OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs
Underwriting Specialist roles qualify as specialty occupations under OPT, typically requiring a degree in finance, business, or risk management. Most positions involve analyzing risk data and working with actuarial models, making STEM OPT extension eligibility possible for quantitative tracks. Your 12-month OPT clock starts on your authorized start date.
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Get Access To All JobsAt Freddie Mac, our mission of Making Home Possible is what motivates us, and it’s at the core of everything we do. Since our charter in 1970, we have made home possible for more than 90 million families across the country. Join an organization where your work contributes to a greater purpose.
Position Overview:
Do you want to fast track your career? Are you an adept communicator with internal and external stakeholders? We are looking for an analytical Rockstar to join our fast-paced and hardworking Freddie Mac Multifamily Underwriting team. We’re looking for someone who is smart, a fast learner, strong with numbers and can hustle. Apply now to contribute to our mission of Making Home Possible.
Our Impact:
- We are responsible for underwriting conventional multifamily loans originated by our Production partners
- Innovate based on market behaviors while efficiently analyzing, mitigating, and clearly defining credit risk
- Evaluating the overall story and making decisions on the credit risk profile
Your Impact:
- Build toward credit approval and closing individual mortgage loans collateralized by multifamily properties
- Accurately prepare concise, complete, and clear Investment Briefs for loan approval and loan commitment
- Apply company principles/policies and critical thought to complete assigned tasks accurately, completely, and in a timely manner
- Collaborate and communicate with external and internal business partners to solve problems and achieve shared success
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in real estate, finance, economics, business administration, or related field
- 1 to 3 years of related work experience in the commercial/multifamily real estate industry
- Knowledge of real estate property fundamentals and real estate lending/underwriting
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to travel domestically
Keys to Success in this Role:
- Multi-task/prioritize
- Relationship builder inside and outside of multifamily underwriting
- Harness the power of data to formulate and inform communications
- Keep calm under pressure
- Comfortable with transition and change
Current Freddie Mac employees please apply through the internal career site.
We consider all applicants for all positions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical and mental disability, pregnancy, ethnicity, genetic information or any other protected categories under applicable federal, state or local laws. We will ensure that individuals are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
A safe and secure environment is critical to Freddie Mac’s business. This includes employee commitment to our acceptable use policy, applying a vigilance-first approach to work, supporting regulatory mandates, and using best practices to protect Freddie Mac from potential threats and risk. Employees exercise this responsibility by executing against policies and procedures and adhering to privacy & security obligations as required via training programs.
CA Applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Notice to External Search Firms: Freddie Mac partners with BountyJobs for contingency search business through outside firms. Resumes received outside the BountyJobs system will be considered unsolicited and Freddie Mac will not be obligated to pay a placement fee. If interested in learning more, please visit www.BountyJobs.com and register with our referral code: MAC.
Time-type: Full time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Freddie Mac offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and market-leading benefit programs. Information on these benefit programs is available on our Careers site.
This position has an annualized market-based salary range of $68,000 - $102,000 and is eligible to participate in the annual incentive program. The final salary offered will generally fall within this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to the responsibilities of the position, experience, skill set, internal pay equity and other relevant qualifications of the applicant.
At Freddie Mac, our mission of Making Home Possible is what motivates us, and it’s at the core of everything we do. Since our charter in 1970, we have made home possible for more than 90 million families across the country. Join an organization where your work contributes to a greater purpose.
Position Overview:
Do you want to fast track your career? Are you an adept communicator with internal and external stakeholders? We are looking for an analytical Rockstar to join our fast-paced and hardworking Freddie Mac Multifamily Underwriting team. We’re looking for someone who is smart, a fast learner, strong with numbers and can hustle. Apply now to contribute to our mission of Making Home Possible.
Our Impact:
- We are responsible for underwriting conventional multifamily loans originated by our Production partners
- Innovate based on market behaviors while efficiently analyzing, mitigating, and clearly defining credit risk
- Evaluating the overall story and making decisions on the credit risk profile
Your Impact:
- Build toward credit approval and closing individual mortgage loans collateralized by multifamily properties
- Accurately prepare concise, complete, and clear Investment Briefs for loan approval and loan commitment
- Apply company principles/policies and critical thought to complete assigned tasks accurately, completely, and in a timely manner
- Collaborate and communicate with external and internal business partners to solve problems and achieve shared success
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in real estate, finance, economics, business administration, or related field
- 1 to 3 years of related work experience in the commercial/multifamily real estate industry
- Knowledge of real estate property fundamentals and real estate lending/underwriting
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to travel domestically
Keys to Success in this Role:
- Multi-task/prioritize
- Relationship builder inside and outside of multifamily underwriting
- Harness the power of data to formulate and inform communications
- Keep calm under pressure
- Comfortable with transition and change
Current Freddie Mac employees please apply through the internal career site.
