Senior Director, SME Credit & Business Banking Underwriting

Lloyds Banking Group; Ledston; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Lloyds Banking Group is seeking a Head of SME & Business Banking Credit Underwriting to lead credit decisioning for SME, SME Corporate Real Estate and Business Banking. You will shape underwriting strategy, oversee a team of ~90 colleagues across the UK, and drive improvements in data, automation and AI to speed decisions while maintaining credit quality.

You’ll collaborate with senior leaders to balance growth and risk, set policy, and transform the end-to-end client journey, ensuring

Qualifications

• Extensive SME credit underwriting and sanctioning experience across trading sectors.
• Corporate Real Estate credit expertise with senior oversight capabilities.
• Experience across Business Banking and Commercial Banking credit.
• Strong knowledge of credit risk, portfolio management, policy and risk appetite.
• Experience leading specialist credit or underwriting teams.
• Proven track record leading complex change and embedding new technology, processes and ways of working.
• Experience leading teams through significant change with engagement.
• Excellent commercial judgement balancing growth and risk with sound credit risk management.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Credit Underwriting across SME, SME Corporate Real Estate and Business Banking.
• Provide senior credit leadership across a diverse portfolio of trading sectors and CRE, including oversight of complex lending.
• Maintain accountability for the quality and risk profile of credit decisions.
• Partner with senior business leaders to support growth, balancing commercial ambition, client outcomes and risk appetite.
• Influence credit policy, mandates, risk appetite and portfolio strategy.
• Lead significant transformation across the underwriting function, simplifying client and colleague journeys and improving pace and consistency of decisions.
• Lead the implementation and adoption of new processes, technology and ways of working, including data, analytics, automation and AI.
• Lead, develop and engage a large team of credit professionals, building capability and inclusive culture.
• Represent Credit at senior executive and governance forums and deputise for the BCB Business Risk Director where required.

Skills

SME credit underwriting

Credit risk expertise

Portfolio management

Change leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Job description

Lloyds Banking Group is seeking a Head of SME & Business Banking Credit Underwriting to lead credit decisioning for SME, SME Corporate Real Estate and Business Banking. You will shape underwriting strategy, oversee a team of ~90 colleagues across the UK, and drive improvements in data, automation and AI to speed decisions while maintaining credit quality.

You’ll collaborate with senior leaders to balance growth and risk, set policy, and transform the end-to-end client journey, ensuring