Head of Underwriting

Job Description

* Flexible working* Leading building society* Excellent opportunity!Fram are working with a leading financial services firm in the Staffordshire area. They are seeking a Head of underwriting, due to retirement. The role will require you to lead and manage a team of 8 mortgage underwriters and 2 collections/arrears associates,to ensure all aspects of mortgage credit risk is met. You are also required to deliver a positive, appropriate, and sustainable outcomes for customers, which help them to maintain and regain financial stability, while ensuring the firms risk level is adheredto. This is a great opportunity for someone with extensive mortgage and underwriting knowledge, who has worked in the mortgage underwriting, collections, and arrears space before. Experience of a team management is preferred but not essential.Some of the duties include :* Proactively identify process and strategy improvement across the business areas.* Decision making for mandate referrals across both the Financial Support and Underwriting areas at the level agreed by Credit Risk Forum.* Coach and develop team members to produce better outcomes for customers, whilst minimising risks to the Society.* Manage customer accounts through early identification of financial distress by pro-active customer contact.* Successfully influence the outcome for both the customer and company, limiting the escalation of arrears to litigation, with a satisfactory customer outcome.* Ensure all processes and strategies fully consider the needs of vulnerable customers.* Provide support to Senior Management with regard to risk events, risk register reviews and control effectiveness assessments relating to Arrears and Collections.* Maintain the Societys Financial Support policy and drive improvements to the Responsible Lending Policy - ensuring implementation across the Financial Support and Underwriting teams.* Maintain the Financial Support and Mortgage Underwriting T&C scheme ensuring activity is in line with regulation, policy and ensuring good customer journeys and outcomes.* Remain up to date with industry best practice for both Financial Support and Mortgage Lending activities.* Identify and provide recommendations for improvements to processes, systems, procedures, and controls.* Monitor the implementation of change within Financial Support and Underwriting through key risk indicators.* Oversee arrears and forbearance performance and minimises risks for the Financial Support function.* Prioritise caseloads across the teams based on the assessment of risk.* Provide senior management with regular reporting and provide advice, as required, regarding the status of the individual business area responsibilities together with any associated risks to the Society.A suitable candidate will have a strong and steady underwriting background, be able to act in accordance with the PRA and FCA conduct rules, be aware of personal and the firms legal obligations in relations to financial crime, and have a track record of deliveringchange to improve the businesses procedure and policies.