Description
This role is a dedicated Private Bank closing resource for West Coast clients, Relationship Managers, and Lending Support. The Senior Mortgage Closing Specialist is accountable for moving complex residential loans from clear-to-close through funding with accuracy, urgency, and strong judgment. The work requires more than standard closing production: the right candidate can manage sensitive timelines, complex client profiles, and multiple third parties while protecting the bank’s regulatory, documentation, and funding standards.
What Success Looks Like
- Clients and internal partners receive clear, proactive updates before issues become delays.
- Closing packages, disclosures, fees, wires, funding conditions, and settlement details are accurate the first time.
- Private Bank relationship teams can rely on the closer to own the details, escalate cleanly, and preserve the client experience through closing and funding.
- The role improves execution quality while reducing avoidable rework, missed closing dates, and late-stage surprises.
Primary Responsibilities
- Manage the closing process for Private Bank residential loans from final approval through funding authorization and post-closing handoff.
- Prepare and review Closing Disclosures, closing packages, funding documents, and related documentation across portfolio mortgage, HELOC, HELOAN, CEMA, co-op, and other applicable residential products.
- Review files for completeness, accuracy, closing conditions, fee accuracy, loan terms, rate, product, title, escrow, insurance, and settlement requirements before documents are released.
- Coordinate directly with title companies, escrow agents, attorneys, internal lending teams, relationship managers, processors, underwriters, and borrowers as appropriate.
- Own West Coast closing coverage, including time-sensitive same-day issue resolution tied to California and other West Coast escrow and funding timelines.
- TRID requirements, including Closing Disclosure timing, valid changed circumstances, fee tolerance, cure prevention, and borrower acknowledgement requirements.
- Reconcile wires and settlement figures with the settlement agent before funding; confirm all required funding documentation is received before funding authorization is issued.
- Identify, document, and escalate closing risks early, including title issues, settlement discrepancies, missing documentation, disclosure timing risk, client availability, entity/trust questions, and attorney-driven requirements.
- Communicate with precision and discretion; keep clients and internal partners informed without creating noise or unnecessary escalation.
- Maintain daily pipeline discipline and actively manage priorities based on closing date, client sensitivity, complexity, readiness, and funding risk.
- Meet established production, quality, compliance, and service standards, with an expectation of high accuracy and strong follow-through.
- Contribute to process improvement by identifying recurring closing friction points and recommending practical fixes that improve speed, quality, or client experience.
Private Bank Complexity This Role Must Handle
- High-net-worth client profiles where income, liquidity, assets, ownership structure, or transaction timing may require judgment and coordination beyond standard retail mortgage closing workflows.
- Transactions involving trusts, entities, multiple properties, non-standard vesting, attorney involvement, escrow-specific requirements, or tightly coordinated purchase timelines.
- Clients and advisors who expect responsiveness, accuracy, discretion, and concise communication at every stage of closing.
- Complex dependencies across underwriting, product, pricing, title, escrow, legal, relationship teams, and client schedules.
Required Capabilities
- Mortgage closing expertise: Strong command of residential closing mechanics, documentation, settlement, disclosure timing, funding conditions, and title/escrow coordination.
- Regulatory discipline: Working knowledge of TRID, fee tolerance, valid changed circumstances, Closing Disclosure timing, and cure prevention.
- Private Bank service judgment: Ability to support sophisticated clients and advisors with discretion, urgency, calm communication, and practical problem solving.
- Operational ownership: Manages a pipeline proactively; anticipates blockers and drives files to close.
- Detail accuracy: Identifies and resolves issues in documents, fees, terms, conditions, wires, and settlement figures before they become client-facing problems.
- Clear communication: Communicates directly, professionally, and concisely with internal and external parties.
- Issue escalation: Distinguishes when to resolve independently vs. escalate; clearly presents issue, risk, decision needed, and recommended path.
- West Coast responsiveness: Available and effective during West Coast closing windows; understands pace and timing sensitivity of escrow-driven markets.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of mortgage closing experience preferred; strong candidates with 3+ years of complex closing experience may be considered.
- Demonstrated experience preparing or reviewing Closing Disclosures, closing packages, funding conditions, settlement statements, and wire reconciliations.
- Working knowledge of TRID and related mortgage disclosure requirements.
- Experience working with title companies, escrow agents, attorneys, processors, underwriters, and client-facing banking teams.
- Ability to support complex or high-touch lending transactions where timing, accuracy, communication, and discretion are critical.
- Strong organization, time management, and follow-through; able to manage multiple closings and competing deadlines without losing detail quality.
- High school diploma or equivalent required; relevant mortgage, banking, or lending certifications are a plus but not required.
Preferred Experience
- Private Bank, wealth management, high-net-worth mortgage, portfolio lending, or complex residential lending experience.
- West Coast purchase, escrow, or title experience, particularly California-based closing practices.
- Experience with portfolio products, HELOCs, HELOANs, co-ops, CEMA, trusts, entities, or attorney-managed transactions.
- Track record of improving closing quality, cycle time, client communication, or late-stage exception management.
Hours & Work Schedule
- Hours per Week: 40
- Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 4 days in the office 11-8PM (West Coast Hours) - overtime when necessary
Pay Transparency
The salary range for this position is $28.85- $48.55/per hour. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the budget, work location, and relevant skills and experience.
We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits .
Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.
