Head of Lending

About the Company

Valon is building the AI-native operating system for regulated finance, starting with mortgage servicing.

We're a Series C company backed by a16z, transforming industries that others have written off as too complex to innovate.

Rather than build on top of broken legacy systems, we took a different approach: we built and operate our own mortgage servicing business managing $110+ billion in loans. This wasn't the end goal, it was how we deeply understood the complexity needed to build software that actually works in regulated industries.

The results speak for themselves. We've transformed mortgage servicing from a 0% margin business into 60%+ margins while dramatically improving customer experience. Major enterprise contracts are now deploying across the industry.

ValonOS is our unified platform that makes every process structured and programmable and it is perfectly positioned for the AI era. When everything flows through one system with rich data, AI agents don't just automate tasks, they continuously improve entire operations. Mortgage servicing is just the beginning of our vision to transform regulated industries and beyond.

Lending at Valon 

Valon’s Lending team provides homeowners the ability to access low-cost and streamlined mortgage loans originated in-house, as well as Valon partners with tools to retain customers. Our primary mission is to recapture and cross-sell into our servicing portfolio: we aim to provide a compelling range of products with competitive rates with the goal of best-in-market retention rates. We employ a consumer direct sales model based out of our ops HQ in Phoenix, AZ. As with the rest of Valon, the Lending business is rapidly growing, with an annualized volume approaching $500mm in recent months.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Head of Lending to lead Valon’s originations business. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for both the sales and operations sides of our lending business. You’ll define the strategy, hire and develop a world-class team, and partner closely with our R&D team to deliver a seamless, technology-driven experience for borrowers. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of mortgage origination, a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems, and a proven ability to scale high-performing teams. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of lending at a fast-growing fintech company and make homeownership more accessible for millions of people.

Responsibilities

• Own the vision, strategy, execution, and outcomes of Valon’s consumer-direct lending business, ensuring alignment with company-wide goals and mission.
  
  
• Build, scale, and manage the lending organization across both sales and operations functions — including origination, processing, underwriting, closing, and post-close support.
  
  
• Drive growth in origination volume while maintaining a strong focus on customer experience, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
  
  
• Design and implement team structures, workflows, and processes that enable sales and operations to collaborate effectively and achieve shared goals.
  
  
• Partner with Product and Engineering to define requirements, influence roadmap priorities, and deliver innovative technology solutions that streamline and modernize the lending experience.
  
  
• Establish and monitor performance metrics and KPIs to ensure accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across the lending division.
  
  
• Hire, mentor, and develop leadership and individual contributors within the lending team, fostering a culture of high performance, ownership, and innovation.
  
  
• Serve as the senior subject matter expert for all things lending at Valon — advising executive leadership, ensuring compliance with agency and investor guidelines, and staying ahead of industry trends.
  
  
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Compliance, Finance, and other teams to align lending initiatives with broader business objectives.
  
  
• Represent Valon externally as needed, helping to build relationships with investors, partners, and other key stakeholders in the mortgage ecosystem

Ideal Background

• 10+ years of experience in mortgage lending, with a strong mix of sales and operations leadership
  
  
• Proven track record of building and scaling high-performing and profitable lending teams in a consumer direct or high-volume environment
  
  
• Deep understanding of mortgage origination processes, agency and non-agency products, compliance requirements, and secondary market dynamics
  
  
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth, and technology-driven company (fintech experience preferred)
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with technology teams to build innovative tools and workflows
  
  
• Data-driven and metrics-oriented, with experience defining and executing against KPIs and performance goals
  
  
• Inspirational people leader with experience mentoring and developing managers and individual contributors
  
  
• Excellent communicator and cross-functional collaborator who can influence at all levels of an organization
  
  
• Strong strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution skills — able to set vision and roll up sleeves as needed
  
  
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; advanced degree a plus

Minimum Qualifications

• Familiarity with modern loan systems, such as Encompass and Vesta
  
  
• Experience managing senior leaders and building teams across multiple functions
  
  
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans aligned to company goals
  
  
• Ability to analyze data, define KPIs, and drive results through metrics-driven management
  
  
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills
  
  
• Minimum education requirement: high school diploma or GED equivalent required; bachelor’s degree preferred

What we can offer: 

• Compensation: competitive salary and bonus structure, along with a meaningful stake in the company via equity, and a 401 (k) plan 
• Health & well-being: we’ll invest in your physical and mental well-being with comprehensive medical, dental, & vision benefits
• Commuter benefits: We offer pre-tax deductions for public transportation, rideshare services, and parking expenses to make your commute more affordable and convenient.
• Grow together: Company-wide orientation for you to successfully onboard and other learning & development opportunities, including regular review cycles that feature 360-degree feedback
• Generous time off: flexible paid time off, sick days, and 11 company holidays 
• Baby bonding time!: 12 weeks off for both birthing and non-birthing parents - fully paid so you can focus your energy on your newest addition