LESLIE LAJARA
Central Falls,RI
Summary
Detail-oriented team player with a consistent record of meeting demands in fast-paced, ever-changing environments. Comprehensive background provides confidence to leaders by effectively managing risk, monitoring controls, enhancing security, and improving core audit responsibilities. Demonstrated success in leveraging internal audit as a strategic resource, providing a deep perspective of operations, risks, and potential opportunities. Strong planning and organizational skills, able to communicate at all levels and effectively motivate and inspire teams to meet or exceed expectations. Goal-oriented and capable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously. Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and expertise in demographic strategies for incoming business profitability. Experience with employee search recruiting applications such as Taleo, recruiting agencies, and online recruiting sites.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Rhode Island Housing Customer Service Reprentative
RHode Island Housing
2024.05 - Current
- Responsible for the end-to-end management of loans, handling administrative tasks from onboarding until loan payoff.
- Handle all aspects of loan servicing, including sending monthly payment statements, processing online servicing requests, and collecting payments.
- Assist with the management and servicing of an online portal for borrowers, including activities such as registration, and automatic payment enrollment/cancellation, and manage approximately 50 calls and emails per day from customers.
- Assist with borrower service emails for loan servicing
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
- Aid in the coordination of borrower documentation for mortgage discharges, city recording, and filing.
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Learn and adapt quickly to new technology and software applications.,
Part Owner of C & L Convenience Store DBA Woonsocket Convenience
C&L Convenience Store LLC
2022.01 - Current
- Supervise store managers, department managers, and staff while overseeing accounting, accounts payables, scheduling, inventory control, pricing, and merchandising.
- Consistently provide outstanding customer service to cultivate repeat business and generate favorable recommendations. With daily transactions of 50 to 60 per day.
- Ensures smooth and efficient daily operations to ensure completion of projects within specified timeframes, all while upholding top-notch quality throughout each phase of production or service delivery.
- Negotiate favorable contracts with vendors and suppliers, reducing overall expenses without compromising on quality.
- Increased sales by 15% within the first 3 months of taking over the business.
Citizens Home Mortgage Processor Specialist
Citizens Bank
2020.11 - 2022.01
- Performing a range of regulatory and administrative duties to assist in Processing, Closing, and Underwriting functions, such as preparing disclosure packages, fulfilling appraisal requests, reviewing flood reports, and ensuring timely receipt of Title reviews.
- Collaborated closely with underwriters to expedite loan approvals, resulting in increased productivity.
- Managed approximately 30 applications per month
- Ensured compliance with regulatory requirements, bank guidelines, and departmental standards
- Reviewed submitted documentation for compliance with bank requirements
- Navigated various websites to complete assigned work
- Ensured prompt resolution of customer queries related to documentation
- Conducted rigorous reviews adhering to established departmental standards
- Efficiently processed all mortgage and home equity products
- Provided clear and concise feedback, revised information, and documented submissions
- Ensured timely communication with internal and external customers through professional oral and written exchanges regarding status inquiries, missing details, and document requirements
- Basic knowledge of secondary market/lending programs and guidelines with the ability to apply bank, state, and federal regulations to ensure compliance (Fair Lending, Reg B., etc)
- Consistently met or exceeded both departmental productivity and quality targets, maintaining adherence to stipulated turn-time standards.
- Utilized PC skills to improve performance
- Skilled in handling loan processing tasks within office and retail sectors
- Adept at utilizing loan documentation and relevant reports/websites to assess DTI and LTV ratios effectively.
COLLECTIONS SPECIALIST, CITIZENS BANK
Citizens Bank
2019.09 - 2020.11
- Managed about 70 to 100 calls per day
- Arranged timely repayments for delinquent accounts
- Maximized recovery of principal and fees on complex accounts
- Demonstrated strong ability to handle multiple tasks and maintain productivity in a dynamic work setting.
- Maintaining compliance with all banking requirements
- Provide excellent verbal/written, time management, and interpersonal skills
- Achieved productivity goals by efficiently meeting day-to-day business needs. Demonstrated advanced problem-solving skills in negotiations during collection calls and correspondence in a fast-paced environment.
- Delivered excellent customer service by addressing collection issues, processing customer refunds, and reviewing account adjustments.
- Accountability for minimizing delinquency on assigned accounts.
- Worked in call center environment handling manual and automatically dialed outbound calls.
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE REP II, UNITED NATURAL FOODS
United Natural Foods, UNFI
2017.08 - 2019.03
- Successfully oversaw the management of numerous supermarkets and retailer accounts, maintaining an active roster of 700 clients
- Utilized strong organizational skills to improve financial operations.
