Partner Risk Operations Manager

Zippy was founded with one mission: to make getting a loan for a manufactured home simple, fast, and fully online. We believe modern manufactured homes are affordable, well-built, eco-friendly, and stylish, but finding a lender who understands this market can be challenging. That’s why Zippy focuses exclusively on manufactured home loans, offering a seamless, digital experience.

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, with an office in Tempe, AZ, Zippy provides home loans and insurance to manufactured home buyers throughout the United States. Our remote-first team is spread across cities like Dallas, Houston, Knoxville, Omaha, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and several other states and cities. Backed by institutional investors, we offer competitive pay, stock options, and excellent benefits. At Zippy, we pride ourselves on our commitment to finance happiness through the power of home. We are dedicated to enhancing consumers' financial outcomes and tackling the affordable housing crisis through cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions.

The Role

The Partner Risk Operations Manager is responsible for executing and maintaining the company’s partner risk controls across onboarding, ongoing monitoring, documentation, and reporting. This role emphasizes administrative rigor, risk data integrity, and cross functional coordination to ensure partner risk activities are consistently performed, well documented, and audit ready.

While this position does not set risk strategy, pricing, or governance outcomes, it plays a critical role in informing risk decision making. The Partner Risk Operations Manager evaluates partner-related risk questions, analyzes potential options or changes proposed by the business, and develops well supported recommendations for the Risk team. The role serves as a key input into risk assessments by identifying trends, highlighting emerging risks, and articulating the operational and control implications of proposed actions.

In this capacity, the role functions as the operational backbone of partner risk execution while also providing informed, data driven input to support effective risk oversight.

Core Responsibilities

Partner Onboarding and Reviews

• Coordinate and execute retailer underwriting activities for partner onboarding

• Prepare, validate, and submit complete underwriting packages for external review and approval

• Perform annual guarantor underwriting reviews

• Conduct annual and ad hoc community rating reviews based on defined risk triggers

• Maintain underwriting files and supporting documentation

Partner Compliance and Licensing Oversight

• Monitor dealer license status across all partners

• Track license expirations, renewals, and exceptions

• Escalate licensing gaps or concerns to Compliance and Legal teams

• Maintain licensing records and evidence

• Coordinate documentation workflows for partner agreements, including documentation related to new relationships, amendments, assumptions, and legacy agreements

• Track document execution status and maintain centralized records of executed partner agreements

• Support document control standards to ensure alignment between executed agreements and approved partner risk terms

Ongoing Partner Risk Monitoring

• Monitor partner portfolio concentrations and maintain tracking reports

• Maintain setup cost approval calculations and supporting documentation

• Track partner level risk metrics and changes over time

Risk Event Monitoring and Escalation

• Monitor public and official sources for legal, financial, or compliance risks affecting partners

• Log partner risk events including bankruptcies, lawsuits, and regulatory actions

• Perform quarterly PACER pulls for guarantor entities and document findings

• Execute documented escalation workflows

• Track remediation actions and resolution status

Risk Documentation and Control Support

• Maintain partner underwriting policies and procedures

• Ensure procedures reflect approved practices and controls

• Support internal and external audits by producing partner risk evidence

• Track audit findings and remediation related to partner risk

Reporting and Coordination

• Produce standardized partner risk reports and dashboards

• Ensure data accuracy and consistency across partner risk systems

• Coordinate with Operations, Compliance, Legal, Finance, and Enterprise Risk teams on partner risk activities

• Support change management activities related to partner program updates

Partner Entity and Ownership Changes

• Review and process partner risk approvals related to community ownership changes, including acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, and entity transfers

• Validate completeness of required documentation for ownership changes

• Confirm alignment with approved partner risk criteria and underwriting standards

• Coordinate reviews with Compliance, Legal, Finance, and Enterprise Risk as required

• Document approvals, conditions, and supporting analysis

• Maintain records of partner entity changes and associated risk decisions

Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of progressive experience in risk operations, credit risk, underwriting operations, third party risk, or comparable risk control functions within a regulated financial services environment

