Loan Servicing Team Lead

About Us

First Fed is a local community bank on an exciting growth trajectory with 15 locations including 11 full-service branches in Western Washington. Recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a Best Workplace and a Top Corporate Philanthropist, First Fed has received awards for Best Bank in The Best of the Northwest, Best Banker in Readers’ Choice by Cascadia Daily News, and Best Bank on the Olympic Peninsula. Forbes also named us a Best-In-State bank. For over 100 years, First Fed has served customers and communities throughout the PNW, donating over $9 million to non-profit organizations in the past 8 years through foundations, sponsorships, direct donations, and matched employee donations. Our team has volunteered over 25,000 hours in the past 5 years—many using our benefit of 3 paid volunteer days per year.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds—our diversity makes us stronger. Join our award-winning team!

Our Values

• Optimism: We are positive and decisive. We believe the future will be better than the past and demonstrate persistence leading to success.
• Initiative: We are self-starters who find innovative solutions. We are courageous, entrepreneurial, and passionate, taking action for good.
• Respect: We include individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We are committed to honoring and serving others.
• Growth: We learn and adapt to continually improve. We believe in personal growth through grit and determination.
• Ownership: We are invested in our endeavors. We are accountable and take responsibility for our actions and decisions.

About the Role

Organize, coordinate, and provide technical guidance and expertise in the daily servicing of commercial, consumer, and mortgage loans. Provide guidance, training, and technical expertise to the Loan Servicing Department, ensuring day-to-day activities align with established guidelines and determining appropriate courses of action. Maintain positive, professional, and cooperative relationships with all staff while supporting sales and service efforts to retain existing customer relationships and enable growth of new ones. Ensure sustained profitable growth through support of the bank’s deposit, loan, and fee income goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day activities in Loan Servicing.
• Process complex loan boardings, quality control reviews, file maintenance requests, and payoffs accurately and efficiently within service level agreement timeframes.
• Process customer account requests, including posting payments, providing payoff quotes, tax and insurance payments, and releasing secured collateral.
• Handle specialized loans, complex transactions, or servicing functions.
• Balance the general ledger on a daily and monthly basis.
• Provide support, guidance, and coaching to loan servicing staff to effectively service all types of loans.
• Develop advanced-level user skills for Cleartouch and related lending interfaces for Consumer, Mortgage, and Commercial Loans.
• Direct workload assignments to direct reports with fairness and objectivity, fostering a collaborative team environment.
• Provide backup support to the Loan Servicing Manager and perform delegated tasks.
• Participate in project tasks to support the bank’s future growth goals.
• Perform quality control audits on newly funded loans and file maintenance.
• Assist in new hire and ongoing training for loan servicing staff, identifying training opportunities and needs.
• Assist internal and external customers with complex inquiries via phone, email, or in person.
• Research and respond to customer inquiries or concerns in a timely manner.
• Provide outstanding customer service in a courteous and professional manner by telephone, email, fax, or mail.
• Develop and maintain a working knowledge of First Fed and department policies, procedures, and systems.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Requirements

• Associate degree or certified equivalency, 3+ years of loan servicing experience, or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Advanced understanding of loans and collateral types, general ledger, and suspense accounts.
• Advanced understanding of a wide range of loan products, preferably including consumer, mortgage, commercial, secondary market, SBA, and participation loans.
• Advanced understanding of loan servicing tasks, including investor reporting, escrow processing, and insurance tracking.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills with a focus on the needs of internal and external customers.
• Ability to direct the work of others, including delegating, coaching, and motivating staff performance.
• Ability to identify individual learning needs/styles and coach/train appropriately.
• Ability to foster an environment of teamwork and cooperation in meeting customer needs and bank goals.
• Active learner with demonstrated ability to seek out resources and address learning needs effectively.
• Experience with Fiserv products preferred.
• Strong mathematical or general accounting skills.
• Outstanding customer service focus and ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and attention to detail.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in personal computers and standard software applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Proven ability to work independently.

Physical Requirements

The work requires the ability to operate office machines and equipment, such as personal computers, printers, copying machines, and telephones. Requires clear communication with customers, coworkers, and others in person and on telephones. Work activities involve combinations of sitting and standing for extended periods.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $26.45 - $44.96 per hour, with a typical hiring range of $26.45 - $30.35 per hour. The incentive plan for this position is the Partnership Incentive plan, paid out quarterly with a 5% target payout.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Retirement plans (401k with company match and Employee Stock Ownership Plan).
• Gym membership reimbursement.
• Discounts on banking products.

Additional information on our benefits package can be viewed at https://www.ourfirstfed.com/careers.