- Secure revenue by verifying and posting receipts; resolving discrepancies
- Recorded customer payments by documenting cash, checks, and credit card transactions
- Update receivables by totaling unpaid invoices
- Maintain record by microfilming invoices debits, and credits
- Verify validity of account discrepancies by obtaining and investigating information from
- Coordinated sales trade, promotions, and resolved customer service escalations
- Resolve valid or authorized deductions by entering adjusting entries
- Resolve collections by examining customer payment plans, payment history, credit line
- Coordinated and retrieved authorization from leadership
- Accomplish accounting and organization mission by completing related results as needed
- Handled MRS reporting for individual accounts that needed pricing rebates
- Managed master profile reporting of all account receivable representatives, generating individual status profiles for daily collections efforts and storing them on a shared drive.
AREA MANAGER, CHECK N GO (covered 7 Stores / % Cities in RI)
Axcess Financial D.B.A Check N Go
2008.12 - 2017.05
- Managed and trained a team of 25+ field sales representatives in technical sales and support techniques.
- Conducted assessments to determine necessary staff coordination
- Performed financial audits and prepared detailed reports to facilitate federal and state compliance audits as per standard procedures
- Conducted procedural and analytical reviews to identify atypical financial statement discrepancies
- Ensured preparation of budgets aligned with organization's goals and met established targets
- Performed internal control and substantive testing, communicating accounting and auditing matters to seniors and managers
- Collaborated with regional peers in reviewing and recommending adjustments to journal entries, as well as facilitating conversations about audit findings.
- Drafted management representation letter, recommendations, and audit reports for management review.
- Implemented strategies to enhance store sales by generating product awareness, fostering positive customer relationships, and improving customer service outcomes.
- Managed end-to-end staff recruitment for the Rhode Island market
- Efficiently coordinated and communicated compensation decisions while successfully managing new hire onboarding.
- Developed employee skill sets like relationship building, territory management and presentation skills
- Facilitated meetings for Rhode Island market staff at both the beginning and end of projects
- Developed new business target through quality persuasive presentations such as deal structuring and closing finance contracts
- Recognized for achieving staff integration all sales targets for the area
- Required frequent travel to analyze and communicate performance metrics to direct reports as well as to present results to upper level management.
- Working knowledge of Consumer and Commercial Regulations
- Identify and mitigate risk issues early in the process, including the proper allocation and management of such risks
- Strong organizational, communication and planning skills
- Strong interpersonal skills to interact with project teams and multiple departments and vendors to achieve project objectives
- Proficiency with MS Office skills including MS Word, MS Power Point, and MS Excel
- Ability to perform in a high paced environment and meet monthly operational goals and Service Level Agreements
- Ability to plan and prioritize workload
- Make independent decisions and exercise sound judgment
- Ability to communicate and drive results.
Education
Associate of Arts -
Community College of Rhode Island
Warwick, RI05.2021
Skills
- Friendly, Positive Attitude
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Customer Service
- Time Management Attention to Detail
- Flexible and Adaptable
- Problem-Solving
- Dependable and Responsible
Certification
Certification Course in Area Manager, Axcess Financial, RI, 2012
Activities
Held the head chairman position for the Helping Hands Committee for UNFI's Lincoln site. Responsibility to initiate/build relationships with the local community together working to organize the site's ongoing volunteer projects. Committee also managed site volunteering hours/budget and ensured all 225+associates engaged in our volunteering. Some examples of volunteering- Local food pantry, Soup kitchens, Local afterschool program/ donated garden, Coat drive, School supply drive, Toy drive
Awards
- SS Superhero Associate of the Month- July 2018 Shared Services Account Receivable Representative
- Awarded as;Best Performer of the year in Auxiliary products; in Axcess Financial, 2012
- 2017 Achieved target of retail division; revenue by reaching 99% of quota, 2015
Timeline
Rhode Island Housing Customer Service Reprentative
RHode Island Housing
2024.05 - Current
Part Owner of C & L Convenience Store DBA Woonsocket Convenience
C&L Convenience Store LLC
2022.01 - Current
Citizens Home Mortgage Processor Specialist
Citizens Bank
2020.11 - 2022.01
COLLECTIONS SPECIALIST, CITIZENS BANK
Citizens Bank
2019.09 - 2020.11
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE REP II, UNITED NATURAL FOODS
United Natural Foods, UNFI
2017.08 - 2019.03
AREA MANAGER, CHECK N GO (covered 7 Stores / % Cities in RI)
Axcess Financial D.B.A Check N Go
2008.12 - 2017.05
Associate of Arts -
Community College of Rhode Island
Certification Course in Area Manager, Axcess Financial, RI, 2012
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