Role Overview
The Manual Underwriter is responsible for performing comprehensive, judgment-basedevaluations of credit applications that fall outside automated decisioning criteria. Theincumbent applies deep financial, analytical, and risk assessment expertise to make informedlending decisions in accordance with organizational credit policies, regulatory frameworks,and risk appetite thresholds. This role requires a high level of accuracy, sound credit acumen,policy interpretation skills, and an ability to exercise prudent discretion in borderline cases.
Key Responsibilities
- Credit Assessment & Underwriting
- Conduct end-to-end credit evaluation of loan proposals(personal/educational/secured/unsecured) that fail automated scorecard approval.
- Analyze borrower income, cash flows, repayment capacity, and credit bureau data (CIBIL, Equifax, CRIF High Mark, Experian).
- Compute and assess key financial ratios: Debt-to-Income (DTI), Loan-to-Value (LTV), Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR), and Fixed Obligation to Income Ratio (FOIR).
- Identify deviations and apply compensating factors as per risk-based pricing and credit policy matrices.
- Ensure adherence to underwriting scorecards, risk grids, and delegation of authority (DOA) limits.
- Policy & Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure all underwriting decisions are in compliance with RBI guidelines, Basel III/IV standards, and internal Credit Risk Management policies.
- Adhere to KYC, AML, FATCA, and UBO regulations for all applicants.
- Maintain documentation integrity to support audit trails, credit review committees (CRC), and regulatory inspections.
- Support internal and external audit reviews through accurate recordkeeping and prompt information retrieval.
- Financial & Analytical Review
- Evaluate financial statements, income tax returns, P&L accounts, balance sheets, and bank statements for authenticity and stability.
- Perform trend, variance, and ratio analysis to identify anomalies or early warning indicators.
- Use both quantitative metrics (financial performance, repayment history) and qualitative parameters (business vintage, industry risk, management capability) in decisioning.
- Contribute to portfolio segmentation and risk calibration exercises.
- Risk Management & Fraud Detection
- Identify potential red flags including income inconsistencies, document tampering and behavioral discrepancies.
- Collaborate with Fraud Control Units (FCUs) and Risk Monitoring Teams to minimize credit losses.
- Implement preventive and detective controls to ensure high-quality portfolio performance and minimize NPAs.
- Recommend structural changes, such as co-applicant inclusion, security enhancement, or loan resizing, where required.
- Decision Documentation & System Updates
- Document every underwriting decision with clear rationale and supporting analysis.
- Accurately update Loan Origination Systems (LOS), Loan Management Systems (LMS), and internal MIS tools.
- Ensure 100% data accuracy and maintain decision logs for traceability and compliance validation.
- Support quality assurance teams in periodic audits of approved and declined cases.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Liaise with Sales, Operations, Credit Policy, Risk, Legal, and Collections teams for holistic file evaluation.
- Provide structured feedback to Credit Policy and Analytics teams to enhance automation logic and risk models.
- Participate in credit committee reviews, policy revision sessions, and process improvement workshops.
- Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
- Meet defined Turnaround Time (TAT) and decision accuracy benchmarks.
- Maintain zero-error tolerance in documentation and compliance.
- Participate in ongoing training and certification programs to stay updated on regulatory, policy, and market developments.
- Contribute to standard operating procedure (SOP) development and continuous process optimization.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical, quantitative, and interpretive skills.
- Deep understanding of credit underwriting, risk rating frameworks, and portfolio
risk analytics.
- Expertise in financial statement interpretation and credit ratio computation.
- Working knowledge of LOS/LMS platforms, Excel-based models, and credit
scoring systems.
- Up-to-date knowledge of RBI, SEBI, and NBFC lending norms.
- High attention to detail, decision-making discipline, and documentation accuracy.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional
collaboration abilities.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- TAT Adherence – Average time taken to underwrite each file.
- Decision Accuracy Rate – % of error-free underwriting decisions.
- Policy Deviation Rate – Frequency of exceptions to policy thresholds.
- Audit & Compliance Score – Quality of documentation and adherence to standards.
- Portfolio Delinquency Metrics – 30+ DPD ratios and NPAs on approved cases.
- Fraud Identification Rate – Number of detected or prevented fraudulent cases.
Educational Qualification
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, Economics, or
Business Administration.
- Certifications such as CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), CA (Chartered
Accountant), CMA, FRM, or Credit Risk Certification preferred.
Experience Requirement
- 2–6 years of experience in manual underwriting, credit assessment, or financial
analysis within BFSI, NBFC, or fintech sectors.
- Exposure to retail, MSME, home loan, LAP, or personal loan underwriting
preferred.
Position Summary
The Manual Underwriter serves as the organization’s first line of defense against credit andoperational risk. Through analytical rigor, prudent judgment, and regulatory adherence, theunderwriter ensures that every approved credit decision aligns with the company’s riskappetite, profitability objectives, and governance standards. This role is critical inmaintaining portfolio quality, supporting sustainable growth, and safeguarding institutionalintegrity.Skills: underwriting,loan,credit
