Senior Loan Operations Manager at East West Bank

Job description

Since 1973, East West Bank has served as a pathway to success. With over 110 locations across the U.S. and Asia, we are the premier financial bridge between the East and West. Our teams of experienced, multi-cultural professionals help guide businesses and community members on both sides of the Pacific looking to explore new markets and create new opportunities, and our sustained growth and expertise in industries like real estate, entertainment and media, private equity and venture capital, and high-tech help build sustainable businesses and expand our associates’ potential for career advancement. Headquartered in California, East West Bank (Nasdaq: EWBC) is a top-performing commercial bank with a strong foundation, an enterprising spirit and a commitment to absolute integrity. East West Bank gives people the confidence to reach further. The Senior Loan Operations Manager oversees high-performing teams responsible for end-to-end loan documentation, funding, construction disbursements, and servicing activities. This role drives operational excellence, ensures strong control execution, partners with key stakeholders cross-functionally, and maintains full compliance with regulatory and policy standards. The manager will ensure a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and client service while managing capacity, quality, and risk across a complex commercial lending portfolio. People Leadership & Team Management • Lead, coach, and develop a team of analysts, specialists, and senior processors with clear goals, KPIs, and career pathways. • Foster a culture of results-driven performance, accountability, inclusion, continuous improvement, and customer focus. • Manage resource planning, workload balancing, and case routing to meet SLAs and adjust to changing demand. • Implement quality controls such as 4-eye reviews, sampling, and QC/QA routines; deliver ongoing performance feedback. • Provide development and targeted training in specialized areas such as commercial title and survey due diligence, lien and encumbrance analysis, loan documentation, construction budget management and draw controls, complex funding structures, and ongoing servicing processes. Operational Excellence & Controls • Oversee end-to-end loan operations, including intake and processing of document and funding requests, construction disbursements, and ongoing servicing. • Ensure robust control design including but not limited to maker/checker routines, segregation of duties, auditable documentation. • Drive process simplification and automation through standardized checklists, digital workflows, and exception dashboards. • Partner with Technology and Business Analytics to implement system enhancements and leverage analytics for exceptions, aging, SLA adherence, and error-rate analysis. Compliance, Risk & Policy Alignment • Maintain strict adherence to corporate credit governance, credit policies, documentation, funding, and servicing standards, construction disbursement protocols, and regulatory requirements. • Operationalize all internal and external loan agreements, including conditions precedent, loan terms and conditions, ongoing servicing requirements and provisions. • Prepare for internal audits, compliance reviews, and regulatory examinations; drive timely remediation of findings. • Identify emerging risks, escalate appropriately, and document exceptions with clear rationale and required approvals. Stakeholder Partnership & Communication • Serve as the operational liaison for Credit, Legal, Construction Administration, Relationship Managers, Treasury Operations, and third-party vendors. • Communicate funding readiness, documentation gaps, exception status, and construction draw timing clearly and proactively. • Produce management reporting on pipeline, SLA performance, exceptions, construction budget-to-actuals, and risk indicators, including but not limited to mechanics liens, post-closing exceptions, UCC alerts. • May perform other duties as assigned Required • 7–10+ years of commercial loan operations experience, including 5+ years in team leadership • Extensive expertise in commercial real estate loan documentation, title and survey due diligence, funding operations, servicing, and construction loan disbursement management.. • Deep experience interpreting and operationalizing complex and highly negotiated loan agreements. • Strong understanding of operational controls, risk management, and regulatory frameworks. • Proven track record implementing scalable workflows and driving process improvement. Preferred • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other productivity tools. • Proficiency with loan systems, and workflow platforms (e.g., FIS, LaserPro, CLCS). • Hands-on experience with loan documentation & funding, construction draw administration, budget control, lien waivers, title updates/endorsements, and vendor management. Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the United States. We do not offer visa sponsorship at this time. The base pay range for this position is USD $175,000.00/Yr. - USD $205,000.00/Yr. Exact offers will be determined based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

Requirements

Must-haves

People Leadership & Team Management
Lead, coach, and develop a team of analysts, specialists, and senior processors with clear goals, KPIs, and career pathways.
Foster a culture of results-driven performance, accountability, inclusion, continuous improvement, and customer focus.
Manage resource planning, workload balancing, and case routing to meet SLAs and adjust to changing demand.
Implement quality controls such as 4-eye reviews, sampling, and QC/QA routines; deliver ongoing performance feedback.
Operational Excellence & Controls
Oversee end-to-end loan operations, including intake and processing of document and funding requests, construction disbursements, and ongoing servicing.
Ensure robust control design including but not limited to maker/checker routines, segregation of duties, auditable documentation.
Drive process simplification and automation through standardized checklists, digital workflows, and exception dashboards.
Partner with Technology and Business Analytics to implement system enhancements and leverage analytics for exceptions, aging, SLA adherence, and error-rate analysis.
Compliance, Risk & Policy Alignment
Maintain strict adherence to corporate credit governance, credit policies, documentation, funding, and servicing standards, construction disbursement protocols, and regulatory requirements.
Operationalize all internal and external loan agreements, including conditions precedent, loan terms and conditions, ongoing servicing requirements and provisions.
Prepare for internal audits, compliance reviews, and regulatory examinations; drive timely remediation of findings.
Identify emerging risks, escalate appropriately, and document exceptions with clear rationale and required approvals.
Stakeholder Partnership & Communication
Serve as the operational liaison for Credit, Legal, Construction Administration, Relationship Managers, Treasury Operations, and third-party vendors.
Communicate funding readiness, documentation gaps, exception status, and construction draw timing clearly and proactively.
Produce management reporting on pipeline, SLA performance, exceptions, construction budget-to-actuals, and risk indicators, including but not limited to mechanics liens, post-closing exceptions, UCC alerts.
May perform other duties as assigned
7–10+ years of commercial loan operations experience, including 5+ years in team leadership

Nice-to-haves

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other productivity tools.
Proficiency with loan systems, and workflow platforms (e.g., FIS, LaserPro, CLCS).
Hands-on experience with loan documentation & funding, construction draw administration, budget control, lien waivers, title updates/endorsements, and vendor management.

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Platform: icims
Effort: medium

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Vision