Chief Operating Officer – Federal Servicing Full Time

MOHELA has an amazing opportunity available to the right candidate to help lead and guide our strategic plan as our next Chief Operating Officer – Federal Servicing. This is an opportunity to join our senior leadership team and a growing workforce of over 2000 employees. We have been rated as a top-rated workplace by USA Today and we are seeking a dynamic leader to join our team. We are looking for someone with a track record of proven success in a senior leadership role preferably in the student loan industry. This individual must be a problem solver and work with a sense of urgency in our people-oriented culture.

Job Overview:

The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for strategic and operational management of federal contract service levels, financial performance, and daily operations to ensure service requirements are consistently achieved. Develop strong partnerships with key customer staff, regulators, and stakeholders to promote trust and proactive conflict resolution. The COO leads a team of experienced professionals to be productive and efficient focusing on organizational effectiveness, development, change management, and employee engagement to strengthen employee commitment to their work, mission, and goals. The COO works closely with MOHELA’s CEO and executive team to develop and implement business strategies to drive growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop strategic objectives for MOHELA Federal priorities with timelines and measurable goals, outputs, and outcomes.

• Develop and implement operational policies and procedures that align with MOHELA’s overall strategic goals, objectives, and values.

• Deploy and promote specific and effective policies and practices to strengthen customer relations and focus employees on achieving the customer’s mission and goals.

• Effectively partner with federal, state, and local entities to respond to audit and servicing inquiries in collaboration with MOHELA’s Legal, Information Technology, Compliance, and Government Relations departments.

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to student loan servicing.

• Manage and oversee the work of various operational departments, including contact centers, federal contracts, loan servicing, training, and quality assurance.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including Board Members, education, and government business partners and regulators.

• Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate operational risks.

• Monitor and analyze key performance statistics to identify trends and areas for improvement.

• Ensure that all operational activities are carried out efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner.

• Manage the budget and resources allocated to the operational departments to ensure that they are used effectively and efficiently.

• Develop and maintain a positive and productive highly inclusive work environment that fosters teamwork, collaboration, continuous improvement and ensures team members can thrive and that organizational goals are met.

• Provide regular reports to the CEO and other members of the executive team on the status of operational activities, key performance statistics, and other relevant metrics.

• Ensure employee performance plans are aligned with the MOHELA mission, goals, and strategic objectives, that employees receive constructive feedback, and that employees are realistically appraised and held accountable against performance standards that are clearly defined and communicated. Seek and consider employee input.

• Promote transparency in decision-making, processes, and outcomes.

• Leverage technological resources to develop open, common, and integrated systems that enhance processes, increase productivity, improve quality, and result in successful decision-making for federal services.

• Assess, analyze, and acquire resources in a manner that fulfills fiduciary responsibility, protects privacy, upholds cybersecurity, reduces administrative costs, and facilitates improved service for federal services.

Minimum Requirements:

• This position requires (6C) personnel security screening in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) policy regarding the personnel security screening requirements for all contractor and subcontractor employees. A qualified applicant must successfully submit for personnel security screening within 14 calendar days from employment offer.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, finance, or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience in a senior management role, preferably in student loan servicing or banking.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing compliant operational policies and procedures that drive growth and profitability.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations related to student loan servicing.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, industry leaders, including federal employees serving the customer, regulators, internal stakeholders, and State of Missouri officials.
• Strong financial acumen including successful experience budgeting operations and personnel.
• Strategic planning and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Proven track record of managing and leading high-performing teams.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.

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