Staff Accountant

Staff Accountant

Department: Accounting / Finance
Reports To: Accounting Manager or Controller

Position Summary

The Staff Accountant is responsible for supporting the accounting and financial reporting processes associated with mortgage loan origination and loan sale activities. This role focuses on loan-level accounting, gain-on-sale accounting, and reconciliation of mortgage banking activity, including loans held for sale, warehouse borrowings, and investor settlements.

The position requires extensive use of Excel-based loan-level analysis to prepare journal entries, perform reconciliations, and support the month-end close process. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to reconcile large volumes of transactional data to the general ledger.

Key Responsibilities

Loan-Level Accounting and LHFS Activity

• Daily recording of loan-level activity, including fundings, sales, and payoffs.
• Reconcile loan-level data from the loan origination system (LOS) to accounting records.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between loan-level activity and general ledger balances.
• Develop and record estimated interest accruals.

Loan Sale Settlement Accounting

• Record journal entries associated with:
  • Origination fees and costs
  • Record journal entries related to loan sale proceeds, gain-on-sale recognition, and fair value adjustments to loans held for sale.

Warehouse Line and Funding Accounting

• Record and reconcile activity related to warehouse lines of credit, including loan fundings, paydowns, and interest.
• Reconcile warehouse line balances to lender statements and internal loan funding records.
• Assist with tracking loan funding activity and ensuring accurate accounting for warehouse borrowings.

Excel-Based Data Analysis

• Analyze large loan-level datasets using advanced Excel tools such as pivot tables, lookups, and structured data analysis.
• Maintain detailed Excel reconciliation workbooks supporting accounting balances.
• Ensure traceability between loan-level system data, supporting schedules, and the general ledger.

Financial Close and Reporting

• Support the monthly and quarterly close process by preparing journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Prepare and maintain account reconciliations.
• Provide variance analysis and explanations related to assigned accounts.

Audit and Compliance Support

• Prepare workpapers and supporting documentation for internal and external audits.
• Assist in responding to audit requests related to mortgage loan accounting activity.
• Maintain organized documentation supporting accounting conclusions and journal entries.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

Experience

• 1–3 years of accounting experience, preferably in:
  • Mortgage banking
  • Financial services
  • Loan accounting or loan operations
• Experience working with loan-level transactional data preferred.

Technical Skills

• General Microsoft Excel proficiency required, including:
  • Pivot tables
  • VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP
  • Data reconciliation techniques
• Experience with general ledger or ERP systems.
• Familiarity with loan origination systems (LOS) or mortgage servicing systems is a plus.

Core Competencies

• Strong attention to detail and analytical ability
• Ability to work with large datasets and complex reconciliations
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced mortgage banking environment
• Effective communication and collaboration skills

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.