Mortgage Accounting Liaison

Job description

At VyStar, we offer competitive pay, an excellent benefit package that includes a 401(k) Plan, an extensive paid technical and on-the-job training program, and tuition reimbursement--available to all full and part time employees. Part time positions start at a minimum of 30 hours per week. We encourage you to become a part of VyStar Credit Union's family of employees. Mortgage Accounting Liaison ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT The Mortgage Accounting Liaison serves as a critical bridge between the Mortgage Accounting, Mortgage Servicing, Mortgage Operations, Finance, Information Technology, Internal Audit, Risk, Compliance, and other business partners to support accurate, timely, and well-controlled mortgage accounting processes. This position is responsible for coordinating issue resolution, gathering and validating operational support, tracking open items, assisting with process documentation, monitoring recurring exceptions, and helping ensure mortgage-related activity is appropriately communicated, supported, and resolved. Reporting to the AVP Mortgage Accounting, this role supports the stabilization, standardization, and ongoing governance of mortgage accounting activities, including MSP-related transaction flows, general ledger mapping, clearing and suspense activity, escrow and investor activity, reconciliations, reporting, exception tracking, and cross-functional communication. The position requires strong organization, attention to detail, analytical ability, follow-through, and the ability to work collaboratively with business partners to promote accountability, transparency, and sustainable resolution of mortgage accounting issues. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Cross-Functional Liaison and Issue Coordination Serves as a primary day-to-day liaison between Mortgage Accounting and key business partners to support timely communication, issue intake, follow-up, and resolution of mortgage accounting matters. Coordinates with Mortgage Servicing, Mortgage Operations, Finance, Information Technology, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, external auditors, and other stakeholders to obtain information, clarify process questions, validate support, and assist with resolving items impacting accounting, reconciliations, reporting, or controls. Maintains organized tracking of open items, recurring issues, action plans, deadlines, owners, aging, supporting documentation, and resolution status. Escalates significant, aged, recurring, or high-risk matters to the AVP Mortgage Accounting timely and assists in preparing concise updates for accounting leadership and project governance forums. Process Documentation, Controls, and Governance Support Assists in documenting mortgage accounting processes, transaction flows, control points, escalation paths, reporting dependencies, and recurring procedures. Helps maintain desk procedures, process maps, issue logs, decision logs, and other documentation needed to support audit readiness, operational consistency, and sustainable knowledge transfer. Supports the Mortgage Accounting team in monitoring adherence to established processes, reconciliation standards, exception management protocols, approval workflows, and internal control expectations. Assists with gathering support for audit, examination, control testing, and remediation requests, ensuring information is complete, accurate, well organized, and provided timely. Mortgage Accounting Operations and Reconciliation Support Supports the review, validation, and follow-up of mortgage-related activity impacting general ledger accounts, clearing and suspense accounts, escrow activity, investor and custodial activity, payment processing, loan sales, participation, mortgage servicing rights, and other mortgage-related balances. Assists team members in obtaining supporting reports, researching operational questions, validating data, and documenting explanations for variances or exceptions. Partners with Mortgage Accounting team members to identify trends, recurring breaks, data gaps, timing differences, mapping concerns, process inconsistencies, and other items that impact reconciliation quality or month-end close. Assists in tracking corrective actions through completion and validating that resolution steps are documented and sustainable. Reporting, Communication, and Stakeholder Updates Prepares, maintains, or contributes to status updates, open item summaries, aging reports, issue trackers, meeting notes, follow-up lists, and other communication tools used to provide visibility into mortgage accounting priorities. Communicates clearly and professionally with internal business partners regarding information needs, deadlines, support requirements, ownership, and next steps. Supports recurring meetings, project workstreams, and governance routines by organizing materials, capturing decisions and action items, following up on deliverables, and helping ensure cross-functional dependencies are visible and addressed. Promotes a collaborative, service-oriented, and solution-focused approach to resolving mortgage accounting matters. MSP Stabilization, Optimization, and Change Support Assists with MSP stabilization, optimization, automation, system conversion, reporting enhancement, and process improvement initiatives impacting mortgage accounting. Supports user acceptance testing, report validation, transaction mapping review, exception monitoring, and documentation of process or system changes that affect mortgage accounting, reconciliations, general ledger activity, or controls. All employees and business units, as first line of defense, are expected to proactively help identify, assess, manage, and report risks within their domain of work. To enhance a healthy risk culture and support our growth for good pillar, employees will maintain vigilance in safeguarding our operations while ensuring compliance with regulatory mandates. The Risk team serves as the second line of defense by providing risk oversight and credible challenge whereas the Audit team serves as the third line of defense by providing risk assurance. VyStar Excellence Incumbent is expected to demonstrate each of the following VyStar Excellence behaviors in performing the duties and responsibilities of their job: Focus - Focus your full attention by carefully listening to and observing client or member. Connect - Consistently be friendly and approachable. Demonstrate your care. Understand - Listen empathetically and ask questions (70%/30% rule). Counsel - Recommend solutions based on your member’s needs and objectives. Advance - Ensure that member’s expectations were exceeded. Verify necessary follow-up actions. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Working knowledge of accounting operations, general ledger activity, account reconciliations, internal controls, and financial institution processes. Knowledge of mortgage servicing, mortgage accounting, escrow activity, investor reporting, clearing and suspense accounts, MSP, Workday, and related reporting tools preferred. Strong organizational skills with the ability to maintain accurate issue logs, follow-up trackers, documentation repositories, and status reporting. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to research variances, identify trends, summarize findings, and support root-cause resolution. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with accounting leadership, business partners, auditors, project teams, and other stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, follow through on open items, and escalate issues appropriately in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment. High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, documentation quality, confidentiality, accountability, and internal control compliance. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, general ledger systems, reconciliation tools, reporting tools, and mortgage servicing or loan accounting systems. Experience with Workday and MSP preferred. Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative, service-oriented, and solution-focused team environment. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required; bachelor’s degree preferred. Equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant work experience may be considered. Two or more years of experience in accounting, financial operations, mortgage servicing, loan operations, reconciliations, audit support, project coordination, or related financial services function preferred. Experience working in a regulated financial institution environment preferred. Experience supporting cross-functional projects, process documentation, issue tracking, reconciliation cleanup, system implementation, or process improvement initiatives preferred. DISCLAIMER AND WORK ENVIRONMENT Nothing in this position description is an implied contract for employment. The position description is intended to be an accurate account of the essential functions. The functions are not all encompassing and are subject to change at any time by management. The work environment characteristics described are representative of those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. As required or requested, may exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. VyStar Credit Union is not seeking outside assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies or search firms for employment or contractor opportunities. Any resumes submitted by an outside vendor to any employee at VyStar via e-mail, internet, or directly to hiring managers without a valid written search agreement with the Talent Acquisition / HR department will be deemed the sole property of VyStar Credit Union. No placement fee will be paid if a candidate is hired as a result of the referral, or through other means. Thank you for your inquiry regarding our current job opening. Your resume will be carefully reviewed against the position requirements. Should your experience and skills match, you will be contacted by one of our Human Resources department staff members. Thank you again for your interest in this position! VyStar Credit Union Human Resources