Bilingual Underwriter

Our client, a large financial institution, is seeking an Intermediate Underwriter to join their team for a contract opportunity.

This is a hybrid role supporting day-to-day underwriting operations (BAU) within secured lending. The successful candidate will support an increased volume of applications and work closely with underwriting managers and business partners. Onsite presence is required once per week for the first five weeks, with the remainder of the role following a hybrid model.

Responsibilities
o Review, assess, and adjudicate residential mortgage and real estate secured and unsecured lending applications within established guidelines and authorized lending limits
o Negotiate, approve, recommend, or decline credit applications using sound judgment and risk-based decisioning
o Gather, review, and critically assess credit documentation including income verification, down payments, purchase agreements, and third-party due diligence reports
o Apply risk mitigation strategies and make exception decisions where appropriate, providing clear rationale
o Escalate applications above authority limits to senior underwriters or managers with well-supported recommendations
o Communicate effectively with internal business partners and external parties such as insurers, appraisers, and solicitors
o Manage high volumes of applications while meeting tight turnaround times with a high level of accuracy and quality
o Support the servicing of applications through to transition to the funding team

Must-Have Requirements
o 3-4 years of retail mortgage underwriting experience, primarily residential mortgages
o Bilingual (French & English)
o

Experience with Real Estate Secured Lending (RESL) underwriting
o Proven credit decisioning experience with approval authority (up to $1.5M preferred)
o Strong experience reviewing and evaluating credit documentation (income, down payment, offers, etc.)
o Hands-on experience making and justifying underwriting exceptions
o Solid understanding of credit risk assessment and risk mitigation principles

Nice-to-Have
o Completion of underwriting or mortgage broker courses
o Strong working knowledge of Outlook and Excel
o University degree
o Familiarity with Canadian lending rules, regulations, and insurer guidelines