Credit Risk Manager - Lead Associate

Playing an essential role in the U.S. economy, Fannie Mae is foundational to housing finance. Here, your expertise can help fuel purpose-driven innovation that expands access to homeownership and affordable rental housing across the country. Join Fannie Mae to grow your career and help people find a place to call home.

Job Description

As a valued colleague on our team, you will advise, collect, review, monitor, and analyze business data to solve problems and make recommendations to improve lender's business performance, while identifying opportunities to manage risk through data and technology. You will partner with lenders and internal stakeholders to manage credit, counterparty, and operational risk, and to support Fannie Mae's Mission and Initiatives.

THE IMPACT YOU WILL MAKE

The Credit Risk Manager Lead Associate role will offer you the flexibility to make each day your own, while working alongside people who care so that you can deliver on the following responsibilities:

• Build, maintain, and continually enhance relationships with lender's senior leadership with minimal assistance.
• Own periodic lender credit engagements and build relationships with lender's key risk/policy contacts; explain risk decisions to executive stakeholders.
• Discuss credit policy and credit risk with lenders and manage communications on selling guide updates, regulatory guidance pertaining to credit flexibility, product enhancements and GSE limitations and/or restrictions and other credit risk changes with minimal assistance from team.
• Monitor, analyze, negotiate, decision and engage with lenders on credit risk exceptions, profile and performance, loan quality/defects, counterparty financial eligibility and compliance.
• Collaborate with your team on opportunities to manage risk and support Fannie Mae Mission, products and initiatives.
• Act as Fannie Mae's first line of defense by monitoring loan quality measures and counterparty eligibility and compliance.

• 4+ years Credit Risk Management and/or Counterparty Risk Management.
• Strong knowledge of mortgage industry and origination process.
• Experience building and maintaining internal and external relationships.
• Proficient written and verbal communication skills; collaborative interpersonal skills and problem solving.
• Ability to analyze and interpret mortgage origination data and performance trends, and clearly communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Proficient in evaluating risks within the mortgage origination process and underwriting.
• Strong ability to interpret Selling Guide policies and explain requirements to partners in clear, practical, and accessible terms.
• Strong ability to identify opportunities for workflow process efficiencies and assist in implementing improvements that enhance accuracy and operational effectiveness.
• Proficient at managing a large number of small accounts, ensuring consistent oversight, timely follow‑up, and strong organizational discipline

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Knowledgeable in regulatory and operational considerations impacting mortgage originations.
• Strong knowledge of Fannie Mae's mission and its role in the mortgage industry.
• Advanced credit risk judgment and decision-making ability;
• Strong knowledge of Fannie Mae Selling Guide principles, credit policy frameworks, and risk resources, with the ability to interpret policy language and communicate guideline impacts effectively to lenders and internal partners.
• Ability to quickly ascertain lenders credit risk culture and philosophy.
• Ability to research industry developments, identify relevant trends, and participate in strategic discussions with chief risk executives and internal stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate and conduct a credit risk assessment.
• Ability to make credit recommendations while effectively engaging with lender partners and multiple internal stakeholders.
• Ability to negotiate and manage contract related activities.
• Ability to reason persuasively, make the business case, and influence lender executives and internal stakeholders
• Experience monitoring counterparty exposure and collaborating on remediation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to make workflow enhancements that improve efficiency and reduce operational friction.