Accomplished professional with expertise in mortgage application underwriting and financial crime prevention, ensuring lending policy compliance and risk appetite evaluation. Demonstrates strong regulatory knowledge and stakeholder collaboration skills, effectively resolving problems while maintaining quality assurance and service level adherence. Proficient in cross-platform underwriting, team support, and time management, with a solid foundation in mortgage lending principles. Committed to advancing career goals within the financial sector by leveraging comprehensive skills in customer service and manual underwriting.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work history
Mortgage Underwriter
Kensington Mortgages
Remote, Maidenhead
09.2021 - 08.2025
Manually underwrites and approves Residential and Buy to Let mortgage applications in accordance with the lending policy and within authorised mandate whilst adhering to all quality and service measures
Recommends any cases outside policy to the management team and ensure all cases hold a robust documented rationale for the lending decision.
Has built and maintains strong working relationships with brokers, and wider teams within KMC, providing timely updates and clear communications throughout.
Supports Operations with new systems testing
Ensures all actions and communications are in line with Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) and responsible lending principles
Works in partnership with the completions team to drive productivity through efficient and cohesive operations
Adheres to the company's Code of Business Ethics and fulfils responsibilities related to the prevention of financial crime, including money laundering, and fraud detection/reporting
Consistently meets Service level agreements.
Autonomously undertakes additional project work with Sales, Business Improvement, Marketing and the wider Underwriting Team as well as when requested by Team Manager. Flexible to assist the wider business as and when required.
Mortgage Underwriter
Yorkshire Building Society
Bradford
09.2017 - 09.2021
Underwrites and processes a range of mortgage applications in accordance with lending policy and responsible lending principles, via a range of Underwriting platforms.
Provides a deep underwriting knowledge and technical expertise to underwrite applications / resolve complex mortgage queries and issues to ensure the best outcome for both the Society and the Customer and has confidence to appeal policy points where the situation meets the Society's risk appetite and also meets the Society's Lending Principles.
Maintains a high level understanding of lending policy and risk appetite for all types of applications underwritten. Including Self Employed income, additional borrowing, and New Lending applications up to the financial value of £800k.
Supports internal colleagues from Sales and Underwriting departments with underwriting queries, resolution of issues and decisions in principle for new cases prior to processing, and also along the mortgage journey.
Maintains and actively assesses applications ensuring all potential Financial Crime (Including money laundering, identification and reporting of fraud) is reported as per procedure, including assessment of documents, income and also lending situations/scenarios.
Confident in assessing complex income streams, limited company accounts and applications involving umbrella companies.
Holistically 'layers' a case as a whole, to ensure the application meets Lending Principles and ensuring we are Lending Responsibly.
Able to autonomously prioritise effectively to manage multiple underwriting functions and a large pipeline.
Holds the following mandates; Employed, Self Employed, Additional Borrowing/Further Advance, all at a level of £800k.
Also supports a 'sister brand' with a working knowledge of MSO/IRESS system, and is able to maintain both pipelines in a cross skilled function in order to support the needs of the business as and when required.
Liaises with Mortgage Intermediaries, Solicitors and Valuers and Direct Customers, via telephone, fax and email correspondence.
Identifies any potential vulnerability indicators and offers assistance following company policy.
Has been working remotely for the last 14 months with increased productivity and maintained a high level of quality in lending decisions and maintaining SLA's , whilst still supporting office-based colleagues.