We consider all applicants for all positions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical and mental disability, pregnancy, ethnicity, genetic information or any other protected categories under applicable federal, state or local laws. We will ensure that individuals are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
A safe and secure environment is critical to Freddie Mac’s business. This includes employee commitment to our acceptable use policy, applying a vigilance-first approach to work, supporting regulatory mandates, and using best practices to protect Freddie Mac from potential threats and risk. Employees exercise this responsibility by executing against policies and procedures and adhering to privacy & security obligations as required via training programs.
CA Applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Notice to External Search Firms: Freddie Mac partners with BountyJobs for contingency search business through outside firms. Resumes received outside the BountyJobs system will be considered unsolicited and Freddie Mac will not be obligated to pay a placement fee. If interested in learning more, please visit www.BountyJobs.com and register with our referral code: MAC.
Time-type: Full time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Freddie Mac offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and market-leading benefit programs. Information on these benefit programs is available on our Careers site.
This position has an annualized market-based salary range of $68,000 - $102,000 and is eligible to participate in the annual incentive program. The final salary offered will generally fall within this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to the responsibilities of the position, experience, skill set, internal pay equity and other relevant qualifications of the applicant.
See all 45+ OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Underwriting Specialist
Target employers with active OPT hiring history
Insurance carriers, reinsurance firms, and financial institutions regularly hire OPT students for underwriting roles. Focus on mid-to-large companies with dedicated early-career programs, as they're more familiar with OPT work authorization requirements and have HR processes already in place.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility early
If your degree is in actuarial science, statistics, or a STEM-designated field, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree's CIP code with your DSO before interviews so you can accurately communicate your total authorized work period to employers.
Lead with your technical underwriting skills
Employers care most about risk modeling, data analysis, and proficiency with underwriting software. Highlighting these skills upfront shifts attention from your visa status to your value. Quantify results where possible, such as loss ratio improvements or portfolio growth you contributed to during internships.
Address the H-1B timeline proactively
Underwriting is a well-established specialty occupation, which strengthens H-1B visa petition approvals. Bring up the H-1B lottery timeline naturally when an offer is imminent, not at the first interview. Most underwriting employers in insurance and finance are familiar with the April filing window.
Get your EAD card before your start date
USCIS processing for OPT EAD cards can take 90 days or longer. Apply through your DSO as early as allowed, typically 90 days before graduation. You cannot legally begin working as an Underwriting Specialist until your EAD card arrives and your authorized start date passes.
Document the degree-to-job connection clearly
Underwriting Specialist roles require demonstrating that your degree relates directly to the position. Prepare a brief explanation linking your coursework in finance, mathematics, or business to core underwriting tasks. This documentation supports both your OPT authorization and any future H-1B specialty occupation claim.
Underwriting Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Underwriting Specialist role qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes. Underwriting Specialist positions qualify as specialty occupations because they typically require at least a bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or a related field. Your OPT work must be directly related to your degree, so a finance or business degree supporting an underwriting role is a strong fit. Keep documentation of this connection in case your DSO or employer asks.
Can I get a STEM OPT extension as an Underwriting Specialist?
It depends on your degree's CIP code, not the job title itself. If you graduated with a degree in actuarial science, statistics, mathematics, or another STEM-designated field, your role may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Check your degree's official CIP code with your DSO and confirm the employer meets the E-Verify requirement, which is mandatory for STEM OPT.
How do I find Underwriting Specialist employers who are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for international students and OPT candidates, so you're not wading through postings from employers who won't sponsor. Large insurance carriers, commercial banks, and reinsurance firms tend to have structured hiring programs that accommodate OPT timelines. Searching within those industries on Migrate Mate gives you a practical starting point.
What happens to my OPT if I switch from one underwriting employer to another?
You can change employers on OPT, but your new job must still be directly related to your degree and in a qualifying role. You're required to report the employer change to your DSO within 10 days. There's no need to reapply for a new EAD, but if you're on STEM OPT, your new employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify and you'll need to update your STEM OPT reporting accordingly.
Is Underwriting Specialist a strong occupation for H-1B sponsorship after OPT?
Underwriting Specialist is a well-established specialty occupation with a consistent record of H-1B approvals, particularly at insurance companies, commercial banks, and financial services firms. Employers in this industry are generally familiar with the H-1B process. The role's degree requirement in a specific field strengthens the specialty occupation argument, which is the foundation of every H-1B petition.