Head of Mortgage Underwriting

Nottingham Building Society; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Car allowance

Bupa Healthcare

Medicash healthcare

29 days annual leave

Job summary

Nottingham Building Society invites a dynamic Head of Mortgage Underwriting to shape origination strategies across residential, buy-to-let, commercial and specialist lending. You will lead teams, ensure robust underwriting standards and drive customer outcomes.

This senior role embraces hybrid working (minimum two days on site), complex governance, stakeholder engagement, and a culture of continuous improvement while delivering sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• Extensive mortgage origination, underwriting and portfolio management experience.
• Residential, buy-to-let, commercial, self-build and specialist lending exposure.
• Strong understanding of responsible lending and customer servicing.
• Knowledge of MCOB, FCA rules and financial crime controls.
• Proven leadership of high-performing operational teams.
• Strong analytical skills; able to interpret MI and KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver the Mortgage Origination and Underwriting strategy to support growth and customer ambitions.
• Lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams with a customer/intermediary focus.
• Maintain robust underwriting standards and prudent, compliant lending decisions.
• Drive operational efficiency and continuous improvement across mortgage journeys.
• Use data, feedback and performance insights to identify trends and manage risks.
• Lead change initiatives and transform ways of working; enhance capability.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, risk management and strong governance controls.
• Build strong relationships with brokers, solicitors, valuation partners and risk/compliance teams.
• Oversee third-party suppliers, ensuring service delivery and quality.
• Champion resilience and business continuity for mortgage operations.

Skills

Mortgage underwriting

Team leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Data analytics

Change management

Tools

MI reporting

Job description

Location: Head Office, Nottingham (Hybrid working, minimum 2 days per week)

Lead and inspire our Mortgage Origination, Underwriting and Lending Operations teams, shaping exceptional customer experiences, driving sound lending decisions and delivering operational excellence that supports the Society’s growth and long-term success.

Here’s a taste of what you will be doing as a Head of Mortgage Underwriting at Nottingham Building Society: -

• Shape and deliver the Mortgage Origination and Underwriting strategy, supporting the Society's growth, lending and customer ambitions.
• Lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams, creating a customer and intermediary-focused culture.
• Maintain robust underwriting standards and oversight, ensuring lending decisions are consistent, prudent and compliant.
• Drive operational efficiency, service excellence and continuous improvement across mortgage journeys and processes.
• Use data, customer feedback and performance insights to identify trends, manage risks and improve customer outcomes.
• Lead change initiatives and transformation programmes, embedding new ways of working and enhancing colleague capability.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, effective risk management and strong governance controls.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including brokers, solicitors, valuation partners, Credit Risk and Compliance teams.
• Oversee third-party suppliers and outsourced services, ensuring high standards of service and customer delivery.
• Champion operational resilience and business continuity, ensuring the function remains resilient and responsive to change.
• About you: -
• Extensive experience across mortgage origination, underwriting and portfolio management, including residential, buy-to-let, commercial, self-build and specialist lending.
• A strong understanding of responsible lending, mortgage operations and customer servicing best practice.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant regulatory frameworks, including MCOB, FCA requirements and financial crime controls.
• Proven experience leading high-performing operational teams, driving excellent customer outcomes while developing and coaching colleagues to reach their full potential.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret MI, KPIs and performance data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Experience of operational resilience, business continuity, risk management and incident recovery within a regulated environment.
• A track record of delivering change, transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Outstanding stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility with senior leaders, regulators, industry bodies and external partners.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the confidence to navigate complex challenges, lead through change and make sound decisions in high-pressure situations.

Reward & Benefits -

• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, annual discretionary bonus scheme, Car Allowance, Bupa Healthcare, Medicash healthcare scheme, 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
• Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations.
• For all full-time roles we work a 35-hour working week to promote a work/life balance, we want you to be at your best inside and outside of work.
• A friendly and inclusive culture where teams genuinely strive to do the right thing by their colleagues and our customers.
• A strong sustainability agenda - we’re continually finding new ways to be kinder to the environment by reducing our carbon footprint.
• We’re passionate about giving back to the communities in which we serve as well as supporting local charities as part of the Samuel Fox Foundation. One of the many ways you can get involved is to use the 2 days per year paid leave to volunteer for causes or charities that are important to you.
• Your health and wellbeing is our priority, we encourage this through a suite of support resources, including a team of trained mental health first aiders.

Embracing Diversity Together:

We proudly embrace and celebrate diversity as a fundamental cornerstone of our values. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is not just essential for our success but is also a reflection of the vibrant communities we serve. Our commitment to diversity extends beyond our internal culture to the way we approach advertising and engage with our customers.

Our commitment means actively working to eliminate barriers and biases that may hinder equal opportunities within our organisation. We strive to ensure that all individuals, regardless of background, have an equal chance to thrive and advance in their careers.

We acknowledge that diversity is not just a goal to be achieved but a continuous journey toward creating an environment that embraces differences and promotes equal opportunities for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and a sense of belonging for every member of our community.

About us:

Together we overcome barriers and shape brighter futures for our customers, colleagues and our communities.

We are a mutual, which means we don’t have shareholders. Instead, we’re owned by our members and use our money to do good, investing in our community, responsible causes, and – well, you. So, we’re always striving to do the right thing for our colleagues, communities and members.

Although our history spans over 170 years, our purpose of helping our members save, plan for and protect their financial futures is enduring. At Nottingham Building Society, we are dedicated to overcoming obstacles and turning challenges into opportunities. At the heart of our mission is our unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers and building better futures by helping our customers achieve the significant milestone of owning their own home.