Job Introduction
Handelsbanken offers a genuinely different approach to banking. We are a local relationship bank providing bespoke, customer-led banking and wealth management services for personal and corporate customers.
Our branch teams build trusted, long-term relationships with customers in their local communities. With our decentralised ways of working, decisions are made in the branch, close to the customers. Teams decide who they work with and how best to support them, without short-term sales targets or bonus-driven incentives. Instead, we focus on doing what is right for the customer, even when that means prioritising long-term value over short-term profit.
This approach has underpinned our success for decades. Today, Handelsbanken holds the strongest credit rating among its peer banks, is independently recognised as Europe’s safest commercial bank, and is consistently ranked highly for customer satisfaction and relationship banking.
Our culture is values-led, shaped by trust, respect, and long-term thinking. We empower our people to use their expertise, make confident decisions and build long-term careers. We look for people who share our long- term vision, want to grow and want to make a meaningful impact in their local community and with the Bank.
Check our Handelsbanken website for further information 
The opportunity
We are currently recruiting for a Deputy Head of Broker Connect; this is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and motivated individual who can balance operational excellence with strategic leadership, helping shape the future direction of our broker proposition.
Broker Connect takes responsibility for handling selected intermediary introduced mortgages through their initial lifecycle. Where these opportunities align with our current relationship model and low risk credit appetite, Broker Connect manage the mortgage through to drawdown before passing over to the local branch to manage and develop the longer-term relationship. A strong partnership with our branch colleagues and intermediaries throughout this process is therefore essential.
As we continue to scale our operation to compliment local branch activities focussed on delivering mortgage growth through intermediaries, an exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team and support the bank on this journey.
The Deputy Head of Broker Connect will play a pivotal player-manager role within Broker Connect, combining hands-on mortgage assessment and underwriting expertise with effective people leadership. You will support the Head of Broker Connect in driving the growth of the business, managing broker relationships, assessing new mortgage opportunities and ensuring high standards of credit quality and regulatory compliance.
The Broker Connect team are located in 101 Barbirolli Square, Manchester head office (BSQ). The successful applicant will be based in BSQ, Manchester and hybrid working can be considered for this role. Flexibility will be required to occasionally travel to our London HO, Woolgate, ensuring they have regular touch points with the team and that they can attend meetings/team building events as and when leadership request their attendance in person.
Key responsibilities
- Leadership & Team Management
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of mortgage underwriters and broker relationship specialists to deliver exceptional service and outcomes.
• Act as a role model for high performance, fostering a collaborative and supportive team culture.
• Support the Head of Broker Connect in setting team objectives, monitoring performance, and ensuring delivery against business goals.
• Drive continuous improvement within the team, streamlining processes and enhancing operational efficiency.
Mortgage Credit & Underwriting
• Act as a senior decision-maker on complex mortgage applications, balancing commercial opportunities with prudent risk management.
• Review and underwrite mortgage applications in line with internal credit policies and regulatory requirements.
• Provide expert guidance to underwriters on complex cases, ensuring consistency and sound judgment across all decisions.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of credit policies to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Broker Relationships & Business Growth
• Assess new broker-introduced mortgage opportunities and work closely with brokers to optimise conversion and case quality.
• Support the Head of Broker Connect in strengthening key broker partnerships and driving business development initiatives.
• Use market insights and performance data to identify opportunities for growth and service enhancements.
Regulatory Compliance & Governance
• Ensure all mortgage decisions comply with FCA regulations, internal credit policies, Conduct Rules and Consumer Duty principles.
• Working with the rest of the team to ensure the highest levels of (i) customer service, and (ii) Good Administrative Order, as well as supporting branches achieve their new Private Mortgage business plan goals.
• Act as a point of escalation for regulatory and compliance-related queries within the team.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks, ensuring robust governance across all broker and mortgage operations.
• Operates in line with the Bank's Risk Management framework (including sub-frameworks) and relevant risk and compliance policies and procedures, ensuring appropriate and timely escalation of any concerns to their line manager.
What we’re looking for
Research (by Harvard University) shows that women are particularly likely to second guess themselves and not apply - so if you are worried you don't meet all the criteria, get in touch anyhow and let us do the worrying…
• CeMap qualification is preferable but not essential
• Significant experience in mortgage credit underwriting, including complex and high-value cases, able to demonstrate a good track record of RMC completions and satisfactory file checks
• Proven track record as a people leader with experience managing, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of mortgage regulations, FCA requirements, and compliance frameworks.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with brokers and internal colleagues.
• Highly analytical with sound commercial judgment and a solutions-focused mindset.
• Exceptional organisational skills, capable of balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on underwriting duties.
• Experience of working with intermediaries
• Excellent customer service skills
• Attention to detail and a methodical approach
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Structured work practice and a strong sense of administrative order
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to build strong professional relationships at all levels and represent Handelsbanken effectively
• Passionate, committed and driven to achieve our growth objectives, demonstrating resilience at times when case volumes are higher than expected
• Interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with impact with people at all levels
• Integrity and discretion
Personal Attributes
• Confident decision-maker with excellent problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire, motivate, and influence.
• Customer-focused with a passion for delivering outstanding service.
• Resilient and adaptable, thriving in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Why join Handelsbanken
We want everyone at Handelsbanken to feel supported, motivated, and able to do great work. That’s why, alongside brilliant colleagues, meaningful work and training and development opportunities, we provide a variety of benefits designed with your wellbeing in mind.
In addition, there is a flexible benefits package with the key highlights detailed below.
Application next steps
Your journey with us begins once you have submitted your application. One of our Handelsbanken Talent Acquisition Partners will be reviewing your details and will later organise a phone conversation if you match the role requirements. If there is a mutual fit, we will extend an invitation for you to participate in an interview.
This advert will be live for a minimum of two weeks. However, please note that after the two weeks, the closing date could change at any time depending on the number of responses received.
The Bank is deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities. This is so that we are an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work that encourages everyone to apply, regardless of socio-economic background, age, disability, pregnancy and/or parental status, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), veteran status, marital and civil partnership status, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment or sexual orientation.
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