What are the responsibilities and job description for the Underwriting Associate position at ASCENDING?
Location: Bethesda, MD (Hybrid – 3 days onsite)
Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
About the Role
We’re seeking a meticulous and analytical Underwriting Associate to join our client’s fast-growing mortgage operations team. In this role, you'll be responsible for assessing and underwriting Business Purpose Loan (BPL) files, ensuring each deal meets program guidelines and risk standards. You’ll play a key role in loan qualification decisions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to move files from intake to close with accuracy and efficiency.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a detail-driven environment, can balance productivity with precision, and brings strong working knowledge of BPL loan processes.
Key Responsibilities
- Underwrite BPL mortgage loans, assessing borrower profiles, entity documentation, credit, assets, and collateral against program guidelines.
- Validate business and personal credit histories, property appraisals, title documentation, and asset statements.
- Collaborate with the processing team to review, clear, and condition files for a “clear to close” status.
- Manage a personal pipeline of files through all origination stages, ensuring timelines are met.
- Serve as a resource for Sales, Processing, Valuations, and other departments by providing underwriting expertise.
- Assess and calculate loan-to-value (LTV) ratios and analyze deal viability based on loan terms.
- Conduct research to verify collateral value, borrower performance history, and complex scenarios.
- Stay up to date on all internal loan products and underwriting guidelines.
- Collaborate with teammates to deliver smart, client-focused decisions.
- Support the broader team by contributing to operational excellence and process improvement.
Qualifications & Skills
- Experience: 2–5 years in residential mortgage underwriting preferred; strong BPL underwriting experience highly valued.
- Education: Bachelor's degree preferred (equivalent experience will be considered).
- Knowledge of mortgage underwriting concepts, credit evaluation, and compliance practices.
- Proven ability to manage a high-volume pipeline while maintaining high-quality standards.
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and familiar with mortgage origination systems.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to work cross-functionally with multiple departments.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of independent decision-making under pressure.
What You’ll Gain
- Opportunity to work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment with a leading financial institution.
- Exposure to a wide variety of BPL loan products and deal structures.
- Ability to grow and advance in underwriting or credit risk functions.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Our client is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.
