Maria J. Lozada
Phoenix,AZ
Summary
Detail-oriented staff Auditor with track record of quickly completing audit projects. Strong ability in organization and office procedures, excellent skills for negotiations and decision making at any level. Ability to achieve immediate and long-term goals and meet operational deadlines. Well-versed in managing testing of different controls during fieldwork in any audit. Leader, articulate, bilingual, self-starter, team player.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Staff Auditor
Western Alliance Bank
11.2021 - Current
- Evaluated company's policies to determine how well standards adhered to best practices.
- Prepared audit reports and distributed to respective stakeholders.
- Followed established auditing processes to meet internal and regulatory requirements.
- Identified control gaps in processes, procedures and systems through in-depth research and assessment and suggested methods for improvement.
- Perform test of validation for implemented management action plans for issues identified during audits
- Performed observations and evaluated supporting documents to supplement audit findings
Senior Relationship Banker
Firefighters First Credit Union
02.2020 - 11.2021
- Recommend financial products and services to meet members short- and long-term financial needs
- Underwrite consumer loans by reviewing applications and making decisions to grant loans within designated authority and timeframe
- Process and manage members accounts and related transactions such as deposit accounts and investment accounts.
- Implemented strategies to increase customer retention, enabling investment growth.
- Cross-sold credit cards, loans and other bank products.
- Trained new hires on customer service policies and procedures.
Assistant Service Manager
Arizona Federal Credit Union
02.2019 - 08.2019
- Deliver services and expertise to members with a focus on growing business and empowering members toward self-service options
- Manage daily operations to ensure a safe, sound, and efficient operating environment
- Ensure that processes lead to timely, accurate and positive service experiences for members identify and recommend solutions to processes that do not produce that outcome
- Provide ongoing coaching and feedback to a group of 19 team members to improve performance and financial results while meeting sales goals and service expectations
- Monitored team performance, adhered to service level agreements (SLAs) and provided detailed job training.
- Hired, trained and supervised team of service staff members to meet business goals.
Senior Legal Document Review
Arizona Federal Credit Union
04.2017 - 02.2019
- Provide knowledge and superior service regarding business activities to branches and support segments as needed
- Provide recommendations for the improvements of service quality and operational processes
- Assist with lien releases, process title packets and complete miscellaneous title review and follow-up for auto and motorcycle loans
- Complete procedure edits and/or creation for the organization's Operations Manual
- Perform audits of Signature Guarantee and Validation and other duties as assigned
- Drafted, reviewed and negotiated contracts and other legal documents to support client needs.
- Researched and interpreted laws, rulings and regulations to advise clients on business and legal transactions.
Membership Specialist
Arizona Federal Credit Union
03.2015 - 04.2017
- Work directly with potential members to determine their financial viability or needs for financial services
- Extended knowledge of consumer, business products and security portfolios
- Initiate all types of loan applications, preparing and organizing files of members and getting documentation ready for lender approvals
- Ability to understand and educate members on credit interpretation: building, rebuilding and maintain credit.
- Maintained membership database, ensuring that all information was current and accurate.
- Scheduled and assigned daily work and activities for team members.
Legal Document Review Specialist
Bank Of America, N.A.
01.2014 - 03.2015
- Deliver superior customer service on complex and escalated calls from customers and internal partners on a broad spectrum of call related to legal documentation
- Ensure every client is completely satisfied with resolutions concerning legal documentation
- Investigate a wide variety of issues and questions related to legal documents
- Review of legal documentation such as: affidavits trust documentation, business documents, amendments, court orders, wills, subpoenas, summons, etc.
- Worked with internal team members to remedy issues with preemptive solutions.
- Developed and edited template contracts with changes in company's service lines or new developments.
- Led development and review of contractual documents binding relationship between company and clients, partners, vendors and employees.
- Used electronic systems for data entry, tracking and analysis.
- Assisted in creating and maintaining internal Access databases supporting office's internal processes.
- Scheduled and tracked deadlines of multiple active compliance audits.
Operations Manager, Banking Finance
Bank Of America, N.A.
06.2012 - 01.2014
- Managing a medium to large size consumer banking center, leading and coaching a team of sales to meet and exceed sales targets and ensure the operational excellence of the banking center
- Manage all aspects of a successful business including: associate development, associate proficiency, managing partnership and customer relations
- Retaining and deepening relationships with branch customers and potential customers to achieve team sales goals and provide quality customer service.
- Developed systems and procedures to improve operational quality and team efficiency to kept employees compliant with company policies and procedures.
- Established positive and effective communication among unit staff and organization leadership, reducing miscommunications, and missed deadlines.
- Implemented process improvement to shape organizational culture, optimize procedures for higher efficiency, help company evolve and grow and to maximize customer satisfaction.
Sales and Service Specialist/Teller Supervisor
Bank Of America, N.A.
03.2007 - 06.2012
- Establishing and deepening relations with new and existing customers
- Resolved complex service issues and referring customers to appropriate line of business or associates
- Identify customer needs and refer financial products and services to consumer and small business customers
- Identify and manage risk in every business, product and service transaction.
- Troubleshot sales and service operations to increase profitability and bring positive organizational change.
- Established schedules to improve service and reduce labor costs, promoting customer satisfaction.
- Trained team members in successful strategies to meet operational, sales targets and strategies for handling difficult customers and challenging situations.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Political Science, International Relations and Civic Studies
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ05.2012
Associate of Science - Business
Maricopa Community Colleges - South Mountain Community College
Phoenix, AZ05.2009
Skills
- Reliability and Integrity Improvement
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Mitigation Strategies
- Risk Aversion Recommendations
- Operational Effectiveness
- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
- Reports and Documentation
- Audit Programs and Processes
- Quality Assessments
- Standards Compliance
- Critical Thinking and Analysis
- Documentation of Practices
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Staff Auditor
Western Alliance Bank
11.2021 - Current
Senior Relationship Banker
Firefighters First Credit Union
02.2020 - 11.2021
Assistant Service Manager
Arizona Federal Credit Union
02.2019 - 08.2019
Senior Legal Document Review
Arizona Federal Credit Union
04.2017 - 02.2019
Membership Specialist
Arizona Federal Credit Union
03.2015 - 04.2017
Legal Document Review Specialist
Bank Of America, N.A.
01.2014 - 03.2015
Operations Manager, Banking Finance
Bank Of America, N.A.
06.2012 - 01.2014
Sales and Service Specialist/Teller Supervisor
Bank Of America, N.A.
03.2007 - 06.2012
Bachelor of Science - Political Science, International Relations and Civic Studies
Arizona State University
Associate of Science - Business
Maricopa Community Colleges - South Mountain Community College
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