Quality Assurance Specialist

Kawasaki Motors Retail Finance is seeking a detail-oriented and compliance driven Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst to join our dynamic and growing team. As part of our startup captive finance company specializing in installment loans for the powersports industry, the QA Analyst will play a vital role in ensuring operational excellence and regulatory compliance across all facets of the loan lifecycle including credit, underwriting, funding, and servicing. This role requires a strong understanding of financial services operations, particularly in regulatory environments, and a passion for identifying and resolving quality and compliance gaps. The QA Analyst will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating loan files, system entries, and customer communications, as well as facilitating QA training and reporting to senior leadership. This position will report to the Sr. Group Manager, Servicing Operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct quality control reviews on all loan files, including approved, declined, and withdrawn applications, to ensure adherence to internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct monitoring and audits of customer interactions, including contracts, calls, correspondence, SCRA compliance, credit reporting, GAP cancellations, and collection activities, across credit, collections, servicing, and funding departments to evaluate compliance and service quality.
• Evaluate call recordings to ensure customer verification, FDCPA compliance, appropriate use of Mini Miranda disclosures, and adherence to company communication standards.
• Review loan documentation and system entries for accuracy, completeness, and consistency with internal processes, policies and procedures.
• Perform random audits on transactional activities including due date changes, address updates, hardship requests, SCRA documentation, payment processing, title release processing, and more.
• Proactively identify process inefficiencies, documentation inaccuracies, and compliance issues across departments; communicate findings to leadership with detailed recommendations for resolution. Partner with department heads to develop, implement, and monitor corrective action plans, ensuring timely remediation and long-term effectiveness.
• Prepare and deliver QA reports on a quarterly basis (or as needed), highlighting audit results, trends, root causes, and training needs.
• Assist with onboarding and QA training for new staff, ensuring consistent understanding of quality standards, compliance protocols, and performance expectations.
• Support internal and external audits by retrieving documentation and coordinating with internal and external departments. Serve as a liaison with internal audit, compliance, and legal teams to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements at both the state and federal levels.
• Recommend updates to policies and procedures based on QA findings and evolving regulatory guidelines.
• Actively participate in continuous improvement efforts to enhance customer experience, mitigate risk and increase operational efficiency.
• Work closely with other internal departments. Contribute to team success by participating in special projects, process enhancements, other duties as assigned, and brainstorming sessions aimed at improving customer experience and operational efficiency. Embrace the pace and flexibility of a startup environment, continuously seeking ways to evolve with the business and better serve our customers and Dealers.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in quality assurance, compliance, or auditing within financial services, banking, lending, or captive finance preferably within the automotive or powersports industry.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state regulatory requirements, including but not limited to FDCPA, SCRA, ECOA, GLBA, TILA.ECOA, FCRA, CCPA, AML, Regulation B, Regulation and other consumer lending laws applicable to installment loans.
• Hands-on experience with financial platforms, such as Loan Origination Systems (LOS), Loan Management Systems (LMS), familiarity with workflow tools and digital document management systems.
• Proven ability to evaluate loan documentation and system records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Skilled in call monitoring and quality scoring methodologies; understands soft skills assessment, customer verification processes, Mini Miranda requirements, and FDCPA compliance in call reviews.
• Familiarity with QA tools and call recording systems such as Cisco, Five9, NICE, LiveVox, or similar telephony platforms.
• Experience developing and delivering QA scorecards, audit checklists, performance metrics, and root cause analysis reports.
• Strong analytical thinking and critical reasoning skills able to uncover systemic issues, identify process gaps, and contribute to corrective action planning.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to craft detailed reports, present findings to leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across departments including Credit, Collections, Servicing, Funding and Compliance.
• High level of attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proactive and solution-oriented, with the flexibility and initiative to thrive in a startup culture where processes are continuously evolving.
• Experience in supporting or leading QA training and onboarding programs for new staff and in aligning teams with compliance standards and quality expectations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook); strong documentation and recordkeeping skills are a must.
• Ability to work on-site at our Foothill Ranch, CA office, with a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.

Profile Differentiators:

• Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of federal and multi-state regulatory requirements, including FDCPA, SCRA, TILA, ECOA, FCRA, GLBA, AML, Regulation B, and CCPA, with proven experience applying these regulations in a high-compliance lending environment spanning all 50 states.
• Brings direct experience working with Loan Origination Systems (LOS), Loan Management Systems (LMS), and digital document workflows in a fast-paced consumer finance environment, particularly within powersports or auto finance sectors.
• Skilled in building and executing quality monitoring programs, including call reviews, QA scorecards, compliance checklists, and root cause analyses using platforms like Cisco, Five9, NICE, and LiveVox, ensuring both regulatory compliance and customer service excellence.
• Known for successfully partnering across key departments, including Credit, Collections, Funding, Servicing, and Compliance, to identify process gaps, improve QA protocols, and implement corrective actions that directly impact operational performance and risk mitigation.
• Thrives in evolving, high-growth environments with a strong "builder" mindset, proactively driving process improvements and QA scalability while maintaining sharp attention to detail and juggling competing priorities under pressure.

Salary:

• $34-$36/hr.

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

Equal Opportunity: 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.