Bridging Recovery Associate
Company background
Aspen Bridging is a principal specialist lender. It is part of S&U PLC a FTSE listed firm with a market cap of over £300m. We are an award-winning lender with multiple ‘Product of the Year’ B&C Awards wins (2025', 22' & 18') and several ‘Highly Commended Newcomer’ and ‘Underwriter of the Year’ awards.
We fund projects with loans up to £15m for property developers & international investors across the country. We are represented by and work closely with leading law and valuation firms such as Fieldfisher LLP & Lightfoots as well as valuation experts such as Aittchison Rafferty to deliver the fastest service in the industry
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Bridging Recovery Associate to join a growing recoveries team and take ownership of a growing portfolio of Bridging/BTL Loans which are all at multiple stages of their life cycle, with responsibility for maximising recoveries while managing risk, borrower relationships, and the wider enforcement process.
The successful candidate will have strong experience within either bridging finance, property finance, mortgage recoveries, credit risk, or specialist lending, with a thorough understanding of property-backed lending and recovery strategies.
You will manage cases from inception through to conclusion including arrears and covenant breaches through to negotiated exits, refinancing, possession, receivership, litigation, and property disposal where required.
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio & Case Management
- Manage a £100m portfolio of performing and non-performing bridging/BTL loans, reviewing each case to establish an appropriate recovery strategy based on the borrower's circumstances, security position, loan documentation, and exit options.
- Monitor arrears, maturity dates, LTV exposure, interest, fees, and outstanding balances, prioritising cases by financial exposure, risk, and urgency.
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive case records and recovery plans.
- Visit properties across the UK for new loan propositions and ongoing monitoring of developments.
- Manage BTL payments and Direct Debits.
Recovery & Enforcement
- Engage with borrowers, brokers, solicitors, valuers, and other third parties to negotiate repayment arrangements, extensions, refinancing, asset sales, and other exit routes.
- Instruct and manage external solicitors, receivers, agents, and other professional advisers, challenging costs and fees to ensure value for money.
- Oversee enforcement activity where appropriate, including possession, receivership, litigation, and security realisation.
- Monitor property sales to maximise net proceeds for the lender.
- Identify opportunities to resolve cases without formal enforcement where this provides the best risk-adjusted outcome.
Relationship Management
- Build effective working relationships with borrowers and their professional advisers, ensuring clear accountability, deadlines, and reporting.
- Work closely with Origination, Underwriting, Credit, Legal, Finance, and Asset Management teams.
- Provide clear and commercially focused communication to senior management where applicable.
Key Performance Indicators
- Recovery of outstanding principal, interest, and fees, measured against original security valuation and balance.
- Reduction in portfolio arrears and non-performing exposure.
- Speed and efficiency of case resolution, including cases resolved through consensual exit.
- Control of enforcement and professional costs.
- Accuracy and timeliness of recovery reporting.
- Effective management of high-risk and high-value exposures.
Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Proven experience in bridging finance, specialist lending, mortgage recoveries, property finance, or a closely related environment.
- Strong understanding of property-backed lending and the UK property market.
- Experience managing arrears, defaults, distressed borrowers, and recovery strategies.
- Experience working with solicitors, receivers, valuers, estate agents, and other professional advisers.
- Commercially minded with the ability to balance recovery value, time, cost, and risk.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability.
- Strong attention to detail and case-management discipline.
Desirable Experience
- Experience with enforcement of property security, including receivership and possession processes.
- Understanding of insolvency processes and their impact on secured lending.
- Relevant professional qualification in credit, finance, law, or property. Alternatively, a degree in real estate, business, finance, or maths — we are open to most degrees subject to intelligence, interest, and mathematical ability.
Personal Attributes
We are looking for someone who is:
- Commercial, numerate, and recovery-focused.
- Confident dealing with challenging borrowers and advisers, and comfortable escalating issues when necessary.
- Calm and decisive under pressure.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple high-value cases simultaneously.
- Comfortable making recommendations based on incomplete or changing information.
- Strong at negotiation and influencing.
- Proactive rather than purely process-driven.
What Success Looks Like
Within the role, the successful candidate will establish clear recovery strategies across the portfolio, proactively manage distressed exposures, minimise unnecessary enforcement costs and delays, and maximise the lender's overall recovery.
You will have access to a specialised training programme covering property finance, law, regulations and valuation and you will work directly alongside senior underwriters, risk managers and will have daily communication with our Director of Risk.
Package
- Competitive salary: up to £37,500
- Performance-related bonus
- Pension
- Private healthcare
- We operate a balanced hybrid approach to working with 3 days a week in the office (Tues-Thurs)
Application
Please submit your CV along with a brief summary of your experience in bridging finance, recoveries, property finance, or distressed lending.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £37,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- What experience do you have in financial recoveries?
Please describe your interest in working with us.
Education:
Licence/Certification:
- B or above GCSE maths (required)
- Driving Licence (required)
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Solihull B90 4QT
