Jonathan Mees
Senior Mortgage Underwriter
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About
Senior Mortgage Underwriter with £500K mandate authority for Buy-to-Let and Residential lending across Precise Mortgages and Rely brands. Over 9 years' experience in financial services. Expert in risk assessment, credit analysis, affordability assessment, and regulatory compliance (FCA, PRA).
Skilled in AML/KYC processes, managing complex cases up to £2M, and delivering accurate decisions within SLA. Proven ability to drive process improvements, coach underwriters to achieve mandates, and support continuous team development.
Experience
Senior Mortgage Underwriter - One Savings Bank
(2021-06)
Hold £500K mandate authority for Buy-to-Let (BTL) and Residential lending across Rely & Precise Mortgages brands. Hold a Discretion Mandate which allows decisions outside of lending policy.
- Assess complex cases including Portfolio Landlords, Multi-Unit Freehold Blocks, HMOs, Top Slicing, Let-to-Buy, Consumer BTL, and long-form valuations
- Assess applications start-to-end, including credit reports, AML checks, affordability assessment, and compliance with FCA, PRA regulations & lending policy
- Perform high-mandated offer checks for colleagues and provide final sign-off to ensure compliance with underwriting standards and regulatory requirements
- Manage high-value cases up to £2m, liaise with brokers and high-net-worth clients, ensuring SLA compliance and risk appetite alignment
- Support underwriting team, attend continuous improvement meetings, and contribute to brand development and Anti-Money Laundering guidelines adherence
- Coach & support Underwriters pre & post training
- System & Affordability testing
Mortgage Processor / Portfolio Manager - Precise Mortgages
(2019-07 - 2021-06)
Processed valuations & Pre-Underwriting searches, including Land Registry, Experian & Creditsafe, managed portfolio cases, and implemented new processes for efficiency. Managed the Portfolio Administration team for 12 months, overseeing task allocation, Management Information (MI) reporting, HR referrals and conducting quality assurance checks to ensure compliance and accuracy.
- Completed Aspiring Supervisors & Managers Program
Portfolio Administrator - Precise Mortgages
(2017-09 - 2019-07)
Managed broker relationships and ensured timely processing & data entry of BTL Portfolio mortgage applications. Created training materials and templates; supported new starters, managed the daily work allocation and completed all admin tasks, including assisting the Completions & Post Offer Team.
Head of Retain & Sustain / Hub Liaison Officer / Customer Advisor - Trade Point / Kingfisher
(2014-01 - 2017-09)
Managed customer retention strategies and liaised on order tracking and fulfillment. Recruited and onboarded new customers, improved customer experience processes.
Education
BA Journalism (Hons) - Journalism - Staffordshire University (2011-01 - 2015-01)