Risk Analyst

About Abound We’re redefining consumer lending in the UK, and beyond. Using advanced AI and Open Banking data, we make fair, affordable personal finance available to more people. While traditional lenders rely almost entirely on credit scores, we look at the full financial picture - how much you spend, and what you can afford to repay to build a deeper, more accurate understanding of each customer's unique financial situation. And we've shown it works at scale. We’ve issued over £1.3bn in loans directly to customers while delivering market-leading credit performance - for every 10 defaults the industry expects, we see only 3. We also reached profitability just 2.5 years after launch. Backed by £2bn+ of funding from top-tier investors including Citi, GSR Ventures, and Deutsche Bank, we’re recognised as one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintechs (Sifted, CNBC). Now, we’re expanding into new markets and product lines - and we’re looking for ambitious people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and grow with us. About the Role We are looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Underwriter to join our growing team. This role is responsible for assessing consumer lending applications, making high-quality lending decisions, and ensuring customers receive fair and responsible outcomes. We're looking for someone who goes beyond simply processing applications. The ideal candidate takes ownership, contributes ideas, supports colleagues, and actively looks for opportunities to improve how we work. You'll play an important role in helping us build a scalable, efficient, and customer-focused underwriting function. What you'll be doing: Underwriting & Credit Assessment Assess and make lending decisions on consumer loan applications in line with credit policy and lending mandates. Review affordability, income, Open Banking data, credit bureau information, and supporting documentation. Identify fraud, AML, and customer vulnerability concerns and escalate appropriately. Ensure lending decisions are accurate, consistent, and aligned with responsible lending principles and regulatory requirements. Take ownership of applications from initial assessment through to final resolution. Handle a variety of application types while maintaining strong risk and customer outcome standards. Operational Excellence Manage application pipelines effectively while meeting agreed productivity, quality, and service level targets. Maintain excellent attention to detail and decision-making quality. Support the implementation of process, policy, and system changes. Contribute to maintaining clear underwriting procedures, guidance, and documentation. Identify opportunities to improve underwriting processes and customer journeys. Support testing and validation activities relating to underwriting changes where required. Ownership & Continuous Improvement Take personal responsibility for delivering high-quality outcomes for customers and the business. Proactively identify operational challenges and contribute practical solutions. Raise ideas and recommendations that improve efficiency, customer experience, or risk management. Look beyond individual applications to identify recurring trends, issues, or improvement opportunities. Participate in projects and change initiatives that support the growth and development of the business. Demonstrate initiative and a continuous improvement mindset in day-to-day work. Team Collaboration Work collaboratively with colleagues across Underwriting, Risk, Operations, Product, and Customer Operations. Support colleagues by sharing knowledge, insights, and best practices. Contribute positively to team discussions and problem-solving activities. Act as a reliable and trusted member of the team who is willing to step in and help when needed. Promote a culture of accountability, learning, and customer focus. What Success Looks Like Consistently delivers accurate and well-reasoned lending decisions. Maintains strong quality standards while achieving productivity expectations. Takes ownership of workload, decisions, and outcomes. Identifies issues and proactively works towards solutions. Contributes ideas that improve processes, efficiency, or customer outcomes. Supports team success through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Demonstrates sound judgement, integrity, and professionalism in all decisions. Skills & Experience Experience within consumer lending, underwriting, financial services, or a regulated environment. Strong analytical and decision-making skills. Good understanding of affordability assessments, credit risk, fraud prevention, and AML controls. Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to balance customer outcomes, commercial objectives, and risk considerations. Comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Personal Attributes Takes ownership and accountability for delivering results. Proactive and solutions-focused. Curious, engaged, and keen to improve existing processes. Strong team player with a collaborative mindset. Willing to challenge constructively and suggest better ways of working. Customer-first approach and commitment to responsible lending. Positive attitude and desire to continuously learn and develop. Career Progression This role provides opportunities to develop expertise across underwriting, risk, operations, and process improvement. Individuals who consistently demonstrate strong performance, ownership, judgement, and leadership behaviours will have opportunities to progress into Senior Underwriter and other specialist roles as the business continues to grow. What We Offer Everyone owns a piece of the company - equity Hybrid with 3 days a week in the offices 2 paid volunteering days per year One month paid sabbatical after 4 years Team wellness budget to be active together - set up a yoga class, a tennis lesson or go bouldering