Underwriting Team Lead

The Role

As the International Underwriting Lead, you will play a crucial role in enabling Dojo's rapid expansion into key international markets, initially focusing on Italy and Spain. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced underwriting expert to step into a pivotal leadership position, guiding and strategically developing a team of international underwriting professionals. You will combine your proven underwriting expertise with a passion for process improvement and team enablement, ensuring robust risk assessment and efficient onboarding flows for our growing international merchant base. Reporting to the Head of Credit, you will be instrumental in embedding best practices, delivering training, and fostering strong relationships with senior stakeholders across our international operations.

What you will do...

• Lead and Develop International Underwriters: Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching, and support to a team of international underwriters, with a focus on those based in markets such as Italy and Spain. Act as a primary point of contact for complex escalations and critical queries, offering expertise and feedback to foster their development and decision-making capabilities, and empowering them to achieve ambitious goals.

• Deliver Underwriting Training and Onboarding Strategy: Design, implement and deliver comprehensive training programmes for new joiners and existing team members within the international underwriting function. Ensure a consistent understanding of underwriting policies, local regulations, and best practices that align with global standards.

• Enhance International Underwriting Processes: Strategically review, identify and lead initiatives to improve international underwriting processes and boarding flows. Implement effective end-to-end solutions to enhance efficiency, support long-term scalability, and streamline operations for international expansion, including exploring ways to integrate automation where feasible.

• Contribute to International Risk Strategy: Work closely with the Underwriting Manager and regional stakeholders to provide insights that inform our international risk appetite and strategic expansion plans. Ensure underwriting practices align with local market nuances whilst maintaining consistent global standards.

• Collaborate with International Stakeholders: Build and maintain strong working partnerships with international senior stakeholders, including Commercial, Compliance, and Country Managers. Proactively facilitate effective communication to resolve challenges and ensure that underwriting decisions support regional objectives.

• Conduct Complex Underwriting Assessments: Continue to handle and act as a senior escalation authority for complex or escalated international merchant applications, applying expert judgement to assess risk and make informed decisions in line with company policy.

• Support Operational Excellence: Lead and own contributions to the overall operational efficiency of the international underwriting function by monitoring performance metrics, identifying trends, and recommending and implementing improvements to processes and tools.

What you will bring...

• Proven Underwriting Expertise: Extensive experience (typically 4+ years) as an Underwriter, ideally within the payments or financial services sector, with a strong understanding of credit, fraud, and AML risks.

• Demonstrated Leadership Potential: A clear passion for developing others and a readiness to take on direct people management responsibilities, including coaching, training, and providing constructive feedback to team members.

• International Acumen: Experience working within or supporting international markets, with an understanding of diverse regulatory environments and market practices. Fluency in English and either Italian or Spanish is essential.

• Process Improvement Mindset: A proactive approach to identifying inefficiencies and a track record of contributing to process improvements that enhance operational effectiveness and support business growth.

• Effective Communication and Collaboration: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and work collaboratively with diverse teams and senior stakeholders across different geographies.

• Problem-Solving Skills: An ability to analyse complex situations, identify root causes, and propose practical, effective solutions.

• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment, demonstrating flexibility and initiative.

• Educational Background: Degree-qualified (or equivalent experience) in a business, finance, or related discipline.