Bridging (Head of Origination & Innovation)

Market Talent Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

Annual bonus

Career progression

Job summary

Market Talent Ltd. is seeking a senior leader to grow and reshape its Bridging Division in the UK. You will determine where to compete, expand the intermediary network and drive opportunities from enquiry to completion.

Supported by experienced lending teams and in-house software, you will take full P&L accountability, build the team and set the division's strategic direction. You will lead origination, oversee credit and funding, and develop relationships with brokers, funders and strategic

Qualifications

• 10 years’ experience in UK bridging market.
• Senior leadership experience in lending businesses.
• Proven ability to own a lending strategy, budget and performance.

Responsibilities

• Own the Bridging Division brand and market presence.
• Lead originations and distribution strategies.
• Drive product and process innovation in bridging.
• Oversee credit, funding and delivery.
• Lead, develop and grow teams across BD, underwriting and ops.

Skills

Bridging experience

Senior leadership

Origination

Lending lifecycle

Relationship building

Pricing & credit quality

Job description

Help shape the next chapter of a major UK property finance provider. With a bridging credit line of approximately £100 million and an increase planned for 2027, the business is seeking a senior leader to grow and reshape its Bridging Division. The current focus is on residential and semi-commercial opportunities. You will decide where the division should compete, expand its intermediary network and improve how lending opportunities move from enquiry to completion. Supported by experienced lending teams and award-winning in-house software, you will have the scope to develop the proposition, grow the team and take full accountability for the divisional P&L. The wider business employs more than 100 people across the UK and Europe. You will have at least 10 years of experience in Bridging origination.

Purpose and overview

As the face of the Bridging Division, you will represent its lending proposition across the UK and decide where its brand and commercial resources will have the greatest impact. Working closely with executive leadership, underwriting, risk, finance, operations and international colleagues, you will turn market opportunities and available funding into a high-quality, profitable lending book.

Key responsibilities

Own the brand

• Be the visible face of the division with brokers, borrowers, funders, industry bodies and other market participants.
• Identify the regions and market segments where a stronger presence will deliver the greatest commercial return.
• Shape a targeted programme of broker roadshows, regional events, industry conferences and thought leadership.
• Work with marketing and communications colleagues to assess opportunities across trade media, radio, digital channels and other relevant platforms.
• Ensure the division’s market presence reflects its lending appetite, service capability and commercial priorities.
• Measure activity by the quality of relationships, enquiries and completed business it generates.

Full P&L ownership

• Own the division’s budget, forecasts and financial performance, with accountability for profitable lending growth.
• Set and monitor targets for originations, completed lending, income, fees, pricing, margins and credit line utilisation.
• Work with finance and funding colleagues to assess how funding costs, operating expenditure and portfolio performance affect returns.
• Evaluate the profitability of products, distribution channels, partnerships and individual opportunities, adjusting the commercial plan where necessary.
• Manage investment in people, technology, marketing and suppliers against clear business outcomes.
• Provide executive leadership and the Board with forecasts, performance analysis and action plans where results differ from budget.

Lead origination and distribution

• Build a diverse, high-quality pipeline through brokers, introducers, direct borrowers and strategic partners.
• Originate and manage a personal pipeline of transactions alongside the team’s wider revenue targets, delivering a first-class customer experience and supporting disciplined use of available funding capacity.
• Develop key accounts and relationships that generate consistent, well-structured lending opportunities.
• Set clear commercial priorities for the business development team and improve conversion from enquiry to completion.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of borrower demand, competitor activity and emerging opportunities.

Drive product and process innovation

• Identify opportunities to strengthen the residential and semi-commercial bridging proposition, including refurbishment and revolving credit.
• Use market feedback and lending data to inform recommendations on products, pricing and lending criteria.
• Make effective use of the business’s award-winning in-house software to improve case visibility, speed and customer experience.
• Work with technology, underwriting and operations colleagues to simplify processes while maintaining effective controls.

Oversee credit, funding and delivery

• Ensure origination remains aligned with agreed credit criteria, funding terms and risk appetite.
• Manage the pipeline against available credit lines and contribute to plans for additional funding capacity.
• Maintain senior oversight of the lending journey from initial enquiry through underwriting, drawdown, monitoring and repayment.
• Bring commercial and operational teams together to resolve obstacles and maintain momentum on live transactions.
• Monitor portfolio performance, service standards and emerging risks, escalating issues promptly.

Lead the division

• Lead, develop and grow teams across business development, underwriting and operations.
• Establish clear objectives, performance measures and management reporting.
• Build effective relationships with funders, suppliers, shareholders and the wider executive team.
• Ensure systems, processes and controls support growth and meet legal and regulatory obligations.

ExCo and institutional exposure

• Build senior relationships with the banks, institutional funders and other capital providers supporting the Bridging Division.
• Act as a commercial point of contact for funding partners, presenting the lending pipeline, portfolio performance and opportunities for future growth.
• Work with executive leadership and finance colleagues to assess funding capacity, facility utilisation and the case for additional credit lines.
• Provide the Executive Committee with regular updates on origination, financial performance, market developments and emerging risks.
• Participate in senior meetings with funders, shareholders and strategic partners, contributing commercial insight to decisions on funding, products and growth.
• Represent the division in Board and ExCo discussions, make well-supported recommendations and take ownership of agreed actions.

Skills and experience

You will bring around 10 years’ experience in the UK bridging finance market, supported by broader experience in property lending or banking. You will have held senior leadership responsibilities, originated and converted business, and developed a thorough understanding of underwriting, funding and the full lending lifecycle.

You will also demonstrate:

• Established relationships across the broker, introducer and property finance markets.
• Experience owning a lending strategy, budget and commercial performance.
• The presence and credibility to represent a division publicly and build its national profile.
• Sound judgement on pricing, credit quality, funding capacity and risk-adjusted returns.
• The ability to lead commercial and operational teams through growth and change.
• Confidence presenting to executive leaders, Board members and shareholders.
• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills.
• A hands-on approach suited to a growing specialist lending business.

The impact you will make

You will determine how the Bridging Division presents itself, where it competes and how it converts funding capacity into profitable lending. This is a mandate to build a stronger national profile and a more scalable business.

Compensation and progression

The role offers a base salary of £140,000–£160,000, an annual bonus opportunity of 40%/50% and additional benefits including company equity opportunity. The business sees a potential path to a broader Executive Leadership mandate over the next two to three years. Subject to progression and performance, indicative future total compensation could be £275,000–£350,000 per year.