Head of Credit Risk

Overview

In this role you will build and lead the credit risk function for a newly regulated UK lending platform within a fintech that serves underserved customers. You will partner with Product, Finance, Legal & Compliance to shape propositions from concept to launch and ensure regulator-ready, responsible lending. You will own risk appetite, policy, decisioning, and portfolio performance while scaling the team and maintaining FCA compliance. This is a greenfield opportunity to set the standard in responsible lending at speed, with cross-functional impact across product and operations.

Pay / Benefits

• 25 days annual leave + public holidays
• Private medical with Confido
• Hybrid working
• L&D budget + 10 paid learning days
• Share options (depending on role)
• Annual eyecare allowance

Responsibilities

• Shape lending propositions with Product, Finance, Legal & Compliance from concept to launch
• Own risk appetite and credit policy for new regulated product, including affordability assessment and decisioning approach
• Design and implement affordability/creditworthiness models and CONC-compliant decisioning
• Lead procurement and implementation of loan management/decisioning system, including vendor evaluation
• Design and stand up collections strategy (arreas, forbearance) and manage third-party partners
• Ensure FCA obligations (CONC, Consumer Duty, Consumer Credit Act) and support regulatory engagement
• Own portfolio performance metrics (loss forecasting, IFRS 9 provisioning, vintage analysis)
• Build and lead the credit risk team as the book grows

Key requirements

• Senior credit risk leadership experience in UK consumer lending (bank, lender, or fintech)
• Experience launching a new UK consumer credit product from zero to launch (greenfield)
• Deep knowledge of UK credit regulation (CONC, Consumer Duty, Consumer Credit Act) and affordability requirements
• Hands-on experience procuring and implementing a loan management/decisioning platform
• Collections experience including outsourcing and managing third-party partners
• Strong credit risk modelling foundation (affordability, scorecards, decisioning)
• IFRS 9 provisioning and loss forecasting
• Comfort with fast-moving scale-up environments (hands-on when small)

• Strategic thinker with ability to collaborate cross-functionally
• Hands-on leadership and mentoring of a growing team
• Strong communication and stakeholder management
• Credit risk modelling (affordability assessments, scorecards, decisioning)
• Open Banking data integration
• Credit bureau data utilization

…