Education Lending Manager

Job Summary

Manage team within one or more banking operations (e.g. retail, lending) and/or including branch management. Provide high quality service, develop efficient operations and promote sales of products and services. Manage banking operations, customer relations, sales and services, and as necessary vendor relations. Provide leadership to staff. Direct staff and operational functions of the credit union.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

The Education Lending Manager provides strategic and tactical leadership for the activities of the credit union’s education lending origination and servicing operations, supporting portfolio growth and ensuring efficient, compliant operations, effective risk management and a positive member experience. The manager will lead the development and ongoing management of business relationships with key stakeholders across Harvard University and third-party partners. The Education Lending Manager reports to the Senior Vice President, Education & Consumer Lending.

• Promotes excellence in customer service while overseeing the end-to-end loan lifecycle, including origination, pipeline oversight and loan servicing operations, while continuously improving staff and third-party vendor performance.
• Leads the development and implementation of product, underwriting, and loan servicing strategies, using data and portfolio performance insights to ensure sound underwriting risk management, delinquency/default mitigation, effective departmental operations, and enhanced member satisfaction.
• Partners with Marketing to develop and oversee partner and member facing communications and materials, and supports partnership initiatives to grow the loan portfolio, including ensuring timely, accurate responses to requests for information.
• Develops and effectively manages strong relationships with key stakeholders within the Harvard University community and with third-party vendors.
• Ensures sound operational processes, procedural controls and documentation are established, maintained, tested and regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations and credit union policies.
• Oversees quality assurance and control activities to ensure consistent execution, accuracy, and adherence to established policies, procedures, and service standards.
• Ensures the integrity, accuracy, and reconciliation of data, processes and integrations between third-party vendors and internal systems.
• Manages rate change processes and oversees the preparation and delivery of contractual and quarterly reporting and invoices to partners, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with agreements.
• Works with managerial peers throughout the credit union to identify, implement and promote best practices.
• Manages education lending team, and establishes individual and department performance goals, development plans, and accountability measures.
• Collaborates cross-functionally to support staff training, resolve operational challenges, implement system enhancements, and ensure clear, consistent communication to members and internal partners.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience
• Supervisory Experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• At least seven years of consumer or education lending, and/or college financial aid experience required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of loan underwriting principles, credit risk assessment, and risk management practices.
• Demonstrated presentation skills required.
• Strong leadership presence with ability to communicate effectively at all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated record of sustained achievement in roles of progressively increasing responsibility.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects, process improvements, and implementing system enhancements.
• Broad experience across multiple operational and business development disciplines.
• Knowledge of education loan servicing operations and education loan repayment strategies strongly preferred.
• Experience working in a highly regulated environment.
• Proven understanding of federal and state lending regulations.
• Must be able to travel to affiliated organizations as required.
• Must be willing work in the very diverse environments of Harvard University.
• Must be able and willing to work additional hours during peak periods, and non-traditional schedules as necessary, e.g. weekends and evenings as business needs require.