Head of Operations

Ultimate Banking Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing specialist mortgage lender in Milton Keynes is seeking a Head of Mortgage Operations to lead daily delivery of loan servicing and savings operations. You will oversee lending journeys and ensure compliance with regulations while enhancing customer experiences. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in mortgage operations, exceptional leadership skills, and a track record of achieving operational targets. This role offers a competitive salary, considerable bonus potential, a generous pension scheme, and private health care.

Benefits

Considerable bonus opportunity

Generous pension scheme

Private health care

Qualifications

• Strong experience in a senior operations role, covering mortgage lending.
• Proven leadership across completions, servicing, arrears, and collections.
• Experience in managing key external partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership and support wider transformation work.
• Lead team oversight to move approved loans through to drawdown accurately.
• Track pipeline activity and team performance to improve processes.

Skills

Leadership in operations

Knowledge of banking regulations

Experience with KYC/AML

Strong delivery focus

Process improvement

Job description

Head of Mortgage Operations

Milton Keynes (office based initially with hybrid working available after probation)

Salary dependent on experience + considerable bonus opportunity potentially up to 40%

Our client, a growing specialist commercial mortgage lender, has an exciting new opportunity for a Head of Mortgage Operations. You’ll run the day-to-day delivery of post-offer lending and savings services, making sure everything meets regulations and that you deliver great customer experiences.

You’ll oversee the lending journey from completions and drawdowns to portfolio management, arrears, servicing, savings and recoveries. This is the team that powers the business, pushing operational excellence, helping deliver new initiatives, and nurturing a mindset of constant improvement.

Duties will include:

• Provide operational leadership and support wider transformation work with the COO.
• Lead and give oversight to the team moving approved loans through to drawdown quickly and accurately.
• Track pipeline activity and team performance, improving processes and increasing automation.
• Manage ongoing loan servicing, including queries, changes, renewals, redemptions, and arrears.
• Maintain strong risk controls, regulatory compliance, and fair handling of complaints and vulnerable customers.
• Run savings operations and manage relationships with partners to deliver strong service and meet SLAs.
• Ensure robust operational risk management, accurate data, clear customer communication, and smooth delivery of product or regulatory changes.
• Act as the operational expert for process design, testing, and implementation.
• Build a high-performing, accountable, customer-focused team culture.

The successful candidate will possess:

• Strong experience in a senior operations role, covering mortgage lending.
• Proven leadership across completions, servicing, arrears, and collections.
• Experienced in managing key external partners (outsourcers, legal firms, valuers, aggregators).
• Strong delivery focus with a track record of hitting operational targets.
• Solid understanding of banking regulations and operational risk management.
• Strong grasp of KYC/AML requirements and how they apply in lending operations.

Along with a highly competitive salary, additional benefits include bonus, generous pension scheme & private health care. If you are an experienced operational leader from a lending background and can commute regularly to Milton Keynes, we would love to hear from you.