Abound · Madrid
OtherUnderwritingRemoteFullTimeposted 10d ago
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 Credit Underwriter to assess consumer lending applications and make fair, responsible and well-reasoned credit decisions. This is a hands-on underwriting role focused on reviewing affordability, Open Banking information, income, credit bureau data, customer circumstances and supporting documentation against our lending policy.
The role is centred on individual case assessment, judgement and decision-making. It is not a credit modelling or data science position. You will work directly with lending applications, investigate the customer’s financial position and take ownership of each case through to a clear resolution.
We are looking for someone who goes beyond processing applications. You will contribute ideas, support colleagues and help us improve how underwriting works as Abound grows in Spain.
How we underwrite at Abound
Unlike lenders that rely mainly on a credit score, Abound uses Open Banking and detailed affordability assessments to build a fuller and more current view of a customer’s financial position. Our underwriters combine evidence, policy and sound judgement to decide whether lending is both appropriate and sustainable.
In practice, you may review:
Income, expenditure and transaction patterns across connected bank accounts.
Affordability, disposable income and the customer’s ability to sustain repayments.
Income stability, employment circumstances and additional earnings.
Customer-declared information compared with evidence available through Open Banking.
Credit bureau information, policy rules and manual referral triggers.
Supporting documents and additional information requested from the customer.
Potential indicators of fraud, money laundering, financial difficulty or customer vulnerability.
Complex patterns such as gambling activity, frequent cash usage, own-account transfers, short-term credit, international payments or trading and crypto activity, where relevant to the lending assessment.
What you’ll be doing
Underwriting and credit assessment
Assess consumer loan applications and make lending decisions within your agreed mandate and in line with credit policy.
Review affordability, income, Open Banking activity, credit bureau information and supporting documentation.
Compare declared information with observed financial activity and investigate inconsistencies or areas requiring clarification.
Identify fraud, AML and customer vulnerability concerns and escalate them appropriately.
Apply policy rules and risk indicators consistently while using judgement where a case requires deeper review.
Take ownership of applications from initial assessment through to final resolution, including requesting further information when necessary.
Document decisions clearly so the rationale is accurate, traceable and easy to understand.
Deliver fair customer outcomes while balancing responsible lending, commercial objectives and risk.
Operational excellence
Manage your application pipeline effectively and meet agreed quality, productivity and service expectations.
Maintain excellent accuracy and attention to detail across every decision.
Support the implementation of changes to underwriting policy, processes and systems.
Contribute to clear underwriting procedures, guidance and training materials.
Support testing and validation of underwriting changes when required.
Flag recurring case themes, transaction patterns or operational issues that may require wider review.
Ownership and continuous improvement
Take personal responsibility for the quality and outcome of your decisions.
Identify operational challenges and suggest practical solutions.
Recommend improvements that make underwriting more efficient, strengthen risk management or improve the customer journey.
Look beyond individual applications to help identify recurring trends and opportunities.
Participate in projects and change initiatives that support the development of Abound Spain.
Share useful underwriting observations with colleagues in Risk, Product, Operations and Data Science, while remaining focused on your core responsibility of case assessment and lending decisions.
Team collaboration
Work closely with colleagues across Underwriting, Risk, Operations, Product and Customer Operations.
Share knowledge, case insights and good practice with the wider team.
Support colleagues and contribute positively to team discussions and problem-solving.
Be a reliable team member who is willing to step in and help when needed.
Promote a culture of accountability, learning and customer focus.
What success looks like
You consistently make accurate, evidence-based and well-reasoned lending decisions.
You maintain strong quality standards while achieving productivity expectations.
You take ownership of your workload, decisions and customer outcomes.
You identify issues early and work proactively towards solutions.
You contribute practical ideas that improve processes, efficiency, risk controls or customer experience.
You support team success through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
You demonstrate sound judgement, integrity and professionalism in every decision.
What we’re looking for
Essential experience and skills
Relevant experience in consumer lending, credit underwriting, credit assessment, lending operations or another regulated financial services environment.
Experience assessing individual lending applications or making credit decisions is strongly preferred.
Experience reviewing affordability, income, bank statements or Open Banking information.
A practical understanding of credit risk, responsible lending, fraud prevention and AML controls.
Strong judgement and the ability to reach clear decisions using evidence and policy.
Excellent attention to detail, organisation and written documentation skills.
Clear verbal and written communication skills in Spanish. Working English is beneficial for collaboration with the wider Abound team.
The ability to balance customer outcomes, commercial considerations and risk requirements.
Comfort working in a fast-paced environment where processes continue to evolve.
Relevant backgrounds may include
We recognise that underwriting job titles vary across the Spanish market. You may have worked in consumer lending underwriting, personal loans, credit cards, mortgage underwriting, banking operations, lending operations, credit assessment, fraud investigation, collections or recoveries. What matters most is relevant lending judgement, an interest in customer-level assessment and the ability to make responsible credit decisions.
Personal attributes
You take ownership and accountability for results.
You are proactive, practical and solutions-focused.
You are curious and look for better ways of working.
You enjoy reviewing individual cases and making decisions, rather than focusing on modelling or purely analytical work.
You are a collaborative team player who shares knowledge and supports others.
You can challenge constructively and communicate your reasoning clearly.
You have a customer-first mindset and a strong commitment to responsible lending.
You are positive, adaptable and motivated to keep learning.
Career progression
This role offers the opportunity to develop expertise across underwriting, risk, operations and process improvement. As the business grows, people who consistently demonstrate strong judgement, ownership, quality and leadership behaviours will have opportunities to progress into Senior Underwriter or other specialist roles.
What we offer
Equity, so everyone owns a piece of the company.
A hybrid working model with 3 days per week in the office.
2 paid volunteering days each year.
A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years.
A team wellness budget to stay active together, from yoga or tennis to bouldering.
Apply
If you enjoy making lending decisions, understanding customers’ real financial circumstances and helping to build a responsible underwriting function, we would love to hear from you.