Mortgage Product Manager from A-Line Staffing Solutions

Title: Product Manager I

Location: Work from Home

Schedule: Mon – Fri, 8:30AM – 5:00PM EST

Note: This role is NOT open to C2C or 3^rd party candidates

The Product Manager will be focused on delivering conventional, government, and private investor mortgage products. They will lead project management efforts to develop product development initiatives, as assigned by Department Managers, facilitating engagement of required stakeholders and thorough/timely review of policy/product/process changes to ensure high quality output and reasonable time to market. The Product Manager will:

• Analyze and interpret Investor Announcements, Bulletins, Mortgagee Letters, VA Circulars, etc. to create development plans for implementation of guidelines and product changes adhering to sensitive timelines
• Provide guideline interpretation and impact to the systems liaison and IT, supporting the development, creation, and maintenance of new/existing products as it relates to loan origination systems, government systems, product and pricing engines, collateral management systems, and mortgage servicing systems
• Lead and manage product projects, including defining project scope documents, business cases, business requirements, system updates, process and workflow mapping, system requirements, project plans, and creating and reviewing testing cases and results, providing updates, as needed, and maintaining shared project plans
• Manage and conduct project team meetings (preparing agendas /minutes)
• Create and revise comprehensive internal and external Operations/Selling Guides for Retail and Correspondent channels
• Compose product descriptions, training materials, workflows, policies and procedures, marketing announcements, change announcements, job aids/tools, and other material to support products
• Oversee the coordination and publication of change documents with desktop publisher Allregs, working with other Product Managers and technology liaisons
• Follow product launches, continually monitoring product performance and recommending adjustments and changes, as needed
• Ensuring products assigned are current with investor guideline changes and are accurate and thoroughly explained in program guide/supporting documentation and change announcements
• Monitor private investor markets for program offerings, features, products, and credit policy gaps particularly related to wealth/jumbo and first-time homebuyer segments
• Provide support, as needed, to sales and operations in interpretation of guidelines; provide guidance to operations personnel to control risk and to effectively meet investor requirements (i.e., processing, underwriting, closing, post-closing, and government insuring)
• Coordinate with and work routinely with the Credit Administration unit, as needed, to support credit-related needed guidance, underwriting support, and/or other projects; work with specific investors and/or outside consultants related to product responsibility to ensure communication is timely
• Provide support to all Project Managers, as needed, and participate on special projects as directed by Department Managers, managing day-to-day product issue resolution for mortgages
• Evaluating borrower/market needs, competitive gaps, and/or opportunities for sales within specific product areas or responsibilities, including performing market research, as needed
• Providing technical product knowledge assistance to marketing in support of marketing materials, as well as of product training to Loan Production and Operations Staff
• Oversee and coordinate item tracking in Change Control databases (JIRA); communicate product development statuses and information to residential mortgage colleagues
• Identify product risks and create/facilitate risk mitigation plans and strategies
• Review project test plans and review test results, as well as provide product knowledge to support the testing of products in LOS

• Experience in mortgage banking/operations/underwriting, with direct experience in mortgage product development and project management
• In-depth working experience and knowledge in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, Ginnie Mae, State Housing Authority Bond programs, Federal Home Loan Banks, Rural Housing (RD), USDA, Non-QM, private investor jumbo, and proprietary mortgage products, programs, and guidelines; experience with product and policy rules, regulatory and investor guideline interpretation, and communication
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, Word, Excel, Visio, Access, Project, SharePoint, and Jira
• Experience with Black Knight Empower, MSP, and PPEs

• Experience acting as a Product SME on projects outside of product development
• Strong organizational and project management skills (matrix management responsibilities working with other departments and SMEs to coordinate and implement new products, product/policy changes, and/or special projects); experience and knowledge of SDLC, including Waterfall and Agile methodologies, preferred
• Ability to present business and use cases to advocate and influence senior leaders and support partners with new program initiatives, policy, and product development projects
• Strong analytical skills, with strong attention to detail, excellent critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team comprised of members from across Home Mortgage channels/departments
• Ability to identify roadblocks and work independently and with matrixed teams, toward resolution
• Strong collaboration, critical reasoning, and decision-making capabilities
• Excellent customer service, listening, and communication skills
• Excellent relationship building, management, and collaboration skills; experience demonstrating effective application of skills across multiple business lines and within various departments
• Ability to multi-task and manage time well; strong deadline-orientation and ability to adapt to changes and/or unexpected events
• Demonstrated resourcefulness in a respectful manner, earning confidence and trust of colleagues
• Demonstrated accuracy and thoroughness