Mortgage Loan Underwriter

About the teamThe Senior Specialist, Mortgage Underwriting evaluates complex mortgage applications to balance credit risk, customer experience, and investor and regulatory requirements. This role leverages advanced underwriting judgment to assess income, assets, collateral, and credit profiles; resolve escalated scenarios; and support process improvements that enable Zillow's mortgage business to scale responsibly.About the role- Lead the end-to-end underwriting review for mortgage applications, ensuring accurate analysis of income, assets, liabilities, collateral, and credit.- Apply investor, insurer, agency, and internal credit policies to render sound credit decisions, clearly documenting conditions, exceptions, and rationale.- Review and resolve escalated or exception files, partnering with credit policy, capital markets, and compliance teams to balance risk, customer needs, and business objectives.- Collaborate with mortgage sales, processing, and closing teams to clarify requirements, remove obstacles, and maintain a timely, high‑quality borrower experience.- Identify trends in underwriting defects, overlays, and repurchase risk, and recommend process or guideline improvements to enhance quality and efficiency.- Maintain service level and turn‑time standards while managing a high‑volume pipeline without compromising quality.- Complete accurate, timely documentation in Encompass and respond to audits and post‑closing issues within required timeframes.- Safeguard borrower confidentiality and stay current on agency/investor guidelines and regulatory or market changes that impact credit decisions.- Mentor less experienced underwriters by sharing best practices, reviewing complex scenarios, and providing feedback that reinforces consistency and judgment.- Continuously meet all underwriting departmental goals including but not limited to production, quality, and efficiency.This role has been categorized as a Remote position. "Remote" employees do not have a permanen