Underwriter (Trade Finance Division)

UK Export Finance has recently undergone an internal consultation to review the current structure of its Business Group (BG) and a decision has been made to create two new distinct directorates:

• Large Corporates & International
• Small & Medium Enterprises and Trade Finance
This will enable us to fully focus on specific customer requirements and to aid product delivery for the respective markets in which UKEF provides support. Typically, our support can help UK exporters win, fulfil and get paid for contracts in all sectors., The Trade Finance Division (TFD) sits within the Small & Medium Enterprises and Trade Finance directorate and is accountable for the delivery of UKEF's short-term business products: Bond Support Scheme, Export Working Capital Scheme, General Export Facility, Export Insurance Policy, Supply Chain Finance and Bond Insurance Policy (BIP). TFD comprises the Short-Term Business Underwriting Team (STBU), Post-Issue Management (PIM), and Business Group Operations (BSG). The advertised role sit within this division and would suit a highly motivated individual who is process driven. The main responsibilities of this post includes:
• Dealing with new business enquiries and reviewing applications for UKEF support. Determine viability and liaise with relevant parties for any absent information.
• Assisting with casework, in the preparation of credit papers and in negotiation of transactions; identification of key entities and ultimate beneficial owners;; administering policies and guarantees; and customer relationship management. You will also be expected to interface with external stakeholders (exporters, banks, overseas buyers and project sponsors etc.).
• Obtain a technical knowledge of Export Finance, Trade Finance and Credit Insurance products, and gain an understanding of the wider political, legal, and risk environment in which UKEF and the wider Civil Service operate.
• Manage case work, ensuring all relevant communications and documents are correctly processed and stored in the relevant UKEF systems and databases.
• Learning and Development - continuously develop knowledge of UKEF's products and policies and internal/external factors that impact UKEF's operating environment.
• Explaining clearly UKEF's products and processes. Contribute to policy development and process improvement.
• Participate in marketing activities as required, including giving presentations at meetings.
This list is not exhaustive; you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business need., All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.
• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 500 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.
• Technical question and presentation.
For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:
• Qualification.
• Experience - Application and Statement of Suitability.
• Technical question (250 words) - Tell us about your experience in credit risk and / or financial analysis.
If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview; this will include the following assessment:
• Behaviours/ Experience - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all three behaviours highlighted:
+ Behaviour - Working Together + Behaviour - Delivering at Pace Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service +
• Technical:
+ Presentation Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.Security Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.,
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  UK Export Finance is looking for motivated individuals with a desire to learn about the business. Successful candidates will be provided not only with functional training to enable them to do well in their role, but also with personal development to help them to achieve their career ambitions. Please note that the person specification below outlines at which stage(s) you will be assessed on how you meet the criteria for the role(s) including:-, 5 GCSE passes (including Maths and English) at Grade 4 (C) or above; or equivalent or relevant demonstrable experience. [A], A working level understanding of the political, commercial, legal and risk environment that UKEF operates in and the wider Civil Service. [A, I]
• Knowledge of international financing structures and UKEF products. [A, I]
Skills / Ability
• Good written communication skills i.e. the ability to create good first drafts of documents and presentations for senior managers. [A]
• Oral communication skills i.e. able to present effectively, clearly and persuasively. [A, I, P]
• Analytical ability sufficient to be able to understand financial, legal and policy issues. [A, I]
• Able to use MS Office products, in particular Excel, PowerPoint and Word. [A]
• Highly organised & methodical approach to managing a workload. [A, I]
• Ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships. [A, I], Experience of working in teams. [A]
• Experience in working in an environment where attention to detail is paramount. [A, I]
• Experience of working with internal and external stakeholders. [A, I]
• Experience of Financial analysis / Credit Risk analysis. [A, I], Relevant professional qualifications e.g. Diploma in International Trade. [A], Familiarity with Salesforce, estore / SharePoint (not exhaustive). [A]
• Management skills sufficient to coach and manage junior team members[A, I]
• Ability to understand and interpret financial statements. [A]
• Loan negotiation skills and familiarity with legal documentation. [A]
Experience
• Commercial, banking, financial institution or legal experience. [A], Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
• Tell us about your experience in credit risk and / or financial analysis.
• Presentation, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
  
  Alongside your salary of £39,035, UK Export Finance contributes £11,308 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
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