Scenario Desk

At Acra Lending our employees enjoy an opportunity to work with great people.  We celebrate several events throughout the year accompanied by raffles and giveaways for employees nationwide.  We are especially proud to give back to our community and truly enjoy one another's company.  
 

We are looking for candidates to join our team who are passionate about their vocation. Who are committed to making a contribution and are looking to gain experience in order to grow in their career. Our headquarters are located on a beautiful campus in Irvine, California and if you work out of our Irvine office we can also provide a free gym membership.

Summary   

The Scenario Desk leads the Company's Scenario Desk function, providing guidance and expertise on complex Non-QM loan scenarios to support responsible loan production and exceptional customer service. This role serves as the primary resource for loan originators, account executives, brokers, and internal teams seeking eligibility, guideline, product, and structuring guidance prior to loan submission.

The position requires deep underwriting knowledge, strong communication skills, and the ability to interpret and apply lending guidelines consistently while supporting sales growth objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Scenario Review and Loan Structuring

• Review and assess complex loan scenarios submitted by brokers, loan officers, and account executives.
• Provide guidance regarding borrower eligibility, credit requirements, income qualification, asset sourcing, reserve requirements, and collateral considerations.
• Identify the most appropriate loan product and structure based on the borrower's profile.
• Analyze complex transactions and develop alternative solutions when a loan does not fit standard program parameters.
• Interpret Non-QM underwriting guidelines and communicate requirements clearly to production teams.
• Serve as subject matter expert on new and existing loan products.

Sales Support and Business Development

• Partner with Account Executives and Sales Leadership to support loan origination efforts.
• Assist originators in structuring loans that maximize approval potential while maintaining guideline compliance.
• Act as a trusted resource for brokers and business partners.
• Improve conversion rates by identifying solutions early in the loan process.
• Support growth initiatives through timely and accurate scenario responses.

Guideline Interpretation and Consistency

• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all agency, non-agency, and proprietary lending programs.
• Ensure consistent interpretation of guidelines across all channels.
• Escalate complex scenarios requiring policy clarification or exception consideration.
• Collaborate with Credit Policy and Underwriting leadership regarding guideline updates and product enhancements.
• Assist in developing internal scenario reference materials and job aids.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Scenario Desk Analysts.
• Establish service-level standards for response times and quality.
• Monitor workload distribution and staffing requirements.
• Conduct quality reviews of scenario responses.
• Provide ongoing training regarding underwriting guidelines and product updates.

Process Improvement

• Identify recurring guideline questions and recommend clarifications.
• Develop workflow efficiencies to improve turnaround times.
• Partner with Operations and Technology teams to enhance scenario management systems.
• Implement reporting and tracking mechanisms to monitor activity and trends.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with:
  • Underwriting
  • Credit Risk
  • Sales
  • Operations
  • Product Development
  • Capital Markets
  • Quality Control
  • Compliance
• Facilitate communication between production and credit teams.
• Support implementation of new products and program enhancements.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Proficiency with mortgage loan origination systems (LOS).
• Strong knowledge of underwriting guidelines and income calculation methodologies.
• Ability to interpret program matrices and overlays.
• Experience using pricing engines and eligibility tools.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and reporting skills.

Education and/or Experience  

7+ years of mortgage lending experience.

5+ years of Non-QM underwriting, credit, scenario desk, or sales support experience.

3+ years of team leadership or management experience preferred.

Demonstrated expertise in complex residential mortgage loan analysis.

Benefits

Our benefit offerings include: Medical, dental, vision, wellness programs, EAP counseling services, FSA & HSA, company sponsored life insurance for employee, voluntary life insurance for employee, spouse and child, AD&D Insurance, voluntary short-term and long-term disability, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, legal assistance, pet insurance, living will and trust preparation discounts, commuter program, annual walking challenge, employee appreciation events and monthly sales awards. 

At Acra Lending, we were founded with a clear purpose: to specialize in alternative income loan products that help borrowers qualify for our flexible loan programs. We operate in 39 States, out of nine offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, and Utah along with a growing team of remote professionals across the country.   Throughout the mortgage industry, Acra Lending is widely known for responsible lending practices, product innovation and operational efficiency.  The foundation of our Company is built on helping our customers by providing Non-QM mortgage solutions for today’s borrower in residential and commercial properties across America. 

Our Leadership team will encourage you to grow, make time to have fun, and work together to make great things happen. We embrace the strengths and values of each team member. We believe in having diverse perspectives where everyone is included, to serve customers from all walks of life.  We reward our employees with a competitive salary and a variety of benefits to help our team members reach their health, retirement, and professional goals along with an exceptional 401k match program.  We look forward to meeting you!