Mortgage Underwriting Manager (DE/SAR)

Location: Buffalo, NY / Hybrid Potential

The Numbers: $95,000 – $120,000 Base Salary (Commensurate with leadership history and complex UW experience)

The Big Picture Our Client is an industry leader in mortgage innovation, known for proprietary programs like their proprietary approval guarantees and their mobile-first application tech. To support their mission of "Simplifying the Process," they are looking for an Underwriting Manager who possesses the sophisticated analytical "muscle" to lead a high-performance team of seven. You aren't just checking boxes; you are the architect of the pre-approval integrity that fuels the firm’s market-leading guarantees.

The Mission Your goal is to be a Strategic Decision Maker. As the Underwriting Manager, you will lead a team of underwriters in evaluating complex credit, income, and asset profiles for a diverse range of loan products. You are the final line of defense, ensuring that speed never comes at the expense of quality. If you are a veteran underwriter who thrives on "solving the puzzle" of multi-entity or high-net-worth files and wants to lead a team in a tech-driven environment, this is your desk.

The Daily Grind (The Good Kind)

• Team Leadership: Manage a high-volume underwriting team of 7, providing technical guidance on complex files and ensuring adherence to investor guidelines.
• Quality Sovereignty: Oversee the integrity of the firm's pre-purchase commitment programs, ensuring that approvals are bulletproof and the firm's quality guarantees are protected.
• Process Optimization: Identify bottlenecks in the underwriting workflow and leverage the firm's tech stack to drive speed and efficiency.
• Complexity Management: Take point on the "high-stakes" files, including Jumbo, multi-state residential, and complex self-employed borrowers.
• Internal Advisory: Serve as the technical bridge between Loan Officers and Operations, communicating credit decisions in a positive, constructive manner.

Your Toolkit

• The Battle Scars: 7+ years of mortgage underwriting experience with at least 2 years in a formal leadership or "Lead Underwriter" capacity.
• Technical Mastery: Deep proficiency in Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA guidelines and a high "attention to detail" threshold for identifying red flags. (DE/SAR/LAPP)
• The Tech Edge: Comfortable with mobile-first document processing and advanced LOS systems. You view technology as an asset, not a distraction.
• Communication Edge: The ability to deliver "Hard Stop" decisions to high-producing sales teams while maintaining a collaborative, team-oriented culture.

The Payoff

• Compensation Detail: A competitive base salary of $95K – $120K based on your leadership "muscle."
• Authority & Influence: You are leading a vital department for a firm that is currently scaling its footprint.
• Market Edge: Work with proprietary tools and guarantees that give your team a massive advantage over "analog" competitors.

Our Partnership Approach Thank you for trusting Lupton Partners with your career transition. We take immense pride in our work, but our focus is always on the outcome—for both the candidates we represent and the companies we serve. If the first role we discuss isn't the perfect fit, we won't force it. Our goal is to land you in the right place, not just the next place. We also recognize that career changes—even the most exciting ones—come with a side of stress. That’s normal. We’re here to handle the heavy lifting and provide clarity at every step.

What to Expect

• The Introduction Call: This is a high-level chemistry check. We’ll dive into your history, map out your career goals, and get real about compensation and advancement targets.
• Active Searches: We’ll match your story to our clients' needs. We keep compensation targets front-and-center so nobody’s time is wasted.
• Client Submissions: It is our promise that we do not present your name or credentials to clients without clear communication and your explicit permission.
• Interview Feedback: This is where we earn our keep. Call us as soon as you hit the parking lot. If you think you fumbled a question or found a better answer ten minutes too late, let’s talk.
• Background Checks: Transparency wins here. If there’s a potential red flag in your background, drug screen, or credit report, tell us now so we can manage the narrative together.
• Offers: No surprises. We’ll walk through a verbal offer together before the formal letter arrives. Since we align on numbers in our first call, this stage should be a “green light” celebration.

Questions? Reach out anytime.

Travis Lupton Office: 913-521-3303 | Mobile: 913-231-8472

travis@luptonpartners.com