Head of SME Lending

Overview

In this role you will lead Metro Bank’s SME lending agenda, driving transformation of decisioning, data and risk management to support ambitious growth. You will own the Credit Risk function, set automated lending strategy and risk appetite, and shape the end-to-end customer journey from origination to collections. You will build a high-performing team and partner with Commercial, Product and Distribution to balance growth with robust risk controls. This is a chance to shape our SME lending platform and contribute to Metro Bank’s ambition to become a leading small business lender.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive salary
• discretionary annual bonus
• generous holiday allowance
• pension scheme
• healthcare
• life assurance

Responsibilities

• Lead the Credit Risk function and define automated lending strategy and risk appetite for SME lending
• Oversee end-to-end credit performance across acquisition, management, collections and recoveries
• Transform credit decisioning using new systems, data, advanced analytics and AI-driven capabilities to automate the customer journey
• Develop and enhance credit policies, scorecards, affordability models, underwriting strategies and risk frameworks
• Collaborate with Commercial, Product and Distribution to support SME lending growth and customer outcomes
• Provide inspirational leadership to build a high-performing team and innovative, risk-aware credit capabilities
• Represent the unit at senior forums, offering insights and recommendations for strategic decisions
• Represent the Bank externally with regulators, industry bodies, data providers and strategic partners

Key requirements

• Extensive experience leading credit risk strategy with a track record balancing growth, risk, customer outcomes and regulatory requirements
• Deep expertise in credit decisioning and risk management across the lifecycle (originations, management, collections, portfolio oversight)
• Strong commercial acumen to support sustainable growth through data-led strategies
• Good knowledge of SME lending products, risk frameworks and decisioning capabilities
• Experience delivering or contributing to credit transformation programmes leveraging data, analytics, automation and AI
• Ability to influence at Executive Committee level with senior stakeholders and governance forums
• Inspirational people leadership with a history of building high-performing teams and fostering innovation
• Experience leading through significant growth or organisational transformation

• influencing at executive level
• collaboration and cross-functional partnering
• empathy and customer-centric mindset
• credit risk frameworks
• decisioning automation
• data analytics and AI-enabled capabilities

…