Senior Underwriter

About the roleLovey is a UK lender helping small and medium-sized businesses get the funding they need to grow. We're looking for a Senior Underwriter to join our credit team in Birmingham This is a hands-on role for someone who doesn't just assess a deal and move on. You'll underwrite larger and more complex loans, keep a close eye on how the book performs after funding, and use what you see to sharpen how we lend. You'll work closely with the credit leadership team and have real input into how the function develops as we grow. Location: Birmingham, full time office · Reports to: Head of Credit and Risk · Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 Requirements Underwriting Underwrite SME loan applications end to end, including complex cases in asset-heavy sectors such as constructionAnalyse financial statements, management accounts, Open Banking data, cash flow and forecasts to build an evidence-based view of affordability and riskUnderstand how asset-heavy businesses really make and spend money: contract-based revenue, retentions, work in progressPortfolio monitoring and analysis Build and maintain portfolio reporting that tracks arrears, defaults and early warning indicatorsRun vintage, cohort and segment analysis by sector, product and risk grade, and turn the findings into practical recommendationsTrack how underwriting decisions perform against expectations, including approval rates, overrides and loss ratesCarry out annual and event-driven reviews on higher-risk exposuresWork with collections on cases showing stress, using data to agree the right approach earlyShaping how we lend Use portfolio insight to recommend changes to credit policy, scorecards and decisioning rules, then measure the impactImproving underwriting processes, data quality and the use of automationBenefits About you: At least 5 years' underwriting experience in SME or commercial lendingExperience lending to asset-heavy businesses such as construction, including contract-based revenue, retentions and work in progress Hands-on experience of portfolio monitoring: annual reviews, early warning indicators and managing deteriorating creditsA data-driven approach: confidence building reports, spotting trends and explaining what they meanStrong financial analysis skills, with the confidence to challenge numbers and assumptionsSound judgement and the ability to hold a clear line on risk while staying commercialClear written and verbal communication, including presenting to committeeExperience guiding or reviewing the work of others, formally or informallyNice to have SQL, Python or BI tools such as ThoughtSpotExposure to automated decisioning, scorecards or credit policy writingExperience in a fintech or fast-growing lender