Head of Underwriting (Underwriting Manager/Credit Operations Manager)

About Us

YouLend is a rapidly growing FinTech that is the preferred embedded financing platform for many of the world’s leading e-commerce platforms, tech companies, and Payment Service Providers. Our software platform enables our partners to extend their value proposition by offering flexible financing products in their own branding, to their merchant base, without capital at risk. 

We are owned by the leading Private Equity company, EQT, and have grown +100% year-on-year since 2020. We are headquartered in London, UK, but are also present in several European countries as well as the United States where we service our partners, including eBay, Amazon, Just Eat, Shopify, and Stripe. 

The Role 

You will be working closely with the Head of European Operations to unite the decision-making and operational arm of our European Production Line. In this leadership role, you will be responsible for overseeing our underwriting teams in all seven European markets (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, Spain, Ireland and Germany), as well as driving strategic projects to enhance our lending processes and capabilities. 

The candidate would lead a team of ~30 FTEs including managers reporting into them:  

• Credit Eligibility: Responsible for conducting eligibility checks and preparing the deal for underwriting.  

• Credit Decisions: Underwriting and KYC/KYB teams responsible for making lending decisions.  

Your primary objective will be to ensure that our European Production Line efficiently processes applications for merchant funding while maintaining high quality standards and low loss rates. The role requires strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities; as well as excellent people skills to communicate changes. In addition, it is expected that the candidate can work independently and proactively.  

This role will be targeted at improving the outcome, processes, and efficiencies across the underwriting teams. In addition, you will work closely with stakeholders in Credit Risk, Compliance, and Product to implement policies that achieve a good risk-return trade-off and compliance with local regulations.  

The ideal candidate will have the following skillset: 

• A strong track record of managing people (ideally +15) and mentoring your direct reports. 

• 2+ years’ experience at a high growth fintech, bank, or top strategy consulting firm. Exposure to SME lending in continental Europe is a plus: preferably cash advances. 

• Project management experience from fast-paced environment like start-ups or scale-ups, etc. 

• Strong problem solving, analytical, and mass data manipulation (through SQL, Python, R, etc.) experience. 

• You are hands-on, proactive, and act with urgency — you push projects forward, remove blockers, and get things done. 

• Successful track record of delivering against ambitious targets. 

• Excellent communication: written and verbal. 

• Excellent change management handling. 

Why join YouLend? 

It’s just getting fun: 

• We have developed powerful solutions, won some significant partnerships, and are growing at a rapid pace. 

• But the global opportunity is still massive, and YouLend is a raw organisation where we are only just getting started. 

Lots of upside: 

• High-growth (>100% growth YoY since 2020), so clear outlook to compensation (bonus or share option appreciation) and career growth (through growth with business). 

• Well-capitalised with supportive private equity backing. 

• Part of Banking Circle Group with fully licensed Luxembourg bank which can provide balance sheet and support European expansion in otherwise complex regulated markets. 

Motivating work environment: 

• High-quality team who pushes each other to succeed through direct feedback and aligned incentives. 

• Strong and transparent team culture, we have each other’s backs. 

• Independent work environment where results matter.  

• Data driven culture and emphasis on speed (anti-red tape). 

Expected start date: As soon as possible. 

Salary: A competitive market salary + bonus + equity. 

Why join YouLend?

• Award-Winning Workplace: YouLend has been recognised as one of the “Best Places to Work 2025” by the Sunday Times for being a supportive, diverse, and rewarding workplace.
• Award-Winning Fintech: YouLend has been recognised as a “Top 250 Fintech Worldwide” company by CNBC.

We offer comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Stock Options
• Private Medical insurance via Vitality
• EAP with Health Assured
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Modern and sophisticated office space in Central London
• Free Gym in office building in Holborn
• Subsidised Lunch via Feedr
• Deliveroo Allowance if working late in office
• Monthly in office Masseuse
• Team and Company Socials
• Football Power League / Squash Club

At YouLend, we champion diversity and embrace equal opportunity employment practices. Our hiring, transfer, and promotion decisions are exclusively based on qualifications, merit, and business requirements, free from any discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, nationality, or any other protected basis under applicable law.