Head of Credit Underwriting - Business Banking & SME

Location: Hybrid working across Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, UK

Company

hirify.global is a major UK banking group serving business and commercial banking clients.

What you will do

• Lead credit underwriting across SME, SME Corporate Real Estate and Business Banking, setting strategic direction and maintaining high credit judgement standards.
• Provide senior oversight and challenge for complex, material and judgement-led lending across trading sectors and Corporate Real Estate.
• Maintain accountability for credit decision quality, risk profile and sustainable portfolio performance.
• Partner with senior business leaders on growth, client outcomes, credit policy, mandates, risk appetite and portfolio strategy.
• Lead underwriting transformation, simplifying client and colleague journeys and implementing new processes, technology, data, analytics, automation and AI.
• Lead, develop and engage approximately 90 credit professionals, represent Credit at senior governance forums and deputise for the BCB Business Risk Director when required.

Requirements

• Deep and extensive SME credit underwriting and sanctioning expertise across a broad range of trading sectors.
• Strong Corporate Real Estate credit expertise, including senior oversight and challenge of complex CRE lending.
• Broader Business Banking and Commercial Banking credit experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of credit risk, portfolio management, policy, mandates and risk appetite.
• Significant experience leading specialist credit or underwriting teams.
• Proven experience leading complex change, including client journey simplification, process improvement and operating model transformation, with successful adoption of new technology, processes and ways of working.
• Experience leading teams through significant change while building capability, clarity, engagement and an effective culture.
• Excellent commercial judgement and the ability to balance growth and client outcomes with sound credit risk management.
• Strong executive-level communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive workplace focused on diversity, belonging and support for under-represented groups.
• Up to 15% pension contribution and an annual performance-related bonus.
• Share schemes, including free shares, and lifestyle benefits such as discounted shopping.
• 30 days of holiday plus bank holidays.
• Wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies.
• Disability-confident recruitment process with reasonable adjustments available.