Manager - Root Cause

The Manager - Root Cause leads the identification, analysis, and remediation of systemic failures surfaced through customer complaints across the origination and mortgage servicing lifecycle. This role builds and leads a team of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) professionals who conduct end-to-end investigations and is accountable for translating complaint trends, error patterns, and regulatory findings into prioritized, measurable corrective action.

The manager works cross-functionally with Operations, Compliance, Legal, Technology, and Risk partners to eliminate defects at their source, distilling complex investigations into clear, decision-ready summaries for senior leadership and boards. Beyond individual investigations, this role is responsible for reducing customer harm and regulatory exposure while driving continuous improvement at scale and building a high-performing team: ensuring the RCA function operates as a consistent, defensible discipline rather than a collection of one-off investigations.

Essential Functions, Duties, and Responsibilities

Root Cause Analysis & Investigation

• Prioritize RCA investigations based on complaint volume, financial impact, customer harm, and regulatory risk.
• Segment and trend complaint data by root cause category, business unit, vendor, and severity to distinguish isolated incidents from systemic defects.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive reporting to identify and monitor complaint trends and emerging risks.
• Validate that implemented controls and Corrective Action Plan (CAP) are effective through measurable performance criteria

Regulatory Risk Management:

• Identify issues with potential violations of RESPA, TILA, FDCPA, Regulation X/Z, ECOA, and applicable state mortgage laws.
• Partner with Compliance and Operational Controls to address defects with financial exposure, customer harm, and remediation obligations.
• Escalate high-risk items to senior leadership and ensure findings do not recur across subsequent monitoring cycles.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Reporting:

• Create and present comprehensive findings and corrective action status to executive leadership, risk committees, and board-level forums.
• Serve as subject matter expert in regulatory examinations, internal audits, and investor reviews.
• Prepare executive-level RCA summaries for clients and monthly presentations.

Team Leadership & People Management:

This role carries direct managerial accountability for a team of RCA analysts. Expectations include:

• Team structure & workload management: Assign investigations based on analyst capability, workload, and case complexity; monitor caseloads and reprioritize as urgent issues arise.
• Cadence of interaction: Weekly one-on-ones, regular team meetings, and ad hoc check-ins on urgent or regulator-facing investigations.
• Quality control & calibration: Review and approve analyst RCA write-ups and CAP recommendations; run calibration sessions to ensure consistent categorization and documentation standards.
• Coaching & performance management: Coach analysts on investigative technique, regulatory knowledge, and executive-ready communication; identify skill gaps and arrange relevant training. Set performance goals tied to investigation quality and timeliness, and manage reviews and improvement plans as needed.
• Cross-team collaboration modeling: Represent the team in cross-functional forums and ensure analysts have direct access to Operations, Compliance, Legal, and Technology partners needed to complete investigations efficiently.

Performs related duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 6-8 years in mortgage servicing, with at least 3 in a quality, compliance, or process improvement role.
• Demonstrated experience conducting formal RCA investigations and driving CAPs to closure.
• Proficiency analyzing large complaint or error datasets; SQL or BI tool experience preferred.
• Prior experience supporting regulatory examinations (CFPB, OCC, state regulators).
• Preferred qualifications:
  • Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher).
  • Experience with consent order or MRA/MRIA remediation programs.
  • MBA or advanced degree.
  • 2+ years directly managing analysts or investigators.
  • Exposure to complaint management platforms (e.g., Salesforce, KANA, Medallia).

Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge:

• Deep knowledge of federal mortgage regulations (RESPA, TILA, FDCPA, Reg X/Z, ECOA).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; executive presentation experience required.
• Strong people-management experience, including coaching, performance management, and workload delegation.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Working on-site at assigned office location.
• Regular and punctual attendance adhering to schedule established by leadership.
• Flexibility to work occasional adjusted work schedules, overtime, and evening and/or weekend hours to meet deadlines or as business needs demand.
• Working in a cubicle hub, maintaining focus on phone calls in a noisy environment within earshot of multiple other conversations.
• Sedentary work in a stationary position at a cubicle for prolonged periods of time.
• Constant repetitive motions required for operating a computer, such as typing and managing phone calls.
• Constantly communicating effectively verbally in English, including accurately exchanging information with others following identification of correct procedures.

Additional Information

While this description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position’s requirements, it in no way implies/states that these are the only job responsibilities. Management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and request other duties, as necessary.

All employees are required to have smart phones that meet Company security standards with the ability to install apps such as Okta Verify and Microsoft Authenticator. Employment will be contingent on this requirement.

Employees and applicants acknowledge that this is not a remote role. Individuals in this role are required to be on-site to complete essential job duties, absent extenuating circumstances.