Business Credit Risk Manager

Virgin Money; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in the UK is seeking a Credit Risk Manager to innovate in business lending. This role involves leading a team, developing credit risk metrics, and delivering actionable insights to senior stakeholders. The ideal candidate has strong experience in business lending and data analysis skills, with a collaborative approach to drive change. A comprehensive benefits package is provided.

Benefits

38.5 days annual leave

Up to five extra paid well-being days

20 weeks paid family leave

Market-leading pension

Free private medical cover

Qualifications

• Strong experience within a business lending environment.
• Technical expertise in data management tools for portfolio analytics.
• Ability to turn complex data into clear insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team transforming credit risk assessment across the portfolio.
• Develop Credit Risk Appetite metrics, limits, and triggers.
• Deliver insights on credit quality to senior committees.

Skills

Business lending experience

SAS

Python

R

SQL

Analytical mindset

Attention to detail

Job description

Our Business Credit Insight and Innovation team plays a pivotal role in shaping our lending strategy across Business lending. We're looking for a Credit Risk Manager to join our team and help us innovate and continue to grow responsibly while ensuring our lending meets customer needs and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team transforming how credit risk is assessed and monitored across the Business lending portfolio, focusing on designing and implementing new methods of risk analysis, trend identification, and portfolio diagnostics.
• Spearhead the development and recommendation of appropriate Credit Risk Appetite metrics, limits, and triggers, ensuring effective engagement across both the 1st and 2nd Lines of Defence.
• Deliver coherent, actionable insight and challenge on the credit quality of the business portfolio to senior committees and regulators.
• Own regular deep dives and assessments of portfolio composition and asset quality, leading cross‑team engagement to ensure insights are robust, high‑quality, and drive meaningful action.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, simplifying processes, enhancing analytical sophistication, and embedding new techniques to better understand and manage portfolio risk.

Qualifications

• Strong experience within a business lending environment.
• Technical expertise in SAS, Python, R, SQL or other data management tools used for conducting portfolio analytics.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insights and to land succinct messages with senior leaders.
• Curiosity and a proactive approach to identifying trends, uncovering root causes, and exploring scenario analysis.
• A collaborative style with a track record of influencing change and building trusted relationships with key stakeholders.
• Attention to detail, ensuring analytics produced is accurate, robust and meaningful.

Bonus Skills

• Experience of business credit within an IRB environment.
• Experience across business credit risk modelling and analytics.
• Broad knowledge of Risk Management disciplines and three lines of defence frameworks.

Benefits

• 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays) plus the option to buy more.
• Up to five extra paid well‑being days per year.
• 20 weeks paid, gender‑neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt.
• Market‑leading pension.
• Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance.
• Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness.

Legal

Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If you’re successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years’ worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre‑employment checks – we’ll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you’ll be subject to periodic employment checks.

We may close the advert early. Please submit your applications as soon as possible.