Underwriter - Unsecured SME Lending in City of Westminster

Overview: Use market knowledge and data (e.g. CRA reports, financial statements, bank statements, broker proposal) to drive strong outcomes for individual transactions and to inform appetite changes that support risk management and growth in the unsecured space. Be an advocate for the product with colleagues throughout the bank. Escalate exceptions and exposures beyond individual mandate to senior underwriters or Credit Committee. Comply with all mandatory policies and develop and adhere to operational procedures to maintain a strong internal control environment and meet regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Use market knowledge and data to influence risk appetite and support growth in the unsecured SME lending space.
• Advocate for the product with colleagues across the bank.
• Escalate exceptions and exposures beyond your mandate to senior underwriters or Credit Committee.
• Comply with mandatory policies and develop/adopt operational procedures to maintain internal controls and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications:

• A belief in the opportunity to build an improved unsecured lending solution for SMEs with a hands-on, innovative approach. Initiative and resilience are key.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships.
• In-depth understanding of SME unsecured lending.
• Experienced unsecured lending underwriter with strong decision-making skills.
• Demonstrable experience of fast, accurate underwriting across a range of SME customers.
• Ability to interpret detailed financial information (including balance sheet and cash forecasting), assess funding requirements and determine serviceability evidence.
• Strong organization and attention to detail.
• Experience recommending and delivering product/appetite changes to support portfolio growth.
• Familiarity with scorecards/decision engines, open-banking data, and automation of "flow" transactions.

Benefits:

• Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities.
• Options for flexible working; Regular social activities; Pension contributions; Discretionary bonus scheme; Private health cover; Life assurance; Family-friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave.

Additional notes: Don’t tick every box? Don’t worry if you don’t have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you’ll be a good fit, we’d still love to hear from you! Flexible working: We know the '9-to-5' isn’t right for everyone. Allica Bank is committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if possible, we will accommodate. Diversity: We’re a diverse team with many experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles.

About Allica Bank: Allica is the UK’s fastest growing company—and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities—representing over a third of our economy—yet have been largely neglected by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers.

Department Description: Having already achieved significant success in the commercial mortgage and asset finance markets, Allica is focused on growing lending capabilities to enable further support to the SMEs we serve. A major contributor to that is unsecured lending. This is a new product to our lending suite and will enable us to support the growth ambitions of SMEs in new areas where speed and flexibility matter. The aim is to help customers finance specific non-asset-backed spending through unsecured loans.