Head of Lock Desk Operations at Independence Home Loans – Arizona

Head of Lock Desk Operations

Head of Lock Desk Operations is a senior leadership role responsible for the overall strategy, governance, and performance of the Lock Desk function. This role leads and manages a remote Lock Desk team and ensures scalable, compliant, and efficient lock operations within a best efforts, nondelegated lending model, where all loans are locked directly on investor websites. The position is heavily managementoriented, with accountability for people leadership, operational controls, workflow design, and risk management, supported by deep expertise in Optimal Blue and Encompass.

Leadership and Team Management

• - Lead, manage, and develop a fully remote Lock Desk team
• - Establish clear expectations for productivity, coverage, service levels, and accountability
• - Define roles, responsibilities, workflows, and escalation paths for team members
• - Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, and professional development
• - Drive a culture of urgency, accuracy, ownership, and operational excellence

Operational Oversight and Risk Management

• - Own endtoend Lock Desk operations with full accountability for accuracy and timeliness
• - Ensure all loans are locked directly on investor websites under a best efforts, nondelegated model
• - Implement and enforce controls to minimize lock errors, pricing discrepancies, and fallout risk
• - Oversee extensions, relocks, renegotiations, cancellations, and exception handling
• - Monitor lock expirations, adherence to investor policies, and overall pipeline exposure

Systems, Process, and Controls

• - Provide management oversight of pricing and lock activity within Optimal Blue
• - Ensure accurate entry, reconciliation, and maintenance of lock data in Encompass LOS
• - Develop, document, and maintain Lock Desk policies, procedures, and standard operating workflows
• - Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements to support scalability and growth
• - Track and analyze Lock Desk performance metrics, including turnaround times, fallout, and exceptions

Required Qualifications

• - 5+ years of direct management experience within a Lock Desk environment
• - Proven experience leading and managing remote or distributed Lock Desk teams
• - Extensive experience operating a best efforts, nondelegated Lock Desk with direct investor website locking
• - Advanced expertise in Optimal Blue for pricing and lock workflow management
• - Strong operational and managerial experience with Encompass LOS
• - Deep understanding of investor lock policies, extensions, renegotiations, and fallout risk
• - Demonstrated success managing highvolume operations in a fastpaced environment

Core Competencies

• - Remote people leadership and accountability
• - Operational risk management
• - Process discipline and scalability
• - Strategic oversight with handson credibility
• - High ownership mindset and decisiveness