Senior Mortgage Underwriter - FTC

MERJE; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

MERJE is seeking an experienced Underwriter to assess mortgage applications within delegated authority. You will apply lending policy and risk appetite while delivering fair outcomes for customers and brokers.

You will maintain portfolio quality, identify and escalate risks, document decisions for auditability, and contribute to underwriting quality and portfolio strength. Strong communication and problem-solving are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience underwriting residential mortgage applications.
• Strong knowledge of MCOB, AML, CDD/KYC requirements.
• Ability to interpret policy and risk appetite in decision making.

Responsibilities

• Maintain mortgage portfolio quality through prudent decision-making.
• Apply policy consistently while reflecting individual circumstances.
• Identify and escalate credit, conduct, fraud, or operational risks promptly.
• Deliver decisions that balance responsible lending with customer outcomes.
• Document decisions clearly for auditability and review.
• Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication and problem-solving skills.

Skills

Mortgage underwriting

Policy guidance

Risk assessment

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder communication

Education

GCSE level including English and Mathematics

CeMAP or mortgage qualification

Job description

The Underwriter role assesses and sanctions mortgage applications within delegated authority, making sound, evidence-based lending decisions while delivering fair and timely outcomes for customers and brokers.

The role applies established lending policy, underwriting guidance and risk appetite consistently, while using appropriate judgement to reflect individual customer circumstances. It contributes directly to underwriting quality, service performance and the strength of the mortgage portfolio.

• Maintain the quality of the mortgage portfolio through prudent, consistent and risk-based decision-making.
• Apply policy consistently while exercising appropriate judgement and flexibility to reflect individual customer circumstances.
• Identify, manage and escalate credit, conduct, fraud, operational or customer risks promptly and appropriately.
• Deliver decisions that balance responsible lending, good customer outcomes and risk appetite, including appropriate consideration of vulnerability and foreseeable harm.
• Document decisions clearly so that the rationale, evidence considered and customer outcome can be understood and independently reviewed.
• Strong working knowledge of mortgage underwriting, retail lending policy and underwriting guidance. - ideally a lending mandate of up to £500,000 across Residential Owner Occupier and/or Buy to Let lending.
• Educated to GCSE level standard, or equivalent, including English and Mathematics.
• Sound understanding of responsible lending and relevant requirements, including MCOB, Consumer Duty, AML, CDD/KYC and data protection.
• Good working knowledge of mortgage processing, property valuations, conveyancing and the legal aspects relevant to mortgage underwriting.
• Ability to identify and articulate key risks, mitigants and the rationale for a lending decision.
• Strong written and verbal communication, relationship management and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage a varied pipeline, competing priorities and time-sensitive cases without compromising quality.
• High attention to detail, customer empathy & confidence using digital systems and data.
• Mortgage industry experience, including experience assessing residential mortgage applications.
• Experience working within an underwriting mandate and referral framework.
• Experience of complex customer circumstances, specialist lending cases or broker relationship management.
• CeMAP or another relevant mortgage qualification
• Awareness of specialist lending propositions, automation & emerging underwriting risks.
• Understanding of how individual lending decisions contribute to portfolio quality and customer outcomes.