Business Risk Specialist in Leeds

The Small Business Credit Team supports the centralised Relationship Manager DCA holder population across Business Direct.

As a Business Risk Specialist, you’ll play an important role in supporting safe and balanced lending across our Small Business portfolio. You’ll assess and underwrite lending requests within delegated authority, bringing together credit judgement, analytical thinking and a strong understanding of business lending and risk to deliver clear, well-balanced lending decisions, ensuring credit risks are identified, understood and appropriately mitigated. Working closely with Relationship Managers and wider stakeholders, you’ll identify and manage credit risks to support good customer outcomes while operating within risk appetite.

You’ll also contribute to the management of asset quality, support improvements in policy, practice and process, and help shape a strong and constructive risk culture across Small Business Credit. The role additionally supports the ongoing development of credit journeys as the Bank continues to enhance automated and streamlined credit processes. This is a great opportunity to join Small Business Credit supporting safe, balanced lending while helping our customers’ businesses grow.

At Nationwide, we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK-wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job, you'll be assigned to our nearest regional hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events in one of our office sites. This is anticipated to be fortnightly in Leeds If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

Virgin Money is now part of Nationwide

Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in October 2024. Virgin Money continues to serve customers on the high street, and there will be a phased and considered integration over the coming years.

You’ll be employed by Nationwide from day one, delivering real impact and benefitting from a highly competitive range of benefits. We’re a workplace where you’re rewarded, recognised and celebrated.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.
If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll take responsibility for underwriting lending proposals within your Delegated Commitment Authority, making clear, well-reasoned decisions that balance risk, customer need and business objectives.

You’ll ensure that credit risks are properly identified, understood and mitigated, providing decisions that are both commercially aware and aligned to policy and risk appetite.

You’ll work closely with Relationship Managers, acting as a trusted risk partner—providing feedback, guidance and challenge to improve the quality of submissions and strengthen risk management capability.

You’ll also play a key role in managing asset quality, identifying early signs of financial difficulty and ensuring appropriate action is taken.

Beyond day-to-day underwriting, you’ll contribute to improving how we operate—supporting enhancements in credit processes, use of data, and the development of more efficient and effective customer journeys.

About you

As a minimum, you will have:

• Experience of working within a risk, analytical, or decision-making environment, ideally within financial services or a regulated setting

• The ability to apply sound judgement and make balanced decisions, considering risk, customer need, and commercial outcomes

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to review, interpret and draw conclusions from a range of financial and non-financial information

• Experience of using tools such as Excel and internal systems (e.g. workflow or document management systems) to support analysis, decision-making and case management

• A high level of attention to detail, with the ability to identify inconsistencies, gaps or risks within information provided

• The confidence to question, challenge and test information to support robust and well-evidenced decisions

• Clear and effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain decisions and influence a wide range of stakeholders

• The ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively within a structured, process-driven environment

• A customer focused mindset with an understanding of the importance of fair and responsible outcomes

• A good understanding of business lending, or the ability to quickly build knowledge and apply it in practice

• Moody’s accreditation (or willingness to complete within 6 months of starting the role)

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata

• Access to private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us.

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

The hiring manager for this role is Liesl Smith, and the main recruitment contact is Thomas Pegg.