requirements

• DE, SAR, or equivalent mortgage underwriting certifications.
• Experience working with private-label securitizations and institutional investors.
• Background in portfolio lending or non-agency credit risk management.
• Experience establishing and maintaining a formal exception approval framework.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field.
• 8+ years of mortgage underwriting, credit risk, or lending experience.
• 5+ years of Non-QM mortgage experience.
• 3+ years of management or leadership experience.
• Significant experience with delegated authority and credit exception approvals.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Wellness programs and EAP counseling services.
• FSA & HSA options.
• Company-sponsored life insurance for employees.
• Voluntary life insurance for employees, spouses, and children.
• AD&D Insurance.
• Voluntary short-term and long-term disability.
• Critical illness and accident insurance.
• Legal assistance and pet insurance.
• Living will and trust preparation discounts.
• Commuter program.
• Annual walking challenge.
• Employee appreciation events and monthly sales awards.
• Competitive salary and exceptional 401k match program.