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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and optimise underwriting practices for a pioneering payment platform.
- Company: Join Mangopay, a leader in multi-party payment solutions with a diverse team.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture focused on innovation and compliance.
- Why this job: Shape the future of fintech while driving impactful change in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in underwriting or risk management with strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Overview
Mangopay is a wallet-based payment infrastructure built specifically for organisations with complex, multi-party fund flows. A pioneer in multi-party payments, our solution optimises fund flows on behalf of the organisations we work with using wallets as programmable, composable building blocks. Mangopay’s regulated platform collects payments, secures transactions and holds funds, splits money between the various parties in the funds flow, and ultimately manages the payout to service providers, sellers, and consumers. Platforms and fintechs using Mangopay regain control and transparency over multi-party payment flows, generate additional revenue, and improve operational efficiency. They can stay compliant while innovating and scaling. Our team of 300+ people is spread across offices in Madrid, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, Luxembourg and London.
Job Description
As the Head of Underwriting, you will be responsible for shaping and leading Mangopay’s merchant risk and underwriting practices across the full lifecycle. You will ensure that our underwriting standards are not only robust and compliant but also globally scalable as our platform ecosystem continues to grow in scale and complexity. This is a high-impact leadership role sitting at the intersection of Risk, Compliance and Commercial teams. You will be responsible for balancing ambitious business growth with a disciplined risk appetite, ensuring that our underwriting policies are optimized for performance, aligned with international card scheme rules (Visa/Mastercard) and integrated into our cutting-edge payment technology.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Strategic Policy Governance
- Framework Optimization: Own and continuously refine Mangopay’s global underwriting policy and risk appetite frameworks to reflect portfolio performance and emerging fraud trends.
- Decisioning Excellence: Establish and maintain sophisticated decisioning frameworks that harmonize merchant onboarding, ongoing monitoring and lifecycle management.
- Strategic Alignment: Ensure that risk standards are seamlessly integrated with the broader business strategy, enabling sustainable growth without compromising network integrity.
- Lifecycle Management: Oversee the end-to-end merchant risk lifecycle, ensuring a seamless experience from onboarding through to periodic reviews and escalations.
- Risk Criteria Definition: Set clear, data-driven criteria for merchant acceptance, ensuring proactive identification of high-risk profiles and implementation of mitigation strategies.
- Monitoring Supervision: Partner with internal teams to supervise portfolio health, focusing on abnormal transaction patterns, chargeback trends and fraud prevention.
- Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a high-performing team of Underwriting Officers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and analytical rigor.
- Expert Escalation: Serve as the final internal authority and escalation point for complex or high-exposure underwriting decisions.
- Internal Advisory: Act as a strategic partner to Commercial, Product and Finance teams to support product launches and market expansion with risk-based frameworks.
- Regulatory & Scheme Mastery: Ensure 100% adherence to global card scheme rules (Visa, Mastercard, Cartes Bancaires) and evolving regulatory requirements.
- Audit Readiness: Maintain a gold-standard audit trail and lead the business through internal and external regulatory reviews.
- KPI Management: Define and track key underwriting metrics, including approval rates, loss ratios and operational efficiency.
- Digital Transformation: Drive the implementation of advanced tooling and automation to enhance the speed and accuracy of underwriting decisions.
Experience
You are recognised for:
- 10+ years of experience in merchant underwriting, risk management, or payment operations within a major PSP, Acquirer, or Fintech.
- Strategic Leadership: A proven track record of managing senior risk teams and owning complex policy frameworks in a fast-scaling environment.
- Scheme Expertise: Deep technical knowledge of global card scheme rules, payment flows and regulatory environments.
- Analytical Mindset: Strong ability to balance commercial growth objectives with robust risk mitigation strategies.
- Tooling Proficiency: Deep familiarity with underwriting industry-standard tools.
- Stakeholder Influence: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence at the Executive and Board levels.
Additional Information
Stage 1: HR Talent Team interview
Stage 2: Technical Interviews with Subject Matter Experts (Deep dive into Scheme Rules)
Stage 3: Case study / practical assessment (Strategic compliance scenario)
We care about equal employment opportunities, so all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration regardless of their race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
Head of UnderwritingNew in London employer: Nethone, a Mangopay solution
Contact Detail:
Nethone, a Mangopay solution Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of UnderwritingNew in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the fintech space, especially those who work at Mangopay or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Mangopay’s services and recent developments. Show us you’re not just another candidate; demonstrate your passion for multi-party payments and how you can contribute to our mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get a friend to do mock interviews with you. Focus on articulating your experience in risk management and underwriting clearly, so we can see how you’d fit into our team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our awesome team at Mangopay.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of UnderwritingNew in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Head of Underwriting role. Highlight your experience in risk management and underwriting, and don’t forget to mention any relevant achievements that showcase your strategic leadership.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you’re passionate about fintech and how your background makes you the perfect fit for Mangopay. Be sure to connect your experience with our mission and values.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role requires a strong analytical mindset, include examples in your application that demonstrate your ability to balance commercial growth with risk mitigation. We want to see how you’ve tackled complex challenges in the past!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team at Mangopay!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nethone, a Mangopay solution
✨Know Your Underwriting Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of underwriting practices, especially in relation to multi-party payments. Understand the nuances of risk management and how they apply to Mangopay's operations. Being able to discuss specific frameworks and policies will show that you're not just familiar with the role but are genuinely interested in contributing to their success.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Underwriting, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor a team. Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully managed teams or projects, particularly in high-pressure environments. Highlight how you foster a culture of learning and analytical thinking within your team.
✨Understand the Regulatory Landscape
Familiarise yourself with global card scheme rules and regulatory requirements relevant to the fintech space. Be ready to discuss how you’ve navigated compliance challenges in previous roles and how you would ensure adherence to these standards at Mangopay. This will show that you can balance business growth with risk management effectively.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Since the interview process includes a case study, practice analysing strategic compliance scenarios. Think about how you would approach risk assessment and decision-making in real-world situations. This will not only help you feel more confident but also demonstrate your analytical mindset and problem-solving skills during the interview.