Bridging Underwriter

Senior Bridging & Development Underwriter
Hertfordshire (4 days in the office, 1 from home) | £60,000 - £70,000 + bonus | Permanent

A growing specialist property lender is looking for a Senior Underwriter to join its bridging and development finance team. You'll underwrite a broker-led pipeline of short-term loans from first enquiry to completion, with your own lending mandate and the larger cases going to credit committee. It's a hands-on senior role with real say over credit decisions and the chance to develop junior members of the team.

The role

Underwrite regulated and unregulated bridging loans on residential and semi-commercial property, including auction purchases and light and heavy refurbishment
Assess development finance and development exit proposals, reviewing build costs, GDV, programme and exit strategy with monitoring surveyors
Sanction cases within your personal mandate (typically up to £750k) and write clear credit papers for cases going to the weekly credit committee
Review valuations, borrower experience, assets and liabilities, and how strong the exit is (sale or refinance)
Manage a live pipeline end to end with brokers, valuers and solicitors, keeping turnaround tight without compromising credit quality
Quality-check the work of underwriters and case managers, and share knowledge across the team
Make sure lending meets credit policy, regulatory requirements and Consumer Duty outcomes
About you

5+ years' underwriting experience in bridging and/or development finance at a specialist lender or bank
Comfortable holding a personal mandate and presenting cases to credit committee
A strong grasp of valuations, exit strategies and the risks specific to short-term property lending
A background in buy-to-let or residential mortgage underwriting is an advantage
CeMAP or equivalent preferred, and a leadership or management qualification is a plus
Commercially minded, organised and confident dealing with brokers and professional partners
What's on offer

Salary of £50,000 - £70,000 depending on experience
Hybrid working: four days a week in the Hertfordshire office and one day from home
Pension and wider benefits package
A senior role in a growing lender, with scope to progress into underwriting leadership
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed