SME Underwriting Lead

Salmon – Who We Are and What We Do

Salmon is a fast-growing consumer FinTech group, founded in July 2022 with the vision of creating the best credit-led, technology-centric bank in Southeast Asia. We chose the Philippines to be our first market and are now a licensed bank and consumer-lending group.

Salmon was founded by three Co-founders who built and held senior leadership positions at Tinkoff, a highly successful tech-enabled bank that reached a market capitalization of more than US$20bn.

Salmon has built a highly qualified and global team of finance and technology professionals and is backed by world-class investors, which include International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), Lunate (an investment management vehicle affiliated to the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi), and other prominent Fintech investors.

We are building a financial technology business that works impeccably 24x365, creating thousands of jobs and providing high quality access to finance for millions of Filipinos — and would love to have you join us on this journey. The new world is ours to discover together.

Role Overview

The SME Underwriting Lead is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end credit underwriting of SME loan products. This role ensures sound credit decisions, consistent application of credit policy, and a balanced approach to growth and risk. The position works closely with Product, Risk, Sales, and Operations to scale SME lending responsibly.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage SME loan underwriting activities, ensuring timely and high-quality credit decisions
• Review and approve SME credit applications within delegated authority limits
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve SME underwriting policies, guidelines, and procedures
• Ensure credit assessments align with risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and business objectives
• Analyze financial statements, cash flows, bank statements, and alternative data for SMEs
• Partner with Risk and Data teams to enhance credit scoring models and decision frameworks
• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend underwriting or policy adjustments as needed
• Provide guidance, coaching, and quality control for underwriters and credit analysts
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to improve turnaround times and customer experience
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, and internal risk assessments

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field
• 5–8+ years of experience in SME credit underwriting, credit risk, or lending
• Prior experience in fintech, digital lending, or high-growth lending environments is a strong advantage
• Strong understanding of SME financial analysis, credit risk assessment, and loan structures
• Familiarity with automated underwriting tools, credit scoring models, and alternative data sources
• Knowledge of local lending regulations and compliance standards

Skills & Competencies

• Strong credit judgment and analytical thinking
• Ability to balance growth targets with risk discipline
• Leadership and mentoring skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Data-driven and process-oriented mindset
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, evolving fintech environments