Senior Mortgage Underwriter

Senior Mortgage Underwriter

The Arrow Financial Corporation Family of Companies is seeking dynamic, authentic individuals to join our amazing team! Currently, we are looking for an experienced professional to join our Residential Lending team.

This opportunity may be perfect for you if you have experience in:

• Proven experience in residential mortgage underwriting, including proficiency with Fannie Mac, Fannie Mae, FHA, and/or VA guidelines.
• Exceptional organizational and analytical skills with a meticulous attention to detail, particularly in reviewing complex financial documentation and borrower profiles.
• Strong passion for helping people in the community, applying ethical, sound judgement, to help qualified applicants achieve homeownership.
• Refined communication and customer service skills to clearly convey complex credit decisions and collaborate effectively with loan officers and processors.

About this position:

The Senior Mortgage Underwriter is responsible for independently underwriting, approving, and presenting complex and higher-risk residential mortgage loan applications. Analyzing financial and collateral documentation, exercising advanced credit judgement and making recommendations and decisions in accordance with Company policy, regulatory requirements, and secondary market guidelines. This role serves as a subject-matter expert for complex underwriting scenarios and provides guidance to underwriters and lending team members. This role is also critical in maintaining asset quality and supporting the Underwriting Manager in achieving departmental production and risk management goals. This position requires a regular, scheduled presence at our Glens Falls, New York headquarters. The schedule is hybrid optional, but candidates must be able to easily commute to Glens Falls, New York for required office days. This role is not a fully remote opportunity.

Essential Job Functions:

• Analyzes borrower income, creditworthiness, assets, and collateral for complex and higher-risk residential mortgage loan applications.
• Underwrites applications in accordance with bank policy, regulatory requirements, secondary market guidelines, and other third-party guidelines.
• Approves, approves with conditions, or denies mortgage applications within assigned authority limits.
• Reviews and analyzes income, asset, appraisal reports, and other supporting documentation for accuracy, adequacy, and compliance.
• Identifies, evaluates, and documents compensation factors, layered risk, and policy exceptions as appropriate.
• Prepares clear, well documented underwriting decisions to support audit, quality control, and regulatory examination requirements.
• Serves as resource for complex underwriting scenarios providing technical guidance to lending and processing teams.
• Collaborates with the Underwriting Manager regarding pipeline oversight, loan assignment, reporting, and exception tracking, as requested.
• Coordinates with internal team members, closing attorneys, and appraisers, and other third parties to ensure loan files are complete and ready for closing.
• Reviews and provides builder approval recommendations, construction advance schedules and draw requests.
• Participates in quality control reviews and completes audit and compliance activities for the residential lending portfolio as assigned by management.
• Maintains knowledge of changes in underwriting guidelines and regulatory requirements to ensure compliance.

What you will need to thrive in this role:

In addition to your work and life experiences, as well as your passion and excitement for the profession, you would benefit from having:

Education/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience required
• 6 years of mortgage underwriting or related mortgage experience required
• Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) license or ability to obtain within the first 30 days required
• Designations such as Direct Endorsement (DE) and/or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Appraisal Processing Program (VA LAPP) preferred

Skills/Knowledge:

• Strong problem solving, organizational and analytical skills; ability to extract and interpret information from multiple sources
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal; comfortable communicating with customers, co-workers, management, and other stakeholders
• Thorough knowledge of underwriting, mortgage products, and current lending regulations
• Knowledge of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program guidelines preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) as well as department specific systems and software
• Excellent organizational, attention to detail, and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and consistently meet established deadlines
• Ability to provide thorough income analysis, which includes reviewing self-employment income for all business structures

Physical Demands:

• Ability to remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting, for prolonged periods of time
• Ability to repetitively use a telephone, computer mouse, and keyboard for extended durations
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 15 pounds
• Work is performed primarily in a professional office environment
• Reasonable accommodations will be provided as required by law to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job

What we will bring to the table:

We believe in investing in our employees and helping them grow their career with us. We offer a pleasant, inclusive work environment, career development opportunities, and competitive compensation. Through our total rewards program, we offer a comprehensive benefits package featuring:

• Competitive compensation including potential bonus and incentives as well as paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance and Flexible Spending Plan
• Multiple retirement plans including: 401(k), Pension, and Employee Stock Ownership
• Education and Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program for our employees and their immediate family members

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our philosophy and practice are to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, status of being transgender, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics or carrier status, marital status, familial status, amnesty, status as a victim of domestic violence, reproductive health decision making, citizenship or immigration status, prior convictions or arrests, military status, status as a protected veteran, known relationship or association with any member of a protected class, or any other federal, state, or local legally protected classes.

As a multi-bank holding company, Arrow Financial Corporation has over $4 billion in assets. Through our subsidiaries we provide a broad range of banking and insurance services across northeastern New York, including online and mobile banking, wealth management, money market and deposit accounts, and mortgage, consumer and commercial loans.

We are committed to delivering value for our shareholders, our customers, and our communities. Our conservative business model and strategy of steady growth have resulted in many recognitions from the nation's leading publications and bank-rating firms.

The salary range for this position is $65,000 - $75,000 commensurate with experience and education. Additional compensation may be earned through the Company's annual bonus program, subject to individual and company performance.