Director of Underwriting

Job Description: Director of Underwriting
 
Director of Underwriting leads the underwriting operations team and effectively develops and enforces risk policies, oversees deal evaluations, and drives automation and efficiency in the underwriting processes.  The Director partners closely with Sales, Risk, Product, and Technology leaders to ensure fast, consistent, and data-driven funding decisions that support GBC’s growth and risk appetite.  

The Director plays a key role in optimizing portfolio performance, managing a high-performance team while scaling the underwriting capabilities to support business expansion.  

Key Responsibilities:    

• Decision-Making & KPI Ownership: Serves as the final approver on high-risk or large-dollar funding decisions, and steps in as needed to process deals directly to meet KPIs, including key Underwriting funnel metrics. Owns the underwriting team's ability to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience to merchants and ISOs, even during peak volume - 15%
• Process Innovation & Automation: Identifies and implements innovative opportunities that eliminate manual processes, reduce friction, and increase speed—ensuring GBC stays competitive in the market.  Innovates processes to stay competitive in the industry. Works with Product and cross functional leaders to automate and refine manual processes - 35%
• Team Leadership & Performance: Builds, coaches, and manages the underwriting team, sets clear KPIs for speed, accuracy, and risk-adjusted funding. Ensures consistency, accountability, and compliance across all team activities. Responsible for keeping Standard Operating Procedures up to date and easily digestible for the team as reference points - 35%
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partners with Sales, Customer Experience, Training team, Product, and Risk to create a seamless customer journey. Provides and collects feedback to improve underwriting accuracy and efficiency while supporting execution of GBC’s strategic objectives - 15%

Reports to: CEO 
Direct Reports - Underwriters, Credit Analysts, Team Leads
Interacts with: External Customers, Employees, Leadership 
Travel required: 10% or less within the US
Location: Remote 

Education and Functional Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Accounting, Risk Management, or related field required.  MBA or advanced degree in Finance, Risk, or Data Analytics preferred.  
• 15 years of professional work experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role with 10+ direct reports working for an MCA or small business lending company.  
• 10+ years of progressive experience in underwriting, preferrable in fintech, MCA, or small business lending or alternative funding.
• Deep understanding of credit risk assessment for small to medium sized businesses.
• Understands merchant interviews and has extensive subject matter expertise in evaluating credit worthiness for small businesses.
• Experience evaluating cash flow, bank statements, and industry risk factors.
• Proven experience leading and scaling underwriting team.
• Demonstrated ability to set, monitor, and refine underwriting policies and risk thresholds, while maintaining a balance between risk tolerance and growth targets.

Behavioral/Skill Requirements

•  Innovative & Solution-Oriented: Stays ahead of industry trends and competitor offerings to proactively recommend improvements to existing processes. Develops creative, practical solutions in a fast-paced, evolving market—balancing innovation with business constraints.
• Strong Communicator & Influencer: Demonstrates exceptional communication skills across all formats—active listening, clear articulation, thoughtful writing, and confident presentation—to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial & Agile: Willing and able to roll up their sleeves and step into any role as needed. Brings a flexible, can-do mindset to support broader underwriting initiatives and drive company progress.
• Highly Organized & Deadline-Driven: Manages time, teams, and priorities with precision. Balances multiple workstreams while consistently delivering high-quality results on time.
• Analytical & Decisive: Applies data-driven thinking and strong pattern recognition to make informed, timely decisions. Maintains a high attention to detail in complex environments.
• Proficiency in analyzing financial data, credit metrics, default trends.  Familiarity with underwriting automation tools, scoring models, and decision engines.  Strong Excel and data visualization skills.  SQL or BI tool experience a plus. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 
1.    Error Rate 
2.    Total Productivity output of team
3.    Communication Service Level Agreements (SLA)
4.    Loss Rate
5.    Offer to Fund