Product Development Manager I

Job Title: Product Development Manager – Mortgage Banking (100% Remote)

Work Schedule:
Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Qualifications:

• Experience: 3+ years in mortgage banking, with a strong background in product development, management, and project management.
• Mortgage Expertise: In-depth knowledge of industry-specific programs including:
  • Client, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, Ginnie Mae, USDA (Rural Housing), State Housing Authority Bond programs, Federal Home Loan Banks.
  • Non-QM, private investor jumbo products, proprietary mortgage programs, and guidelines.
• Methodologies: Familiarity with Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) including Waterfall and Agile methodologies preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, Word, Excel, Visio, Access, Project, SharePoint, and Jira.
  Experience with Black Knight Empower, MSP, and PPEs is required.
• Analytical Skills: Strong organizational, analytical, and project management skills with high attention to detail.
• Problem Solving: Proven critical-thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Teamwork & Independence: Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams across mortgage channels.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Expertise in interpreting product and policy rules, regulatory and investor guidelines, and mortgage operations/underwriting experience.
• Relationship Management: Excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence across multiple business lines and departments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Product Management: Focus on delivering conventional, government, and private investor mortgage products. Analyze investor announcements, bulletins, and regulatory guidelines to create development plans for guideline and product changes, ensuring adherence to strict timelines.
• Project Leadership: Lead product development initiatives, managing the entire project life cycle from defining scope, creating business cases, developing system updates, mapping workflows, and testing to ensure high-quality outcomes and efficient time-to-market.
• Guideline Interpretation: Serve as a subject matter expert for product and policy interpretation, providing insights to IT/Development teams for system maintenance and updates across the loan origination system, product and pricing engines, and mortgage servicing system.
• Documentation & Training: Develop comprehensive internal and external operational and selling guides, training materials, job aids, and marketing announcements to support product launches and ongoing product management.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinate with key stakeholders, including Credit Administration, Sales, and Operations teams, to support loan production, underwriting, and investor guideline adherence.
• Market Research: Monitor private investor markets and evaluate borrower needs to identify opportunities or gaps in product offerings, particularly in wealth/jumbo and first-time homebuyer segments.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate product risks through proactive risk assessment and strategy development. Work with investors and consultants to ensure timely communication and updates on product responsibilities.
• Ongoing Product Support: Post-launch, continually monitor product performance, making recommendations for necessary adjustments. Oversee change document publication and coordinate with desktop publishers like Allregs.

Skills & Abilities:

• Presentation & Influence: Confidently present business and use cases to senior leadership, advocating for new initiatives and driving product development projects.
• Problem Resolution: Proactively identify roadblocks and work towards resolution both independently and within a matrixed team.
• Multitasking & Time Management: Manage multiple tasks efficiently, adhering to deadlines and prioritizing work effectively.
• Collaboration & Decision-Making: Strong ability to collaborate across departments and make informed decisions.
• Customer Service & Communication: Excellent communication, listening, and organizational skills with a commitment to providing exceptional customer service.
• Flexibility: Ability to adapt to change and handle unexpected events with a solution-oriented mindset.
• Product SME: Serve as the subject matter expert on mortgage products for projects outside of product development.