Principal, Mortgages Policy in London

Develop and lead work to deliver the wider objectives of UK Finance’s Mortgages team, taking ownership of defined policy areas and projects as required. The immediate focus will be housing supply and property-level physical risk, drawing on the Resilient Homes Strategy to support the quality, value and usability of existing homes and the delivery of resilient new housing. The portfolio will evolve in response to team priorities and members’ needs.

Operate as a senior technical expert at Principal level, working independently and/or leading projects and providing technical input to cross-cutting initiatives. Combine detailed mortgage-business knowledge with clear communication, sound judgement and collaborative working to develop policy, build member consensus and credibly represent UK Finance externally.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead team priorities: shape and deliver agreed Mortgages team objectives, owning defined policy areas and projects and contributing technical expertise to cross-cutting initiatives. Work independently or lead project teams as required, adapting the portfolio as priorities change.
• Lead the immediate housing supply and physical-risk agenda: develop policy and industry engagement on maintaining and increasing housing stock and understanding and managing physical risks. Consider the implications for mortgage business, including insurance, valuation, property information and resilience, without limiting the role’s wider remit.
• Provide technical leadership: maintain in-depth expertise in assigned subsectors, products and cross-cutting issues. Assess their effects on members’ business challenges, customers and consumer representatives, third-party stakeholders including the media, and the regulatory, political and public policy environment. Take account of societal and economic developments, domestic and international perspectives, and innovation, particularly technology.
• Develop evidence-based policy: identify emerging issues, analyse evidence and commission specialist input where appropriate. Produce clear policy proposals, consultation responses and briefings, building member consensus and translating technical issues into practical implications and recommendations.
• Work across teams and associations: collaborate with colleagues across UK Finance and counterparts at other trade associations, sharing expertise, coordinating activity and managing differing priorities constructively to deliver joined-up outcomes.
• Own strategic relationships: establish and deepen relationships with key senior staff at Member organisations, government, regulators, the press and other stakeholders. Take ownership of agreed relationships and use engagement to understand priorities, inform policy and advance team objectives, coordinating with relevant UK Finance colleagues.
• Support senior governance: attend relevant P&S Boards, Strategic Advisory Committees and other high-level governance committees as required, representing an assigned subsector or contributing as a subject matter expert. Provide clear advice, papers and updates to support decisions.
• Represent UK Finance externally: act as a credible subject matter expert in speeches, conference panels, Chatham House discussions and media engagement. Write and speak clearly for different audiences, communicating agreed positions and working with External Affairs and communications colleagues as appropriate.
• Identify commercial opportunities: identify opportunities for UK Finance arising from the portfolio and provide External Affairs and marketing support to deliver relevant initiatives, as appropriate.
• Be accountable for delivery: ensure own work and that of relevant project teams and outsourced providers is delivered to agreed time, budget and quality standards. Set plans, coordinate resources, test solutions and monitor progress, outputs and outcomes, addressing risks and escalating barriers promptly.
• Provide leadership as required: lead and coordinate teams or projects and undertake people-management responsibilities where assigned, including objective setting, coaching and development. Model UK Finance’s Vision and Values and foster collaborative working, clear accountability and high-quality delivery.
• Contribute flexibly to the wider work of the Mortgages Policy team as priorities develop.

Person specification

• Essential – Principal-level policy leadership: experience operating as a senior technical expert, taking ownership of defined policy areas, working independently and leading projects or contributing expertise to cross-cutting initiatives. Ability to develop and deliver wider team objectives as priorities evolve.
• Essential – technical knowledge of mortgage business: detailed technical knowledge of mortgage products, markets and relevant cross-cutting issues, and their practical implications for members’ businesses and customers. For the immediate portfolio, understand housing supply, physical risk, resilience, insurance, valuation and property information, including their effects on origination, underwriting, lender security, portfolio management and remortgaging. Maintain knowledge of the wider financial services sector represented by UK Finance beyond the role’s direct specialism.
• Essential – analysis and judgement: ability to assess technical evidence, interrogate assumptions and uncertainty, and develop proportionate policy recommendations. Understand the regulatory, political, public policy, societal and economic context, including domestic and international developments and the impact of innovation and technology.
• Essential – influencing and collaboration: experience convening organisations with different interests, building consensus and establishing and deepening trusted relationships with government, regulators and key senior staff at Member organisations.
• Essential – collaborative working and interpersonal skills: ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across UK Finance and counterparts at other trade associations, building trust through active listening, diplomacy, mutual respect and sharing knowledge and expertise. A constructive, team-oriented approach to agreeing shared objectives, coordinating contributions and managing differing views and competing priorities to deliver joined-up outcomes.
• Essential – clear written and spoken communication: ability to write and speak clearly, accurately and persuasively, making complex technical and policy issues accessible to different audiences. Excellent drafting, briefing and presentation skills and the credibility to represent UK Finance as a subject matter expert in senior committees, speeches, conference panels, Chatham House discussions and the media, working with communications colleagues as appropriate.
• Essential – delivery and leadership: ability to prioritise competing workstreams and lead projects, coordinating colleagues and outsourced providers to deliver agreed outputs and outcomes to time, budget and quality standards. Ability to provide direction, test solutions and support colleagues’ development, modelling UK Finance’s Vision and Values.
• Essential – member, customer and stakeholder perspective: understanding of the challenges members face in running their businesses, the needs of their customers and consumer representatives, and the needs of third-party stakeholders including the media. Sound judgement about affordability, proportionality and unintended consequences.
• Essential – commercial awareness: ability to identify relevant commercial opportunities for UK Finance and work with External Affairs and marketing colleagues to support their delivery.
• Desirable: experience in physical climate risk, flood resilience, adaptation, property insurance, valuation or property data standards.
• Desirable: familiarity with home buying and selling reform, digital property information, data governance or planning and development finance.
• Desirable: understanding of portfolio risk, impairment, provisioning or prudential capital, and experience working in a membership organisation or cross-industry policy programme.

Other information

The UK Finances offices are based in the City of London. We have a flexible working policy in place but ask that employees are in the office at least two days a week as well as for key meetings.

Right to work

Applicants must legally have the right to reside and work in the UK.