At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the underwriting team, making confident credit decisions and ensuring smooth deal processes.
- Company: Ultimate Finance, a specialist lender focused on flexibility and real-world problem solving.
- Benefits: Hybrid work options, supportive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a growing business while shaping credit policy and team performance.
- Qualifications: Experience in asset finance underwriting and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with a commitment to decency, enterprise, and brilliance.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
DEPARTMENT: Ultimate Asset Finance
RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Operations - Asset Finance
LOCATION: Nationwide. Hybrid and flexible work options available.
OVERVIEW:
Why choose Ultimate Finance? At Ultimate Finance, we back ambition - properly. We are a specialist lender built for pace, flexibility and real-world problem solving, helping businesses access funding that fits how they work. You will join a team of approachable experts who move quickly, speak clearly and take pride in doing the right thing for customers and partners. We trust people to take ownership, with supportive leaders and experienced teammates on hand. With 20+ years experience and over £17bn funded, we are growing - and we are looking for people who want to do work that matters.
About the team:
Asset Finance at Ultimate Finance is built to keep deals moving. We provide tailored funding for hard assets such as vehicles, equipment and machinery quickly, clearly and with support that stays close. Working side-by-side with brokers, customers and internal teams, we shape the right solution, deliver a strong customer experience, and apply smart risk controls and operational discipline to get deals completed smoothly and responsibly.
About the role:
As Head of Underwriting in our Asset Finance division, you will lead the team that makes confident, commercial credit decisions - keeping deals moving while protecting the quality of our portfolio. You will set clear underwriting standards, develop a high-performing team, and stay close to day-to-day decisioning to ensure consistency, pace and great outcomes.
Working in partnership with senior leaders across Sales, Operations and the wider Ultimate business, you will help shape and evolve credit policy, embed best practice, and improve how we assess and deliver deals from approval through to completion. It is a hands-on leadership role in a growing business, where you will balance strong customer and broker service with disciplined risk management - always living our values of Decency, Enterprise and Brilliance.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight to the underwriting team, ensuring all activities align with the company’s commercial objectives and risk appetite.
- Manage, mentor, and develop team members, fostering a high-performance culture that encourages professional growth, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Drive the implementation of best-in-class underwriting practices, proactively identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, profitability, and client satisfaction in a dynamic market environment.
- Take day-to-day ownership and management of your own underwriting case load, ensuring timely, accurate and commercially balanced decisions.
- Act as a senior point of escalation for complex or high-value cases, making informed decisions that balance risk management with commercial awareness.
- Lead regular reviews of team performance, set clear objectives, and deliver constructive feedback to ensure personal and departmental targets are achieved.
- Champion cross-functional collaboration with Sales and Operations, ensuring seamless client journeys and robust transfer processes between teams.
- Represent the company as a senior ambassador at key industry events, building and strengthening relationships with strategic partners and stakeholders.
- Monitor emerging trends, regulatory developments, and competitor activity, providing insight and recommendations to shape the Groups underwriting strategy.
Key skills and knowledge:
- Proven experience in asset finance underwriting / credit decisioning.
- Strong relationship-builder, with a track record of working well with brokers, clients and internal teams.
- Confident people leader - able to coach, motivate and set clear expectations.
- Skilled in managing and organising a team, including performance, workload and priorities.
- Strong planning and delivery mindset - keeps activity on track and outcomes consistent.
- Able to engage and influence stakeholders across Sales, Operations, Risk and the wider business.
- Excellent time management in a fast-paced environment, balancing urgency with accuracy.
- Comfortable analysing financial information and producing clear, practical credit summaries.
- Commercial judgement - able to weigh risk and return and sense-check proposals quickly.
- Strong understanding of security and collateral in asset finance deals.
- Ability to structure proposals into workable deals that meet credit requirements and support customer needs.
- Professional, personable and reliable - makes confident, well-informed decisions and stands by them.
- Consistently delivers high service standards, keeping brokers and clients supported from start to finish (and ongoing).
Please note that if you are successful in receiving an offer of employment from Ultimate Finance, your employment will be conditional upon satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We use a third party provider to conduct the check on our behalf.
We kindly ask not to be contacted by recruitment agencies, thank you.
Head of Underwriting in Lutterworth employer: Ultimate Finance
Contact Detail:
Ultimate Finance Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Underwriting in Lutterworth
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks, attend events, and join relevant online groups. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Head of Underwriting role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers or at networking events, share your insights on underwriting trends and best practices. This will position you as a knowledgeable candidate who can add value to their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions related to asset finance and underwriting. Think about how you can demonstrate your leadership skills and experience in managing teams effectively. Confidence is key!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining Ultimate Finance and being part of our ambitious team.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Underwriting in Lutterworth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of Underwriting role. Highlight your experience in asset finance underwriting and how it aligns with our values of Decency, Enterprise, and Brilliance.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see your people management skills shine! Share examples of how you've developed high-performing teams and fostered a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language to explain your experience and achievements, especially around credit decisioning and risk management.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ultimate Finance
✨Know Your Underwriting Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your asset finance underwriting knowledge. Understand the key principles of credit decisioning and be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past roles. This will show that you're not just familiar with the theory, but also have practical experience.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Underwriting, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and develop a team. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, focusing on mentoring, performance management, and fostering a high-performance culture. This will highlight your capability to drive results through others.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect to face scenario-based questions that test your commercial judgement and risk assessment skills. Think about complex cases you've handled before and how you balanced risk with business needs. Practising these scenarios can help you articulate your thought process clearly during the interview.
✨Understand the Company’s Values
Ultimate Finance values Decency, Enterprise, and Brilliance. Familiarise yourself with these values and think about how they align with your own work ethic. Be prepared to discuss how you embody these values in your professional life, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.