Consumer Loan Underwriter I at Black Hills Federal Credit Union

Who We Are

We have the fundamental belief that we, as an organization, can and will improve lives. Rooted in the centuries-old credit union philosophy of people helping people, we maintain a simple premise. Those we interact with will receive equal and just treatment, devoid of intolerance, false judgment, racism, or discrimination of any kind. We must not accept less if we are to fulfill our mission, "We Improve Lives." This mission empowers us to serve the greater good and to make a difference in our world. Our cooperative structure creates a cycle of mutual assistance towards the common goal of the financial well-being of members.

At Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU), we’re committed to improving the lives of our members every day, and we look for people who share that passion. Don’t have a ton of financial industry experience? No problem. Our onboarding includes an orientation program with ongoing training to help staff further their career at BHFCU by building on their existing strengths.

General Purpose: Assess risk by analyzing third-party credit and financial information. Determine loan eligibility using internal criteria and metrics. Approve, deny, or counteroffer loans, and communicate decisions via loan systems and vendor APIs.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Assess credit risk on incoming applications in both Symitar and MeridianLink.
• Determine financial eligibility for credit using specified limits.
• Complete income verification or financial document analysis of paystubs, income statements and tax returns when necessary.
• Monitor and adapt to changes in lending legislation and institutional guidelines to support compliant and informed decision-making.
• Ensure loan production and decision-making align with team benchmarks and performance standards.
• Ensure credit decisions are accurate and well documented.
• Consistently meet or surpass performance expectations established by the Credit Union, department, and individual objectives.
• Make sound and detailed recommendations on loans outside of specified limits.
• Utilize lending tools to evaluate collateral value and assign finance limits to the loan within determined limits.
• Consistent monitoring and actively engaged in working underwriting queues to ensure timely action is taken on all requests.
• Participate in peer loan review. Collaborate with fellow underwriters to review loan decisions for consistency and alignment with lending policies. This process serves as an internal control mechanism to ensure sound lending practices and uniform decision-making across the team.
• Make informed lending decisions by thoroughly evaluating financial data, assessing borrower creditworthiness, and analyzing loan structure. Ensure all underwriting actions adhere to federal and state regulations—including but not limited to ECOA, FCRA, TILA—as well as internal lending policies and risk guidelines.
• Exercise independent lending authority within approved limits and manage escalations for complex or borderline applications. Provide clear rationale and documentation for decisions and collaborate with senior leadership on exceptions or overrides.
• Support audit preparation and contribute to quality control strategies that enhance consistency, accuracy, and long-term portfolio integrity.
• Monitor loan performance trends through reporting and contribute to portfolio risk management strategies.
  
  

Other Duties/Responsibilities:

• Research account information or discrepancies to include follow up for information correction as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Consumer Loan Underwriting Manager and VP of Consumer Lending.
  
  

Job Knowledge:

• The ability to work within the consumer lending operating system, credit union core system and all internal internet and reference sites.
• Maintain an updated job knowledge of consumer lending products, policies and procedures.
• Maintain an updated knowledge of the full scope of credit union's products and services.
• Working knowledge of organizational policies, procedures and credit union philosophy and best practices.
• Working knowledge of safety and security program for false alarms, robberies, bomb threats and extortion.
• Working knowledge of state and federal consumer lending regulations.
  
  

Job Qualifications (Skills):

BHFCU is committed to working with its employees to reasonably accommodate them with the physical aspects of the position. The following list outlines the physical considerations that are normally encountered in this job.

• Vision: A sighted person to handle cash transactions and verify financial transactions. Ability to complete necessary paperwork.
• Speech/Hearing: Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with staff, members and vendors.
• Manual Dexterity: Ability to perform necessary computer-related input.
• Physical Mobility: Limited mobility required. Requires the ability to work flexible hours.
  
