Head of Underwriting

Stellar Select Limited; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Head of Underwriting for their new Commercial Mortgages division in London. This role requires a strong background in commercial mortgages and offers the opportunity to influence the future of the department while working within a dynamic and ambitious team.

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial mortgages is essential.
• Strong risk awareness paired with balanced judgment.
• Effective communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Underwrite mortgage applications pragmatically within delegated authority.
• Assess credit reports, financials, and valuations for sound lending decisions.
• Manage a pipeline of cases through to formal offer, meeting agreed SLAs.

Skills

Credit skills

Risk awareness

Customer service

Adaptability

Communication

Job description

Job Title: Head of Underwriting - Commercial Mortgages

Location: London

Salary: Up to £100,000 depending on experience, plus benefits

About the position of Head of Underwriting - Commercial Mortgages:

We're working with a specialist lender entering an exciting new phase with the launch of their Commercial Mortgages division. We we're looking for a Head of Underwriting to play a pivotal role in shaping its future.

Joining at an early stage, you'll be hands-on from day one, underwriting cases while helping to lay the foundation for a function that's set to grow. This is a unique chance to be part of a small, agile team with big ambitions, where your expertise will directly influence the success and direction of the commercial lending strategy.

We welcome applications from experienced Heads of Underwriting, as well as ambitious Senior Underwriters ready to take the next step in their career. You'll bring strong credit skills, a proactive mindset, and a desire to contribute beyond a typical underwriting role as the department scales. If you're looking for influence, visibility, and the chance to grow with a business, this role offers exactly that.

Responsibilities required for the role of Head of Underwriting - Commercial Mortgages:

• Underwrite mortgage applications pragmatically within delegated authority.
• Assess credit reports, financials, bank statements, and valuations to support sound lending decisions.
• Balance risk and flexibility to maintain low arrears and losses in a specialist lending environment.
• Escalate out-of-policy cases with clear rationale and engage key stakeholders in Group Risk.
• Ensure strong AML and customer due diligence practices are followed.
• Maintain high accuracy across documentation and data entry.
• Respond promptly to internal and external queries, upholding service standards.
• Communicate decisions clearly to brokers and build strong working relationships.
• Manage a pipeline of cases through to formal offer, meeting agreed SLAs.
• Adhere to company policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to process improvements as the team scales.

Experience required for the role of Head of Underwriting - Commercial Mortgages:

• Experience in commercial mortgages is essential
• Experienced Senior Underwriter looking for the next step. We can also consider experienced 'Heads of'
• Strong risk awareness paired with balanced judgment.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional customer service with a customer-centric approach.
• Adaptable and flexible in achieving delivery goals.
• Skilled in management and collaboration.
• Effective communication skills.
• Adaptable to new products and emerging markets.
• A dedicated team player.

For more information regarding the role of Head of Underwriting - Commercial Mortgages, please get in touch with us.

Stellar Select is acting as an employment agency and is a corporate member of the REC.

Due to a high volume of applications, we will only contact you if your application has been successful. We aim to contact all successful contacts within two business days.