Underwriting Team Leader

Are you an experienced Senior Underwriter, Underwriting Team Leader or Mortgage Underwriting Manager looking for the next step in your career?

We're recruiting for an Underwriting Team Leader to join an award-winning specialist lender. This is an opportunity to combine hands-on underwriting with leadership responsibility, managing a team of underwriters and mortgage processors whilst helping to drive performance, service excellence and operational improvement.

The successful Underwriting Team Leader will play a key role in supporting business growth, developing team members and ensuring lending decisions are made in line with company policy, regulatory requirements and customer outcomes.

As an Underwriting Team Leader, you will lead the underwriting and mortgage processing functions, overseeing workflow management, team performance and underwriting quality.

Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you will remain actively involved in underwriting, carrying out mandate reviews and supporting complex lending decisions.

• Lead, coach and develop the underwriting and mortgage processing teams.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and development planning.
• Manage team workloads and resource allocation to ensure service levels are achieved.
• Act as a senior underwriter, approving mortgage applications within mandate.
• Complete second reviews on cases underwritten by team members.
• Support and maintain underwriting processes, procedures and operational controls.
• Work closely with compliance teams to ensure good customer outcomes and regulatory adherence.
• Handle post-offer queries and provide guidance on complex cases.
• Analyse and interpret management information to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the implementation of new systems, processes and operational initiatives.
• Represent the underwriting function within business projects and stakeholder meetings.
• Contribute to ongoing business improvement and operational efficiency initiatives.

• Underwrite specialist mortgage applications from initial assessment through to completion.
• Assess borrower affordability, creditworthiness and overall lending suitability.
• Review supporting documentation including credit reports, valuations and financial information.
• Ensure all lending decisions comply with credit policy and underwriting standards.
• Deliver excellent service to brokers, introducers and key stakeholders throughout the application process.
• Maintain accurate records and case notes.
• Support colleagues across underwriting and case management functions.

To be considered for this Underwriting Team Leader position, you should have:

• Previous experience as a Senior Underwriter, Underwriting Team Leader, Underwriting Manager or Mortgage Underwriter.
• Experience working within specialist lending, buy-to-let mortgages, residential mortgages or specialist finance.
• Strong people management, coaching or mentoring experience.
• Excellent understanding of mortgage underwriting principles and credit risk assessment.
• Experience working within an FCA-regulated environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive approach to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Bonus scheme of up to 10%
• Hybrid working (3 days from home)
• Vitality Private Medical Insurance
• Life Assurance (4x salary)
• Pension Scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Additional paid leave over the Christmas period
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Career progression opportunities
• Wellbeing support initiatives
• Supportive and collaborative team culture

Our client is an award-winning specialist lender with an excellent reputation for service, innovation and customer outcomes.

Having been recognised as one of the mortgage industry's leading employers, they continue to invest heavily in their people, technology and future growth. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Underwriting Team Leader to join a successful business where your expertise will be valued and your career can continue to develop.