At OakStar, strong relationships are at the heart of everything we do—including how we work together. Since 2005, we’ve grown from a single location in Springfield, Missouri, into a trusted, multi-state financial institution serving communities across Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. As an SBA Preferred Lender and a recognized leader in small business banking, our work supports local economies and meaningful growth—giving our team members the opportunity to make real, visible impact through their roles.
Working at OakStar means joining a fast-paced, collaborative, and supportive team guided by our SERVE values—stewardship, empathy, responsiveness, vision, and empowerment. We’re committed to service excellence, giving back to our communities, and fostering a workplace where team members are supported. Comprehensive benefits include health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances, as well as 401(k), 401(k) match, paid time off, and paid holidays.
Summary
The Loan Code Specialist is responsible for reviewing, maintaining, and updating loan classifications, call report codes, and collateral codes within the bank's core processing system to ensure the integrity of loan records throughout the loan lifecycle. This position reviews loan documentation and inputs, and also validates loan coding and system parameters, to ensure loans are boarded accurately and comply with bank policies, accounting standards, regulatory requirements, and investor guidelines, if applicable. The Loan Coding Specialist collaborates with Loan Operations, Lending, Credit Administration, Compliance, and Accounting to resolve discrepancies and maintain the accuracy of the bank's loan portfolio.
Essential Duties
- Provide timely and accurate responses to lending teams regarding loan type classifications, call report codes, and primary collateral codes for system input.
- Review all loan activity for coding accuracy, including newly boarded loans, loan modifications, change in terms, or renewals and extensions.
- Verify loan codes against approved loan documents to ensure all system information is complete, accurate, and compliant with bank policies and procedures.
- Validate loan product codes, purpose codes, collateral types, participation information, risk ratings, reporting fields, and regulatory classifications.
- Perform quality control reviews to identify and correct coding discrepancies prior to loan funding or booking.
- Review exception reports and system generated edits to identify and resolve loan coding errors.
- Research discrepancies between loan documentation and system records, coordinating with lenders, loan assistants, processors, and loan operations staff to resolve issues.
- Maintain accurate records and coding changes.
- Ensure loan records comply with applicable federal and state regulations, internal policies, compliance, accounting requirements, and investor servicing guidelines when applicable.
- Support internal and external audits, regulatory examinations, and quality assurance reviews by providing documentation and responding to inquiries.
- Monitor assigned workflows to ensure loan codes are provided within established service level expectations, and ensure adherence to internal tracking and reporting standards.
- Ensure the accuracy of loan types and coding assignments and the accurate application of internal specialization codes.
- Ensure proper collateral coding is aligned with supporting documentation.
- Maintain current knowledge of loan products, system functionality, regulatory requirements, and operational procedures affecting loan coding.
Secondary Duties
The Loan Code Specialist performs duties specific to the position and other functions as assigned.
Responsibilities
- Ensure compliance with all bank policies and procedures, as well as all applicable state and federal banking regulations.
- Treat people with respect, keep commitments, inspire the trust of others, work ethically and with integrity, uphold the bank’s values, and accept responsibility for one’s own actions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to EEO policy, show respect and sensitivity for cultural differences, educate others on the value of diversity, promote a working environment free of harassment of any type, and value a diverse workforce.
- Follow policies and procedures, complete tasks accurately and on time, support the bank’s goals and values, and benefit the bank through outside activities.
- Perform the position safely, without endangering the health or safety of yourself or others, and report potentially unsafe conditions to management. Comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to the OSHA Act of 1970 that are applicable to one’s position at the bank.
- Possess and maintain a current driver's license and a vehicle with appropriate insurance coverage. Both are required to drive while performing assigned duties and responsibilities.
- Possess and maintain adequate skills in computer operation, including email, word processing, spreadsheet, and specialty software programs.
- Possess and maintain adequate typing skills to meet the needs of the position.
- Possess and maintain adequate math skills to meet the needs of the position. This may include the ability to count currency and coin, calculate interest, balance accounts, add, subtract, multiply, and locate routine mathematical errors.
- Practice effective and efficient organizational and time management skills.
- Be able to work with general supervision while performing duties.
- Use effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. This includes the ability to apply common sense when carrying out instructions, interpreting documents, understanding procedures, writing reports and correspondence, and speaking clearly to customers and employees.
- Be able to deal with routine problems involving multiple facets and variables in standardized situations.
Supervisor Responsibility
The Loan Code Specialist is not responsible for the supervision of any employee(s).
Environment, Physical, & Mental Demands
The environment for this position is primarily a non-confined office-type setting in which employees are free to move about at will. This environment may include some minor annoyances, such as noise, odors, drafts, temperatures, etc.
Physical demands include writing, typing, speaking, listening, lifting (up to 25 pounds), driving, carrying, seeing (such as close, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and adjusted focus), sitting, walking, standing, squatting, kneeling, and reaching.
Mental demands include analytical reasoning, reading and understanding documents or instruments, performing detailed work, following directions, problem solving, providing effective customer or employee communication, performing accurate math calculations, understanding language, engaging in effective verbal and written communication, enduring stress, conducting multiple concurrent tasks, and withstanding constant interruptions.
Physical and mental demands also include correct usage of the following equipment: telephones, cellular phones, copy and fax machines, adding machines or calculators, encoders, money counters, credit card terminals, postage machines, cash recyclers, vaults, computers, and related printers.
Work environment characteristics, physical demands, and mental demands are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job and represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform the job in a satisfactory manner. Individual abilities may result in some deviation from these guidelines.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
These qualifications are general guidelines normally considered essential to the satisfactory performance of this position. The specifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform the position in a satisfactory manner. Individual abilities may result in some deviations from these qualifications.
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or a related field preferred.
- At least three years of banking, loan operations, loan servicing, loan processing, or lending support experience.
- Experience working with consumer, commercial, agricultural, and mortgage loan documentation preferred.
- Strong understanding of loan coding principles and regulatory requirements.
- Familiarity with core banking systems and loan servicing platforms.
- Knowledge of banking regulations affecting loan documentation, servicing, and reporting.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify discrepancies and determine appropriate resolutions.
- Excellent attention to detail and commitment to producing highly accurate work.
- Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple assignments while meeting deadlines.
- Ability to interpret loan documentation, promissory notes, security agreements, mortgages, and other legal lending documents.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, Teams, and Outlook.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive customer and financial information.
- Ability to work overtime during peak periods or to meet deadlines.
Management reserves the right to change this position description at any time according to business needs.
