Commercial Property Underwriter

Hello,

We are Recognise Bank.

Our vision is to become the UK's leading business bank, providing tailored lending and savings solutions designed to meet the unique needs of modern SMEs.

Founded in 2017 by experienced business owners, Recognise Bank was born out of a shared frustration with the traditional banking industry's lack of understanding, flexibility, and certainty for small and medium-sized businesses. We believed there was a better way to serve the SME community-and we set out to create it.

In 2021, we received our banking licence and quickly built a strong community of loyal business customers, supported by our dedicated, diverse, and expert team.

At Recognise Bank, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a range of flexible lending solutions and secure, FSCS-protected savings accounts with competitive interest rates, empowering businesses to thrive with confidence.

About the role

The primary responsibility of a Commercial Property Underwriter at Recognise Bank is to assess and underwrite property secured loans. You will be reporting to the Senior Underwriter in the Credit team and collaborating with the Business Development Managers and Loan Management team to review new lending applications and in-life events to ensure that lending is in alignment with Recognise Bank's credit policies and risk appetite. You will have your own lending discretion and also work on larger proposals making recommendations to the Head of Credit or Credit Committee.

Other key responsibilities include monitoring loan performance, managing underperforming loans, updating lending policies, and overseeing credit risk reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Business Development and Loan Management Teams to ensure quality credit applications for property bridging loans and term property lending, both commercial and residential.
• Assess and underwrite loan facilities within agreed credit policies and delegated authority.
• Review, analyse, and recommend lending proposals for Head of Credit or Credit Committee consideration.
• Draft, review, and update credit and lending policies across all loan products.
• Oversee and produce credit risk management information for portfolio monitoring.
• Manage underperforming loans, including debt restructuring and recovery efforts.
• Engage with customers to understand their business, risks, and cash flows to optimize exposure within credit risk appetite.
• Ensure open communication with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators and auditors.
• Support credit risk-related projects within underwriting and across the business.
• Comply with financial crime policies, procedures, and reporting obligations.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years' experience of commercial property secured lending, with up-to-date market insights.
• Strong understanding of banking, credit analysis, and underwriting; debt restructuring experience is a plus.
• Strong interpersonal skills and well-developed verbal and numerical reasoning skills.
• An understanding of loan and security documentation.
• Performance-driven with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Ideally, previous experience of using nCino.

Why join?

• Market Salary for the role.
• Generous Time Off: 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Work From Anywhere: 4 weeks of Work From Anywhere allowance per year.
• Learning & Development: Support for professional growth through tailored training and development programs.
• Hybrid Working: Flexible working model with 3 days in the office and 2 days remote per week.

Recognise Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.