Associate SME, Default Division (DD) Foreclosure and Bankruptcy

SME, Associate – Default Division (DD) Foreclosure/Bankruptcy

Project: USDA Rural Development (RD) Loan Servicing

Division: Default Division (DD) Foreclosure/Bankruptcy

Location: Remote, occasional travel to St. Louis or DC offices may be required.

Schedule: Monday – Friday, core Agency hours between 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM CST (8-hour workdays expected)

Overview:

USDA Rural Development (RD) is the federal government’s investment arm for rural America — providing loans, grants, and loan guarantees to expand access to housing, utilities, broadband, healthcare, and business opportunity in the communities that private markets too often overlook. The Servicing Office (SO) provides loan servicing performance and efficiency for Rural Development (RD) programs through exemplary customer service and fiscal stewardship while cultivating a highly productive workforce. The Servicing Office manages those loans from the day they close to the day they’re paid off — ensuring families stay in their homes, rural businesses keep their doors open, and communities hold on to the infrastructure investments that keep them running.

USDA RD Servicing Office is embarking on a transformational effort to increase efficiency, elevate performance, and build operational excellence across its divisions and directorates — all in service of better outcomes for its borrowers. This SME reporting to the Head of Default Division (DD) will be responsible for the recommendation and implementation of data-driven industry best practices, KPI design, workflow optimization, and transformation across bankruptcy and foreclosure.

Default Division (DD):

The DD supports customers and stakeholders by providing efficient and timely resolution for RD, Single Family Housing (SFH) loans in Foreclosure or Bankruptcy, as well as liquidating Real Estate Owned (REO) properties to ensure minimal impact to rural communities, and minimize losses to the Government.

Experience & Expertise:

• Experience interpreting and applying bankruptcy chapters relevant to mortgage servicing (Ch. 7, 11, 12, 13), including stay implications and proof-of-claim requirements.
• Ability to review and assess loan files for compliance with loss-mitigation, property preservation, and default servicing requirements.
• Experience advising on code violation processes, REO transition steps, appraisals, and property-preservation processes.
• Direct experience in mortgage servicing default operations with specific foreclosure and bankruptcy portfolio responsibilities.
• Experience with federal mortgage portfolios (USDA, FHA, VA, or similar).
• Knowledge of HUD/FHA servicing and foreclosure requirements and HUD-based industry standards.
• Knowledge of USDA/RD Single-Family Housing loan programs, servicing regulations, and handbooks related to default, foreclosure, and bankruptcy.
• Expertise in state and federal foreclosure processes, timelines, mediation requirements, and judicial vs. non-judicial procedures.

Operational & Analytical Skills:

• Ability to evaluate process gaps, recommend operational improvements, and ensure adherence to federal servicing standards.
• Skilled in analyzing foreclosure pipeline reporting, timelines, curing opportunities, and identifying systemic issues.
• Experience developing or reviewing operating procedures and training materials for accuracy and completeness.
• Strong understanding of data integrity requirements, audit readiness, and documentation standards for federal program oversight.

Legal & Regulatory Competency:

• Proficient in interpreting CFR requirements, agency guidance, federal claims processes, and legal documentation associated with foreclosure and bankruptcy.
• Experience coordinating with legal counsel, understanding litigation risks, and implementing corrective actions from counsel recommendations.

Communication & Leadership:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, capable of drafting guidance, job aids, policy clarifications, and training.
• Ability to collaborate with USDA leadership, quality teams, and cross-functional groups.
• Skilled at representing the program area as the technical expert during internal meetings, audits, and external reviews.
• Ability to support development of branch- level strategies, prioritize initiatives, and align foreclosure/bankruptcy operations with agency-wide goals.
• Skilled in assessing workload, identifying staffing gaps, and recommending resource distribution to maintain efficient, proactive operations.
• Capable of evaluating long-term risks, anticipating bottlenecks, and proposing improvements that move the organization from a reactive to a proactive posture.

Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency:

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, data validation, and the ability to analyze and reconcile servicing or foreclosure pipeline data.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Access or other database tools for reviewing loan-level data, building servicing reports, or supporting QC/QA processes (as referenced in resource needs for servicing-related action plans).
• Strong skills in Microsoft Word for drafting procedural guidance, contractor instructions, training materials, and workflow documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook for communication, collaboration, and record management within the Servicing Office.
• Ability to use the Office Suite to support data accuracy, documentation standards, and reporting requirements across foreclosure, bankruptcy, and default workflows.
• Proficiency with Power BI, including navigating dashboards, interpreting visualizations, filtering, and drilling down into portfolio and task-level data, and validating data accuracy.
• Capable of collaborating on report modifications and understanding how report updates (e.g., weekly/EOM refresh cycles) affect servicing workflows.