  

Job Qualifications (Ability):

• Ability to understand and follow complex written and oral instructions.
• Ability to work in a high pressure, fast paced, and detail-oriented environment.
• Ability to comprehend complex functions and procedures and to be able to disseminate that knowledge in a clear and understandable format to others.
• Ability to communicate professionally clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to prepare and maintain confidential records and reports.
• Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze financial data and develop solutions.
• Ability to analyze statistics and financial data.
• Ability to assess and prioritize requests to ensure that all members receive the highest quality service possible.
• Ability to interact with other credit union areas and vendors in a professional manner.
• Ability to work within precise standardized guidelines.
• Ability to take initiative to resolve problems or unique circumstances.
• Must maintain the ability to interact with leadership in other areas, dealers, vendors and team members with a calm and professional approach at all times.
  
  

Job Qualifications (Education/Experience):

Consumer Loan Underwriter I:

• Two-year college level of language, math and reasoning skills. One to Three years of relevant experience required. Meets the essential job duties/responsibilities, job knowledge, and job qualifications. Formal training should be supplemented with continuing education.
  
  

Consumer Loan Underwriter II:

• Two -year college level of language, math, and reasoning skills. Three to Five years of relevant experience in lending and/or underwriting is required. Formal training should be supplemented with continuing education.
• Meet all qualifications for a Consumer Loan Underwriter I:
• Must have an elevated level of knowledge, skills, and abilities listed.
• Must achieve a minimum 95% agreement rate with the next level of lending authority, based on established departmental goals.
  
  

Senior Consumer Loan Underwriter:

• Four-year college level of language, math, and reasoning skills. Five years or more years of relevant experience in lending and/or underwriting is required. Formal training should be supplemented with continuing education.
• Meets all qualifications for a Consumer Loan Underwriter II.
• Must achieve a minimum 95% agreement rate with the next level of lending authority, based on established departmental goals.
• Must have an advanced level of knowledge, skills, and abilities listed.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a mentor, trainer and team leader.
• Responsible for assisting management with employee loans, complex loans, and escalations.
• Responsible for monitoring the workflow and make recommendations for increases in efficiency and productivity.
• Responsible for training entry level team members and support less experienced team members when needed.
  
  

Working Conditions:

Material and Equipment Involved

• Personal Computer
• WebEx
• Scanners
• Microsoft Suite
• Various Software Applications
• Salesforce
• Credit Bureau System
  
  

Work Environment/Physical Activities

Occasional travel to one of BHFCU’s branch locations or attendance at community events may be required.

This position has the option of a hybrid work schedule. An assessment of the remote work environment must be completed prior to a remote work plan being developed.

This position requires occasional work over normal hours and Saturday work schedules.

Physical Requirements

Perform primarily sedentary work with limited physical exertion and occasional lifting of up to 5 lbs. Must be capable of climbing/descending stairs in emergency situation. Must be able to operate routine office equipment including telephone, copier, facsimile, and calculator. Must be able to routinely perform work on computer for an average of 6-8 hours per day. Must be able to work extended hours whenever required or requested by management. Must be capable of regular, reliable and timely attendance.

Working Conditions

Must be able to routinely perform work indoors in climate-controlled shared work area with moderate noise.

Mental And/or Emotional Requirements

Must be able to perform job functions with supervision and work effectively either on own or as part of a team. Must be able to read and carry out various instructions and follow oral instructions. Must be able to speak clearly and deliver information in a logical and understandable sequence. Must be able to perform basic mathematical calculations with extreme accuracy. Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization and demonstrate highest levels of customer service and discretion when dealing with the public. Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines/requirements for extreme accuracy and quality and/or fast pace. Must be able to effectively handle multiple, simultaneous, and changing priorities. Must be capable of exercising highest level of discretion on confidential matters.

Notice: This job description is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, a contract or guarantee of employment. Black Hills Federal Credit Union adheres to all federal and state labor laws regarding termination and probationary periods. This position is also subject to all the personnel policies of Black Hills Federal Credit Union. Changes may be made to this job description at any time by the President. Black Hills Federal Credit Union is an equal opportunity employer.

Black Hills Federal Credit Union is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by state or federal law. BHFCU will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified persons with a disability but who are otherwise able to perform the essential functions of the job.