Loan Operations Generalist

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we're committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

The Loan Operations Generalist is a dynamic and adaptable team member who serves as a cross-functional resource throughout the Loan Operations department. This role is designed to provide support wherever needed across functional areas, including loan boarding, escrow and flood, quality control, exception management, document retention, reporting, and system testing. The Generalist contributes to maintaining operational excellence, minimizing risk, and supporting team coverage, while demonstrating leadership potential and a proactive approach to solving problems.

Essential Responsibilities:

Loan Boarding & Documentation: Support consumer, residential, and commercial loan boarding, ensuring completeness and accuracy of loan files and documentation.

Quality Control & Exception Tracking: Assist with loan-level quality control activities, exception clearing, and ongoing process reviews to maintain data integrity and regulatory compliance.

Escrow & Flood Insurance Monitoring: Provide support for escrow account management, including disbursements, analysis, and maintenance. Assist with flood insurance tracking, force-placement coordination, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

System Support & Testing: Participate in system testing, and validation for third-party software or core enhancements. Report issues and suggest improvements as needed.

Process Coverage: Provide backup support during absences, peak periods, or resource gaps across functions such as participations, payoff processing, rate adjustments, escrow processing, and more.

Collaboration & Communication: Work closely with supervisors and team leads to identify and respond to shifting priorities. Demonstrate strong communication skills, a positive attitude, and flexibility in a fast-paced environment.

Initiative & Leadership: Demonstrate initiative by identifying areas for improvement and helping implement enhancements. May lead small projects or initiatives under supervision.

Maintain proficient knowledge of, and demonstrate ongoing compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to this position, ensure ongoing adherence to pertinent policies, procedures, and internal controls, and meet all job-specific training requirements in a timely fashion.

Ancillary Duties:

• Cooperate with employees within the department and other departments to provide quality service, solve problems and achieve goals across the bank.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Education, Training and Requirements:

• Associate's degree or equivalent work experience in related field required
• Bachelor's degree preferred
• All applicants must be 18 years of age or older

Skills:

• Broad understanding of consumer, residential, and commercial loan documentation and processing.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new tasks, departments, or system processes.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with core banking platforms and third-party servicing software is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter with a professional, team-oriented mindset.

Experience:

• Preference for candidates with at least three (3) years of experience in loan operations, servicing, or related financial institution environment.

Hours: 40 hours/week

Compensation: Commensurate with experience plus potential for annual merit increase. In addition to your competitive salary, you will be rewarded benefits including: 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, Medical, Vision & Dental insurance, 401K with generous match, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, Banking discounts and the list goes on!

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk or sit. Use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms, and speak and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to lift and or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to focus.

The Company is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

The Company will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability. If you have a physical or mental impairment and would like to request an accommodation with respect to the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.