Mortgage Banker - First Western Bank

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Founded in 1964, First Western Bank is built on a solid foundation of values and principles established by Jack Hoeven — values that continue to guide us today. We take pride in investing in and giving back to the communities we serve. We treat everyone with respect, set high standards of excellence, and remain dedicated to our customers. With unwavering integrity, we maintain a culture of honesty, transparency, reliability, and trust.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Develop new mortgage loan business for First Western Bank & Trust by developing a community network, soliciting business, responding to customer inquiries, and contacting mortgage referrals; oversee the mortgage loan process from application to closing; provide ongoing customer support with mortgage customers; and provide training for Mortgage Bankers as needed.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the mortgage loan process from application to closing
• Promptly respond to all inquiries and online applications
• Interview prospective borrower to analyze financial and credit data
• Determine customer’s financing objectives and advise customer of product/pricing and guidelines
• Take detailed loan applications, turn completed files to processing team and help resolve any problems
• Ensure all loans comply with regulatory, legal and bank requirements; including timely and accurate delivery of required disclosures
• Assist with training/mentoring other Mortgage Bankers
• Provide ongoing customer support; including education, advice, progress reports, answering questions, and resolving problems
• Maintain a clean pipeline with an organized follow-up approach and clear communication in relation to interest rate locks, closing dates, extensions, etc.
• Establish and maintain an effective network of mortgage referral sources such as realtors, contractors/builders, financial planners, accountants, and others
• Maintain knowledge of underwriting criteria
• Represent and promote the company to the public and provide leadership through community involvement
• Participate in marketing the bank’s products and services
• Keep abreast of economic/political factors that may impact the development of business
• Perform collections in servicing past due loan accounts
• Maintain complete loan files in compliance with loan policy
• Work with customers to collect outstanding balances and forward to collections
• Maintain executive confidence and protect bank operations and value by keeping information confidential
• Ensure compliance with banking laws, regulations and the Bank’s policies and procedures, including Bank Secrecy Act
• Maintain continuing education related to regulatory standards

OTHER DUTIES:

• Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may be assigned with or without notice

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in degree in accounting, finance, business related field; or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3 years of banking/lending experience
• Knowledge of the secondary mortgage market
• Knowledge of lending and lending policies & procedures
• Knowledge of government loan programs preferred
• Able to be licensed and registered by the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS)

SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Building Relationships – able to grow and maintain strong long-term customer relationships
• Business Judgment – able to identify business relationships and make sound decisions that are in the best interest and long-term success of the bank
• Communication – excellent written and verbal communication skills to clearly convey information to diverse audiences
• Customer Focus – able to understand customer needs and promote the value of the bank’s products and services
• Emotional Intelligence – can navigate difficult situations with empathy and understanding, fostering positive relationships
• Interpersonal Skills – can communicate and interact with others in a way that promotes mutual respect and trust
• Negotiation – able to lead negotiations and convert them to mutually beneficial agreements or solutions
• Persuasiveness – ability to build strong relationships and trust with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders; fostering collaboration and consensus
• Problem-Solving – skilled in identifying and resolving complex problems using analytical and critical thinking skills
• Resilience – able to bounce back from difficult situations and maintain a positive attitude and performance
• Teamwork – proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment to achieve common goals
• Time Management – highly organized and efficient, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Willingness to Learn – open to new ideas, seeks opportunities to expand knowledge and skills, actively participates in training programs, and seeks feedback to enhance performance
• Technology - skilled in Microsoft Office (Publisher, Power Point, Word, Excel, Outlook) and necessary bank software

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee is required to talk and hear, and use hands to finger keyboard, telephone, and handle other objects. The employee is frequently required to walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. Vision required for this job includes close vision (clear vision within 20 inches).

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Normal office environment with good lighting, and generally, little exposure to excessive dust, humidity, or temperature.  The noise level is usually moderate, limited to the operation of printers, computer equipment, telephones, background music, and conversation. 

Instructions on how to post are as follows:

• Go to www.firstwestern.bank/careers/
• Once there, click the SEE JOB POSTINGS button.  The open positions will be listed.
• Select the position and, once it opens, there is an APPLY button at the bottom.