Credit Risk Lead - UK Market

Department: Credit Risk

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London

Reporting To: Witold Pawlak

Description

We’re looking for a Credit Risk Lead to help grow and manage our credit risk function as we scale across multiple markets.

As the Credit Risk Team Lead, you will take ownership of the day‑to‑day operations and development of our credit risk team, guiding credit risk professionals to ensure high‑quality risk decisions and controls. You will work closely with senior risk leaders, product, data, and commercial teams to shape credit risk policies and execution practices while maintaining strong performance and compliance standards.

This role requires both risk expertise and managerial experience, with accountability for team performance, process quality, and delivery of key risk outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Lead & Manage the Team – Supervise and mentor the credit risk team, including performance management, development planning, and workload coordination.
Credit Risk Decisioning – Oversee credit assessment processes, ensuring robust, consistent decisioning and adherence to risk appetite and policies.
Policy Implementation – Support the development, documentation, and embedding of credit risk policies, standards, and procedures across the business.
Reporting & Analytics – Produce and present risk reports, metrics, and insights to senior management, highlighting trends, issues, and recommendations.
Stakeholder Collaboration – Partner with product, finance, compliance, and operations teams to align risk practices with business needs and planned growth.
Quality Assurance & Improvement – Drive continuous improvement of credit processes, controls, and automated checks to reduce risk leakage and improve efficiency.
Training & Development – Support learning and development within the team, including knowledge sharing, coaching, and risk‑focused training sessions.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience: 5+ years in credit risk, underwriting, or related risk function, with at least 2+ years in a supervisory or leadership capacity.
Risk Skills: Strong understanding of credit risk assessment, portfolio monitoring, and risk frameworks within a financial service or fintech environment.
Analytical Mindset: Ability to synthesise quantitative and qualitative information to support risk decisions and recommendations.
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead a team, provide constructive feedback, and drive performance.
Communication: Excellent stakeholder communication skills, able to explain risk concepts to non‑risk audiences.
Organised: Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

Desirable Skills

Experience working in UK market
Experience in SME Lending

Benefits

Why join YouLend?

Award-Winning Workplace: YouLend has been recognised as one of the “Best Places to Work in 2024 and 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.

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 upsides:

High-growth (>100% growth during 2022 and 2023), 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 a fully licensed Luxembourg bank, which can provide a balance sheet and support European expansion in otherwise complex regulated markets.

Motivating work environment:

A high-quality team that 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).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

Stock Options
Private Medical insurance via Vitality and Dental Insurance with BUPA
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 / Paddle and Yoga 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.

Phone Call

Face-to-Face Interview

Technical Interview

Final Stage Interview