Role
Birmingham Bank has created the role of Payments & Completions Senior Associate to support the day to day delivery of both transactional payments and the preparation and funds release for Buy to Let mortgage completions. 

Day to day processing of general payments transactions to include but not be limited to payments on suspense, postings, refunds and fee payments. In addition to work as part of a wider team that manage a pipeline of cases from post mortgage offer, through to completion. This will require the successful candidate to liaise with internal colleagues such as; BTL Customer Services Associates, Underwriters, Credit Quality, Credit Risk and Intermediaries and external contacts (Solicitors, Customers, Brokers, Valuers), in a critical and fast-paced environment. 

The Payments & Completions Senior Associate will report directly to the Payments & Completions Manager.

Company
Founded in a melting pot of ideas, with the power to make others shine.  

At Birmingham Bank we exist to make impossible dreams become possible. Empowering people’s ambitious journeys. Through work. Through life.  

Born over 60 years ago to enable ironmongers to thrive, the Bank prides itself on being a collaborative and diverse workplace where staff are supported to bring their full selves to work. We offer hybrid working options, a modern office space located in the heart of Birmingham and a range of benefits designed to allow you to operate at your best.  

Trustworthy, Ambitious and Dedicated are the values we live by and through which we support our customers ambitions.  It’s been said in Birmingham, “they make useful things and make them well.” 

At Birmingham Bank we only do useful banking and always do banking well.  

Birmingham Bank - Better Banking, Made for You

Responsibilities
Reporting to the Completions Manager, the role holder will be responsible for the processing of a range of banking payments, both inbound & outbound, including reconciliation as required. In addition, managing key artefacts in support of satisfying lending conditions on Buy to Let mortgage applications in preparing the loans for completion. All in a timely and accurate manner in line with internal SLAs.

They will be responsible for continually identifying process improvements to our customer and broker experience as well as internal efficiencies.

Key Tasks

• Processing payment transactions, specifically; payment allocations, working the suspense account and reconciling, providing refunds of fees as applicable, generating procurement fees payments and other incentive payments as appropriate.
• Reviewing all necessary legal documents, such as office copies, and all completion queries, such as search reports, from the solicitor and provide responses both written and verbal to support completion.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders both internally and externally such as underwriters, valuers and solicitor in order to obtain information to progress cases to completion. 
• Managing workflows to optimise use of resources and proactively respond to change.
• Developing and maintaining loan completion and relevant post completion processes and systems.
• Be the first point of contact for solicitors and brokers following the issuing of the formal mortgage offer. Manage and support queries related to offer conditions. 
• Gain a full understanding of the BTL credit policy to resolve the completion queries and manage escalations where necessary. 
• Promote continuous improvement to ensure efficient and effective risk and compliance management practices adhering to required standards, procedures and policies.
• Monitor and manage upcoming expiration of valuations, credit searches and offers. 
• Assisting the solicitors and completions support team for smooth processing and completion of the case.
• Support the processing team in release of completion funds, ensuring deadlines are met and funds released as scheduled.
• Proactively manage a pipeline of Offered and Legal instructed cases and provide monthly completions forecasts to the management. 
• Liaise with brokers and Intermediaries for any outstanding requirements to ensure progressing of a case. 
• Ensure cases are smoothly progressing from offer to completion.
• Liaise with internal teams e.g. Underwriting, Credit Risk, Compliance, etc during the process. 
• Keep customers and brokers informed of the progress of post offer applications and explain the bank's timelines and requirements throughout the process.
• Assisting Completions Manger in preparation of reports for presenting to various committees.

Experience

• Have extensive experience in mortgage completions, ideally Buy To Let/Asset backed loans in the UK. 
• You must have a sound knowledge of post offer administration activities and managing post offer documentation. 
• Be skilled in the use of MS Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint.

Qualifications & Personal Characteristics

• Comfortable operating in an environment where ready-made processes don’t always exist – you can navigate ambiguity and clearly identify and communicate what could be improved. 
• High level of attention to detail and organisational skills. 
• Keen analytical skills to enable extraction of meaningful data and identify action to be taken. 

Benefits

– Pension employer contribution of 8%
– Death in Service 4x salary
– Private Health Care – sole cover
– Holiday 26 days per year + bank holidays
– Gym passes (2 per week)
– Employee Assistance Programme, including up to 6 counselling sessions per year
– Corporate eyecare scheme (eye test voucher and money off prescription glasses if required solely for VDU)
– Bike to work scheme