Position Overview:
The Group Manager, Originations is a senior operations leader responsible for the end-to-end management and continuous improvement of origination operations, including Underwriting and Funding/Booking. This position provides leadership and oversight for the Underwriting Manager and Funding Supervisor, ensuring fast, consistent, compliant, and dealer-friendly execution from application through booking. This position will be responsible for managing a team of up to 20 Underwriters, Loan Processors, Managers and Supervisors. Position reports to Vice President of Operations or Chief Operating Officer.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Management
- Lead hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management across Underwriting and Funding teams.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Originations leadership team; set clear expectations and drive accountability.
- Create a collaborative, high-performance culture with an obsession for high quality dealer service.
Operational Oversight (Underwriting & Funding)
- Manage the daily operating rhythm for Originations, including queue management, workflow distribution, and escalation paths.
- Establish and maintain Decision Turn Time and Funding Turnaround SLAs; monitor performance and take corrective actions.
- Ensure underwriting and funding activities are executed consistently and aligned to policies, procedures, and lending guidelines.
Credit Strategy Execution & Exception Governance
- Partner with senior leadership and stakeholders to operationalize credit strategies, underwriting standards, and loan program rules.
- Own the exception and escalation framework (approval authorities, documentation standards, and decision rationale expectations).
- Ensure underwriting decisions are supported by thorough due diligence analysis and clear audit trails.
Dealer relationships
- Support sales department and Sales Managers in their effort to build relationships with the Kawasaki Dealer Partners.
- Interact with finance managers and dealer principals on individual deals to find common ground on exception requests.
- Build, maintain and nurture relationships with dealer partners to build their confidence in our finance programs.
Funding, Booking & Documentation Quality
- Oversee funding and booking to ensure timely, accurate disbursement of funds and clean loan setup.
- Ensure documentation completeness and compliance prior to funding; drive strong file quality and minimize rework/defects.
- Oversee collateral and supporting documentation review expectations to support collateral perfection readiness (as applicable).
Controls, Compliance & Audit Readiness
- Ensure Originations processes comply with regulatory requirements and internal policies; maintain strong internal controls.
- Oversee audit readiness for underwriting and funding files through proactive reviews and issue remediation.
- Identify operational risks and implement corrective actions to prevent repeat issues.
Reporting, Performance Management & Continuous Improvement
- Define, track, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) for Originations (e.g., turn times, approval rates, defect/rework rates, dealer satisfaction drivers).
- Lead identification of process improvements and ensure consistent adoption of best practices across Underwriting and Funding.
- Prepare and present performance reporting, trend analysis, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Systems & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Oversee effective use of the Loan Origination System (LOS) and related tools; partner on workflow design, enhancements, training, and adoption.
- Collaborate with Sales, Compliance, Finance, and Servicing to ensure seamless handoffs from booking into servicing while keeping servicing execution out of scope.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for complex dealer, credit, or operational issues requiring judgment and cross-department coordination.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, or a related field preferred; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in retail finance originations and/or credit operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing managers or team leads.
- Strong understanding of underwriting operations, funding/booking workflows, loan documentation requirements, and operational controls.
- Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements, compliance expectations, and audit-readiness practices within financial services.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and strong familiarity with Loan Origination Systems (LOS).
- Excellent analytical, decision-making, leadership, and communication skills; ability to drive alignment across teams and stakeholders.
- Ability to work on-site at our Foothill Ranch, CA office.
Profile Differentiators:
- Experience in founding, co-founding, or operating in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Experience in the powersports finance industry (motorcycle, ATV, UTV, PWC).
- Experience in a FinTech startup or technology-enabled lending environment.
Salary range: $150,000 – $160,000
To support your health and wellness goals, Kawasaki provides a comprehensive benefits program dedicated to the well-being of our employees and their families.
What We Offer:
- Competitive salary based on experience
- Medical, Dental, Vision and Pet insurance
- 401(k) match
- Life and Disability benefits
- Generous PTO policy
- Up to 12 paid company holidays
- Employee discounts on Kawasaki products
- Onsite fitness center
- Kawasaki Kafé
KMRF is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with KMRF is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.