Senior Director, Underwriting Strategies

About the role

The Senior Director of Underwriting Strategy at Sallie Mae leads the design, development, and implementation of credit underwriting strategies across the organization. This role ensures robust risk management practices through innovative approaches to underwriting strategies, income verification, capacity to repay analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Development & Execution - 30%: Design and implement underwriting strategies aligned with regulatory requirements and business objectives. Develop and optimize income verification frameworks leveraging data-driven insights. Oversee capacity to repay methodologies, ensuring compliance with risk appetite and fair lending standards.
• Leadership & Collaboration - 30%: Lead and mentor a team of underwriting strategy professionals. Partner with cross-functional teams (Credit Risk, Product, Compliance, Technology) to ensure seamless strategy integration. Represent underwriting strategy in governance forums and provide effective challenge on proposed changes.
• Analysis & Continuous Improvement - 20%: Conduct in-depth analysis of credit performance, market trends, and regulatory feedback to refine strategies. Monitor and report on strategy effectiveness, implementing enhancements as needed. Drive automation and process improvements to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Governance & Compliance - 20%: Ensure adherence to internal policies, standards, and regulatory requirements (ECOA, UDAAP, FDIC guidelines). Maintain documentation of underwriting standards and manage exceptions approval process.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or related field. 10+ years of experience in credit risk, underwriting strategy, or related functions within consumer lending. Proven leadership experience managing teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with proficiency in data-driven decision-making. Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and risk management principles.
• Preferred: Expertise in credit scoring models and decisioning systems. Familiarity with income verification automation and capacity to repay methodologies. Excellent communication and presentation skills for executive-level reporting.

Skills

• Strategic Leadership
• Analysis & Continuous Improvement
• Collaboration & Team Management
• Regulatory Compliance

Benefits

Our benefits package includes competitive base salaries, bonus incentives, generous paid time off, and a wide range of health and wellness programs. Employees also have access to tuition reimbursement, family scholarships, and career development opportunities. Flexible hybrid working arrangements and paid parental leave are also provided.