Bridging Underwriter

Senior Bridging & Development Underwriter
Hertfordshire (4 days in the office, 1 from home) | £60,000 – £70,000 + bonus | Permanent

A growing specialist property lender is looking for a Senior Underwriter to join its bridging and development finance team. You'll underwrite a broker-led pipeline of short-term loans from first enquiry to completion, with your own lending mandate and the larger cases going to credit committee. It's a hands-on senior role with real say over credit decisions and the chance to develop junior members of the team.

The role

• Underwrite regulated and unregulated bridging loans on residential and semi-commercial property, including auction purchases and light and heavy refurbishment
• Assess development finance and development exit proposals, reviewing build costs, GDV, programme and exit strategy with monitoring surveyors
• Sanction cases within your personal mandate (typically up to £750k) and write clear credit papers for cases going to the weekly credit committee
• Review valuations, borrower experience, assets and liabilities, and how strong the exit is (sale or refinance)
• Manage a live pipeline end to end with brokers, valuers and solicitors, keeping turnaround tight without compromising credit quality
• Quality-check the work of underwriters and case managers, and share knowledge across the team
• Make sure lending meets credit policy, regulatory requirements and Consumer Duty outcomes

About you

• 5+ years' underwriting experience in bridging and/or development finance at a specialist lender or bank
• Comfortable holding a personal mandate and presenting cases to credit committee
• A strong grasp of valuations, exit strategies and the risks specific to short-term property lending
• A background in buy-to-let or residential mortgage underwriting is an advantage
• CeMAP or equivalent preferred, and a leadership or management qualification is a plus
• Commercially minded, organised and confident dealing with brokers and professional partners

What's on offer

• Salary of £50,000 – £70,000 depending on experience
• Hybrid working: four days a week in the Hertfordshire office and one day from home
• Pension and wider benefits package
• A senior role in a growing lender, with scope to progress into underwriting leadership