Underwriting Team Leader

Underwriting Team Leader – Property Finance (Bridging & Development Lending) Location: Borehamwood Salary: Up to £80,000 Are you an experienced underwriting professional with a strong background in bridging and short term property finance? Do you have the leadership skills to guide and develop a high-performing underwriting function within a fast-growing lender? If so, this could be the perfect next step in your career. I’m currently supporting a well-established and highly respected property investment and lending business that is continuing to expand its specialist finance offering. With a strong pipeline, an ambitious leadership team, and a reputation for delivering quick, commercial decisions, they are now looking for an Underwriting Team Leader to drive quality, efficiency, and consistency across their underwriting operations.

The Role

As Underwriting Team Leader, you will:

• Manage and mentor a team of underwriters handling bridging, refurbishment and development finance cases.
• Act as a senior decision-maker on complex or higher-value applications.
• Ensure underwriting standards, SLAs, and risk controls remain robust while supporting a fast-paced environment.
• Work closely with credit, operations, BDMs and senior management to streamline processes and maintain exceptional service levels.
• Support continuous improvement across the underwriting function as the business scales.

About You

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Proven experience in property-based lending—specifically bridging, development or specialist real-estate finance.
• Strong understanding of risk assessment, due diligence, legal processes and property-backed security.
• Prior experience coaching or managing underwriters (or ready to take a step up).
• A commercial mindset with the ability to balance speed and quality.
• Please note: candidates from an insurance underwriting background will not be suitable for this role. Why Apply? This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic lender where your expertise will genuinely shape the underwriting function. You’ll be part of a collaborative culture where decisions are made quickly, ideas are welcomed, and progression is actively supported. If you’re ready to lead an underwriting team within a thriving property-finance environment, I’d be delighted to discuss the role further. Please apply online or contact Lesley Ray at Unico Recruitment London