• Demonstrated experience independently evaluating risk exposure, identifying control gaps, and developing written, well supported risk recommendations for senior risk or compliance stakeholders

• Experience reviewing or supporting contractual, underwriting, or partner level documentation with the ability to assess risk implications separate from commercial considerations

• Proven ability to operate as an independent control function, including raising objections, documenting concerns, and maintaining risk discipline in the face of business pressure

• Strong experience managing complex, recurring risk processes with multiple stakeholders, deadlines, and documentation requirements

• High level of proficiency in risk documentation, audit evidence preparation, and procedural compliance, with direct experience supporting internal or external audits

• Demonstrated ability to work cross functionally with Sales, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Operations while maintaining professional independence and constructive collaboration

• Strong analytical, written communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to clearly articulate risk considerations to both technical and non technical audiences

• Manufactured housing, specialty finance, or partner based lending experience strongly preferred

Important Applicant Information

• While many of our interviews are conducted virtually, all applicants should be prepared to potentially meet in person as part of the process.

• As a participating employer, we will use E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility.

• Please note that we are currently only hiring candidates who reside in the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Applicants that do not reside in the bolded states will be rejected.

Total Rewards

At Zippy, we're passionate about creating a workplace where people love to work. We put a lot of heart into building and nurturing a company culture that not only supports our team but also inspires them to do their best work.

Our benefits and perks are always evolving, but here’s what we offer right now:

• Competitive Compensation: We offer a competitive salary with the potential for annual bonuses and variable pay, depending on your skills and experience.

• Equity for All: As a part of our commitment to shared success, all employees receive equity in the company, allowing you to share in the growth and achievements of Zippy.

• Remote Work: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home in a dynamic, remote-first environment.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: We provide medical, dental, and vision insurance, along with company-subsidized benefits like STD, LTD, and life insurance for you and your family.

• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of medical & dependent care FSAs to help manage your expenses.

• Training & Licensing Support: We invest in your professional growth with resources for training and licensing.

• Paid Time Off: We offer generous PTO—and we encourage you to use it!

• Wellbeing Programs: Access a variety of wellbeing resources, including Headspace, Gympass+, Fetch, Spring Health, SoFi, Perkspot, Ladder, and more through our Sequoia Wellbeing Programs.

• Parental Leave: We provide paid parental leave to support you and your growing family.

• No Meeting Wednesdays: Enjoy a mid-week break from meetings to focus and recharge.

• Vibrant Slack Community: Engage with colleagues in our lively remote Slack community, featuring fun channels that connect people around shared interests like travel, pets, sports, food, and more.

• Career Growth: We believe in promoting from within, offering you opportunities to grow your career with us.

Beyond the tangible benefits:

• Core Values: At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Lead with Passion, Own It, Build a Better Way, Results Driven, and The Golden Rule. These values guide our decisions, shape our culture, and inspire us to achieve our best every day.

• Join a Growing Team: Be part of a dynamic team at a pivotal moment in Zippy’s growth, where every contribution makes a significant impact.

• Innovative Work: Collaborate with sharp, passionate teammates to tackle unique challenges in the Manufactured Housing market, positioning our product as a top-tier lending solution.

• Supportive Culture: You’ll be welcomed into a collaborative environment that fosters camaraderie, respect, and a deep sense of belonging.

• Diversity & Inclusion: We’re committed to empowering a diverse and inclusive workforce, celebrating our differences, and ensuring everyone feels safe to bring their whole selves to work.

• Inspirational Leadership: Work alongside leaders who are not only approachable but also dedicated to providing guidance, mentorship, and support to help you succeed.

• Meaningful Impact: Be part of a mission-driven team that’s making housing more affordable for everyone, helping prospective buyers secure fast and simple online loans to purchase manufactured homes. By joining Zippy you will help improve the lives of over 22 million Americans who live in manufactured homes today.

Zippy is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or marital status. If you are excited about the role but do not meet 100% of the qualifications listed above, we encourage you to apply. Nothing in this job posting should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment.