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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead mortgage underwriting, ensuring quality and compliance while driving operational effectiveness.
- Company: Join Newbury Building Society, a values-driven organisation focused on community and customer outcomes.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous holidays, pension contributions, wellbeing support, and two paid volunteering days.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on mortgage lending and shape the future of credit strategy.
- Qualifications: Strong credit risk management skills and proven leadership experience in underwriting teams.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with excellent growth opportunities and a focus on continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Newbury (hybrid working, min. 2 days in office)
Hours: 35 hours per week (Monday–Friday, 9.00am–5.00pm)
Salary: £70,000 – £80,000 dependent on experience
Introduction
Newbury Building Society are looking for an experienced, values-led leader to take on a high-impact role within our mortgage lending function. Reporting to the Director of Customer Service, you will be responsible for credit risk oversight, the application and operationalisation of lending policy, and ensuring consistent, high quality mortgage underwriting.
You will work closely with Executive colleagues and play an active role in Credit Committee, providing insight, assurance and constructive challenge to support good and sustainable outcomes for both customers and intermediaries.
What you’ll be doing
- Leading the application of our lending policy, ensuring alignment with MCOB and wider regulatory expectations.
- Monitoring credit and conduct risks, using MI to spot trends, emerging risks and opportunities.
- Recommending changes to lending policy and processes based on market, regulatory and portfolio insights.
- Driving operational effectiveness, consistency and quality across underwriting and valuation activity.
- Overseeing key third party relationships linked to underwriting and valuation services.
- Championing continuous improvement of lending processes and the customer and intermediary journey.
- Embedding a strong risk culture and delivering excellent customer outcomes.
- Leading, developing and empowering underwriters to perform at their best.
What We’re Looking For
You will thrive in this role if you balance commercial judgement with responsible risk management, and bring confident, values driven leadership along with deep expertise in credit risk and mortgage lending. You’ll communicate clearly and credibly with senior stakeholders and committees, build trusted relationships, and lead with clarity, integrity and accountability.
You will also join a supportive and collaborative team where ideas are welcomed, expertise is valued and autonomy is encouraged. This highly visible senior role offers a significant opportunity to influence the Society’s mortgage lending proposition and shape the future of our credit strategy.
Why choose Newbury
- We invest in your development — through excellent learning opportunities, meaningful responsibilities and project work that supports your long‐term growth.
- We look after and reward you — including a generous holiday allowance, contributory stakeholder pension, wellbeing support, and your birthday off.
- We support our communities — through regular volunteering, fundraising and local initiatives. You will also receive two paid volunteering days each year to support causes you care about.
Essential skills and experience
- Strong understanding of credit risk management and able to make sound underwriting decisions.
- Proven experience leading underwriting, credit or mortgage servicing teams.
- Sound knowledge of the external property and mortgage market, and regulatory framework.
- Ability to interpret MI and provide clear, proportionate recommendations.
Desirable skills and experience
- Existing or recent senior leadership role in a bank or building society.
- Experience contributing to senior level committees.
- Direct involvement in lending policy development.
- Exposure to specialist lending (e.g. lending in/into retirement or shared ownership).
Head of Underwriting in Newbury employer: Ultimate Banking Ltd
Contact Detail:
Ultimate Banking Ltd Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Underwriting in Newbury
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the mortgage lending space and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about roles that might not even be advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of credit risk management and lending policies. We recommend practising common interview questions and scenarios related to underwriting, so you can showcase your expertise with confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and show your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for their team.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website for the best chance at landing that Head of Underwriting role. We make it easy for you to showcase your skills and experience directly to the hiring team, so don’t miss out!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Underwriting in Newbury
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your leadership in underwriting and credit risk management, as these are key for us at Newbury Building Society.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for the Head of Underwriting role. Share specific examples of how you've led teams and improved processes in previous roles, showing us your values-driven approach.
Showcase Your Understanding of the Market: Demonstrate your knowledge of the external property and mortgage market in your application. We want to see that you can interpret MI and make sound recommendations based on market insights.
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 this exciting opportunity with Newbury Building Society.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ultimate Banking Ltd
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of credit risk management and mortgage lending. Be ready to discuss how you've applied lending policies in previous roles and how you can align with MCOB regulations. This will show that you're not just familiar with the basics, but that you can bring real expertise to the table.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Underwriting, you'll need to demonstrate your leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've led teams in the past, particularly in high-pressure situations. Highlight your ability to empower underwriters and drive operational effectiveness, as this is key to the role.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect to face scenario-based questions that test your decision-making skills. Think about potential challenges in credit risk oversight or lending policy changes, and prepare your thought process on how you'd tackle these issues. This will help you showcase your commercial judgement and responsible risk management.
✨Engage with the Interviewers
Don't forget that interviews are a two-way street! Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's culture, their approach to continuous improvement, and how they support their teams. This shows that you're genuinely interested in the role and want to contribute positively to the organisation.