Hardship Administrator/Financial Hardship Specialist

Role:
By emphasizing ONE Park, ONE mission, ONE team, the Hardship Administrator supports members experiencing financial hardship by administering Park's hardship assistance program. This position is responsible for completing the hardship application process, reviewing members’ financial information, applying established program guidelines and criteria to determine eligibility for available assistance options, and processing or coordinating hardship arrangements within established approval authorities. The Hardship Administrator serves as a primary point of contact for members, providing compassionate and timely service while maintaining accurate documentation, supporting regulatory compliance, and helping mitigate potential losses to the credit union.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Performance Measurements:

1.To be an ambassador of Park's culture supporting the credit union's mission to build thriving communities together ensuring words and actions align with the Park VIBE that defines our Core Values:
Vibrant Connections
Inclusive Excellence
Bold Compassion
Endless Empowerment
2. To provide friendly, professional and accurate service and support to all members and coworkers.
3. Maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation of hardship applications, financial analyses, communications, approvals, arrangements, and outcomes.
4. Conduct hardship administration and any assigned collection-related activities in accordance with Park policies, procedures, approved authority levels, and applicable federal and state requirements.
5. Meet established service, quality, and program-performance expectations, including application processing timelines, documentation accuracy, member follow-up, arrangement performance, and loss-mitigation objectives.
6. To maintain a professional work environment, promote teamwork, build respect among coworkers and present a businesslike appearance.
7. To follow all security policies and procedures and report discrepancies or suspicious activity to manager immediately.
8. Follow Park’s Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering, OFAC, member-identification, and suspicious-activity escalation procedures applicable to the position. Promptly report unusual or potentially suspicious activity through established channels.

Knowledge and Skills:
Experience One to three years of experience in consumer lending, loan servicing, collections, financial counseling, loss mitigation, or a related financial-services role. Experience evaluating financial information and working with members experiencing financial difficulty is preferred.
Education A high school education or GED. Relevant financial-services experience may be considered in combination with education and training.
Interpersonal Skills Work involves much personal contact with others inside and/or outside the organization for the purpose of first-level conflict resolution, building relationships, and soliciting cooperation. Discussions involve a higher degree of confidentiality and discretion, requiring diplomacy and tact in communication.
Other Skills Working knowledge of consumer lending, loan servicing, collections, or financial hardship processes.
Ability to review member financial information and apply established guidelines and procedures to hardship requests.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to maintain accurate documentation, manage assigned cases, and meet established timelines.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally and compassionately with members experiencing financial difficulty.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to effectively use lending, servicing, collection, and document-management systems.

Physical Requirements
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position, but do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list of all essential functions. To the extent required by any applicable law, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions where this can be done without posing a direct threat to self or others.
While performing the essential duties of this position, the employee frequently must sit, stand, and walk short distances. The employee frequently uses hands and fingers to count currency and handle, manipulate, and feel objects, documents, and office tools and equipment. Reads, writes, listens, speaks, and uses personal computers, copiers, telephones, and other office equipment and software throughout the work day. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, bend, squat, and reach overhead with hands and arms. Occasionally pushing and pulling of office furniture and other objects. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and on occasion lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.