Full-Time
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Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union
201-500 employees
Member-owned credit union offering financial services
No salary listed
Albuquerque, NM, USA
In Person
Occasional court appearances; periodic travel for vendor site visits and legal proceedings.
 Finance & Banking (12) |
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- Minimum 6 years of experience in collections, asset recovery, repossession management, or legal recovery.
- At least 3 years in a leadership or strategic supervisory role with budget, reporting, or legal oversight responsibilities.
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, legal studies, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and extensive experience.
- Occasional court appearances required to represent the Credit Union in litigation or recovery challenges.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Periodic travel for vendor site visits and legal proceedings.
- Must be able to lift 20 pounds at times.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and recovery platforms (e.g., AKUVO or equivalent).
- Strong working knowledge of financial forecasting, recovery reconciliations, and performance analytics.
- Expertise in recovery laws and legal processes, including court procedures, bankruptcy, litigation, and asset seizure.
- Experience with third-party vendor management and recovery contract oversight.
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- Liaise with HR and OD to recruit, onboard, develop, and retain high-quality staff.
- Oversees the daily workflow of the department.
- Provides constructive and timely one-on-ones and performance evaluations.
- Effectively coaches, mentors, motivates, and manages the staff to ensure delivery of communications to employees in a timely and accurate manner while maintaining the Credit Union’s high standard of quality.
- Ensures that the department fosters a productive, rewarding work environment that provides for the development of employees; meets all established goals and metrics; and operates within the Credit Union’s core values.
- Strategic & Financial Oversight - Lead the execution of recovery strategies to support forecasted charge-offs, collections performance, and loss mitigation goals.
- Reconcile monthly charge-offs and recoveries, ensuring accuracy and consistency with accounting and forecast models.
- Partner with the Portfolio Analytics Manager to validate the integrity of recovery data, charge-off trends, and static pool performance.
- Prepare and present recovery insights, trends, and performance reports to the VP of Special Assets and senior leadership.
- Leadership & Department Management - Hire, train, and lead the Asset Recovery team, including supervisors, specialists, and legal support staff.
- Create, update, and maintain job descriptions to ensure as we grow the department the positions are aligned to the expectations.
- Foster a high-performance culture focuses on efficiency, compliance, and cross-functional alignment.
- Develop departmental structure, roles, and employee development plans to support evolving organizational needs.
- Ensure full cross-training of staff on complex topics, including legal claims, liens, garnishments, judgments, and asset disposition.
- Vendor & Legal Relationship Management - Conduct regular site visits and performance evaluations for third-party vendors, including law firms, recovery agencies, skip tracing partners, and auto auctions.
- Approve legal billing, review contracts, and oversee vendor compliance with service-level expectations.
- Represent the Credit Union in court proceedings related to legal recovery cases, including litigation challenges, garnishments, and debt collection disputes.
- Serve as primary liaison with internal and external legal counsel for escalated legal recovery matters.
- Systems & Technical Process Management - In partnership with the Portfolio analytics manager, develop recovery-related systems (e.g., AKUVO) to ensure efficient, accurate, and automated workflows.
- Collaborate with IT and Portfolio Analytics to identify and implement enhancements in recovery processes and reporting which in dashboards to help visualize data and trends.
- Monitor data entry, automation rules, and exception handling to ensure accuracy in all recovery actions and communications.
- Compliance & Operational Integrity - Ensure adherence to all applicable laws and regulations (FDCPA, FCRA, UCC, TCPA, bankruptcy codes, etc.).
- Oversee the preparation and accuracy of IRS Form 1099-Cs, credit bureau reporting, and court-required documentation.
- Manage audits related to charged-off accounts, repossessions, and recovery processes.
- Maintain internal controls and uphold data privacy, documentation retention, and security protocols.
- Supports all audit and regulatory exams by researching, validating, and communicating requests. They must also participate in the corrections of any findings for special assets.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner with Loss Mitigation, Lending, Loan Servicing, Legal, Audit, and Member Experience teams to ensure end-to-end alignment in recovery strategy.
- Participate in workout committees, audit reviews, and policy discussions that impact financial recoveries and risk management.
- Contribute to the design and implementation of recovery policies, procedures, and training materials.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Sunward is a member-owned financial cooperative offering checking, savings, mortgages, auto loans, and investment services to individuals and businesses. It serves through 12 New Mexico branches, one in Livermore, California, and online, with membership open to everyone. As a federally insured credit union (NCUA) and Equal Housing Lender, Sunward emphasizes member relationships and community impact over profits. Its goal is to help members realize their dreams and secure their financial futures, summarized as “Banking Made Better.”
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Founded
1948
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Manages $4.1 billion assets and 150,000 members post-acquisition.
- Added 15 employees enhancing member support expertise.
- Opened Rio Grande branch in Albuquerque Old Town early 2024.
What critics are saying
- Integration failures cause member attrition within 3-6 months.
- Rebranding alienates Sandia members eroding heritage in 6-12 months.
- Mountain America competes aggressively in Albuquerque within 12-18 months.
What makes Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union unique
- Rebranded from Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union to Sunward in 2024.
- Acquired Mountain America branches on Golf Course Road and Paseo del Norte.
- Expanded to 15 branches serving Sandia Labs affiliates across NM and CA.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Company News
Members now get more funds to pay for eligible purchases over timeALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As more people look to credit unions they know and trust to help navigate their financial needs, Sunward Federal Credit Union (Sunward) announced today that it has added Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to its suite of online banking products in an effort to meet members' shifting payment preferences.Serving over 165,000 members across 16 locations across the Southwest and in California, Sunward is the first New Mexico-based credit union to launch BNPL for its members
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunward, formerly known as Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union, and Mountain America Credit Union announced today that after a favorable vote by transitioning Mountain America Credit Union members, the previously announced proposed acquisition is proceeding with a targeted completion in the first quarter of 2025. “We are excited to welcome members and employees from Mountain America Credit Union to Sunward,” said Steph Sherrodd, Sunward President and CEO. “This addition will strengthen our position and ability to deliver on our goal of making banking better in the Southwest, and in New Mexico specifically.” Upon finalization, Sunward will acquire both Mountain America Credit Union branches in Albuquerque, New Mexico – Golf Course Road and Paseo Del Norte Boulevard – increasing Sunward’s total branch footprint to 15 locations. “I am confident that Sunward will be an excellent financial partner for our members,” said Sterling Nielsen, Mountain America Credit Union President and CEO