Direct Lending Support Specialist

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

THE DETAILS

Job Code:

12134

Grade:

18H

Status:

Non-exempt

POSITION AND PURPOSE

The Consumer Direct Lending Support Specialist is an advanced consumer lending professional who provides dedicated lending and operational support to Retail Branches and the Member Service Contact Center (MSCC). Building on the full processing skill set, this role provides real-time guidance, manages complex lending inquiries and structured escalations, coordinates urgent and same-day transactions, and resolves application, documentation, funding, and fulfillment issues.

The Specialist serves as a trusted liaison between Direct Lending and frontline business partners, helping Retail and MSCC employees deliver accurate, compliant, timely, and consistent lending solutions while improving visibility, accountability, first-contact resolution, and the overall member experience.

WHO WE ARE

Golden 1 Credit Union is among the top credit unions in the country. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, Golden 1 is guided by the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” We are committed to empowering our members and uplifting our communities as we create a more equitable and financially inclusive California. We welcome all who embrace our Core Values.

WHO YOU ARE

You are an advanced lending professional who builds trusted partnerships, responds quickly, research thoroughly, and brings clarity to complex and time-sensitive lending situations. You can independently process and troubleshoot loans, interpret established requirements, manage multiple support requests and escalations from intake through resolution, and translate complex lending requirements into clear, practical guidance for frontline employees.

You recognize recurring issues and opportunities that should be addressed through improved procedures, education, training, or knowledge content while maintaining strong quality, service, and risk discipline.

THE WORK

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The Lending Support Specialist performs all core processing functions, excluding dedicated member call-center queue responsibilities, and provides specialized support to Retail Branch and MSCC employees. The role owns complex lending inquiries and escalations, internal support channels, urgent fulfillment and same-day funding coordination, partner education, and service-delivery support.

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Advanced Application Processing and Lending Support

• Perform the full range of Processor I, Processor II, and Processor III processing functions, including application review, document preparation, complex troubleshooting, escalation resolution, peer guidance, and fulfillment coordination.
• Process or support complex consumer lending transactions across unsecured, vehicle, RV, powersports, credit card, line-of-credit, dealer purchase, private-party, refinance, and other assigned products.
• Review applications and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, compliance, and fulfillment readiness.
• Provide advanced guidance regarding loan status, decisions, counteroffers, stipulations, documentation, collateral, title, payoff, insurance, vesting, signing, funding, booking, system workflows, and established next steps.

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Retail Branch and MSCC Lending Support

• Serve as a primary Direct Lending resource for Retail Branch and MSCC employees seeking assistance with consumer lending transactions.
• Provide real-time and consultative guidance through approved internal support channels, including structured requests and lending support chat.
• Research application and transaction details and provide clear, actionable guidance that enables frontline employees to effectively assist members.
• Support complex scenarios involving documentation, application status, loan decisions, signing, collateral requirements, funding readiness, booking, and operational handoffs.
• Prioritize requests based on member impact, urgency, service commitments, and operational risk.
• Communicate clear ownership, status, requirements, and next steps to internal partners.
• Support first-contact resolution and help reduce unnecessary transfers, repeat contacts, rework, and avoidable handoffs.

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Escalation Ownership and Complex Issue Resolution

• Own assigned lending escalations from intake through resolution or appropriate handoff.
• Research complex issues across applications, documents, systems, decisions, and operational workflows to identify root cause and required corrective action.
• Coordinate resolution with Processing, Underwriting, Funding, Retail, MSCC, Loan Servicing, Collections, Fraud Prevention, Compliance, and other partners.
• Escalate complaints, policy exceptions, suspected fraud, material risk or compliance concerns, and matters outside assigned authority to the appropriate leader or specialized team.

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Urgent Funding and Fulfillment Coordination

• Coordinate and prioritize urgent member-impacting transactions, same-day funding requests, documentation issues, signing concerns, and booking or disbursement questions.
• Validate required approvals, documents, signatures, collateral information, and funding conditions before coordinating execution with Processing or Funding.
• Monitor high-priority and time-sensitive requests through completion and provide timely, actionable updates when additional information or action is required.
• Help resolve avoidable delays and service breakdowns while maintaining appropriate quality, compliance, and risk controls.

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Partner Education and Continuous Improvement

• Identify recurring Branch and MSCC questions, escalation themes, transaction defects, transfer drivers, knowledge gaps, process gaps, and member pain points.
• Support the development and maintenance of job aids, FAQs, procedures, educational materials, and knowledge-base content.
• Provide huddle support, procedural clarification, knowledge sharing, and lending education to strengthen frontline employee confidence and consistency.
• Participate in user acceptance testing, workflow changes, procedure reviews, service improvements, and operational initiatives affecting lending support.
• Promote consistent use of established support channels, intake standards, documentation requirements, and escalation practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

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H.S. Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) required

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Associate’s Degree in business, finance, communication or a related field preferred

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Equivalent relevant experience also considered

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5+ years of related consumer lending, loan processing, branch platform banking, contact center support, financial services, or regulated operations experience preferred

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Demonstrated experience with complex consumer and vehicle lending, frontline business partner support, escalations resolution, and coordination of urgent or time sensitive member impacting requests required

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Advanced knowledge of consumer and vehicle lending products, loan originations, application processing, loan documentation, loan decisions, collateral requirements, vehicle titling, loan payoffs, loan document signing, and fulfillment workflows.

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Strong consultative, written, and verbal communication kills with the ability to provide concise, accurate, and practical guidance to frontline employees.

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Ability to independently research and troubleshoot complex lending issues, escalation ownership, cross-functional team coordination, and communicate actionable resolution steps.

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Ability to interpret established policies, procedures and lending requirements, and translate them into clear guidance for Retail and MSCC employees.

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Strong relationship management, problem solving, de-escalation, organization, prioritization, judgment, and risk-awareness skills.

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Proficiency with Microsoft Teams, case management, reporting, and knowledge management systems.

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Ability to effectively prioritize concurrent multiple requests in a high volume, time sensitive environment while maintaining service, quality, and risk standards.

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None required

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Takes Initiative - Owns tasks and responsibilities 

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Delivers Results with Agility - Meets deadlines and adapts

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Collaborates Across Teams - Works well within the team Solves Problems Proactively

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Handles day-to-day challenges Builds Trust and Credibility - Demonstrates reliability 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS

INTERNAL:

Managers, Supervisors, branch staff, Member Services, Vehicle Services, back-office staff, peers, and all levels of leadership.

EXTERNAL:

Members, dealerships, and finance companies.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work time includes weekend and after-hours time, based on organizational needs. This position works in-office where working conditions, lighting, temperature, audio, and workspace are all sufficient.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work requires the ability to constantly operate a computer and the ability to read, type, and communicate. Work may require the ability to move work-related supplies weighing up to 10-15 pounds.

DISCLAIMER/INTENT AND FUNCTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by team members within this classification. Because the nature of positions and job functions can change over time, this job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all essential functions, duties, responsibilities and qualifications requirements of team members assigned to this job. Job duties may be changed or modified in the Credit Union’s discretion. The Credit Union will keep team members updated on key functions, duties, and requirements of their position by communications from the Credit Union and by updating the job description from time to time. Any team member with questions about the nature of their job duties is encouraged to consult with their supervisor.

DECLARATION/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This job description outlines the essential functions and physical/mental requirements necessary to perform this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.