VP, Head of Underwriting & Risk

Inspiration Mobility

$225K — $250K *
Finance & Insurance
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years of experience in commercial credit, underwriting, or equipment finance.
  • 3+ years leading underwriting or finance teams.
  • Deep knowledge of commercial fleet finance and leasing structures.
  • Strong understanding of lease economics and commercial finance risk.
  • Experience with regional or multi-national commercial customers in vehicle-intensive sectors.
  • Proven track record in managing commercial credit risk while fostering business growth.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Excel for financial modeling and analysis.

Responsibilities

  • Lead underwriting, pricing, and risk evaluation for commercial vehicle leasing opportunities.
  • Evaluate transaction-level risks including obligor credit and collateral value.
  • Conduct detailed financial analyses of prospects and customers' financial health.
  • Collaborate with sales teams to structure deals that balance customer and company needs.
  • Oversee credit policy and underwriting framework, partnering with Legal on credit terms.
  • Prepare materials for the Investment Committee, highlighting transaction risks and recommendations.
  • Monitor portfolio health and recommend strategies for risk management and diversification.

Benefits

  • Flexible work environment with optional in-office days.
  • Opportunity for remote work on Mondays and Fridays.
  • Access to a culture that promotes disciplined growth and collaboration.
Full Job Description
Your Mission:

Your mission is to lead underwriting, pricing, risk assessment and transaction structuring for Inspiration Mobility's commercial vehicle fleet management business. You will evaluate customer credit and risk, and propose creative transaction structures and enhancements that support compliant, efficient, and profitable financing decisions. You will serve as a senior partner to Sales, Fleet, Treasury, Legal, Compliance, and the Investment Committee, helping the company grow profitably while maintaining disciplined credit and portfolio standards.

You will report to our Chief Financial Officer

Key Responsibilities:

Transaction Underwriting, Pricing & Structuring

  • Lead underwriting, pricing, structuring, modeling, and risk evaluation for commercial vehicle leasing and financing opportunities with commercial counterparties that have a regional, national, or multi-national footprint
  • Evaluate transaction-level risks, including obligor credit, lease structure, collateral value, residual value exposure, remarketing, and documentation protections
  • Conduct detailed financial analysis of prospects and customers, including review of financial statements, cash flows, leverage, liquidity, operating history, and business outlook
  • Partner with Fleet Sales and Key Accounts teams to design deal structures and credit enhancements that balance customer needs with internal return, risk, and portfolio quality targets
  • Own the credit policy and underwriting framework, including approval thresholds, pricing tools, risk-rating standards, and lease documentation terms, partnering closely with Legal on commercial credit terms

Investment Committee & Credit Governance

  • Serve as the primary gatekeeper to the company's Investment Committee for fleet leasing transactions, determining
  • which opportunities require approval and preparing clear, well-supported approval materials that present credit concerns, transaction risks, mitigants, and recommended structures
  • Ensure underwriting approvals, documentation, and closing conditions are consistent and properly tracked
  • With the CFO and Investment Committee, recommend portfolio diversification strategies, including setting limits on portfolio concentration, customer concentration, asset-type, and industry exposure
  • Own ongoing portfolio health, monitoring performance, collateral, and risk exposure, and surfacing emerging credit, collateral, or market risks with clear recommendations

Tools, Automation & Team Leadership

  • Build and own scalable underwriting infrastructure, leveraging automation and AI to drive efficiency across diligence, credit memo preparation, pricing, and portfolio monitoring
  • Lead and manage the underwriting and transactions team, ensuring high performance, accountability, responsiveness, and alignment with company objectives
  • Promote a culture of disciplined growth, commercial partnership, analytical rigor, and practical problem solving


Who You Are:

  • You have 12+ years in commercial credit, underwriting, equipment finance, fleet leasing, commercial auto finance, specialty finance, asset-backed lending, or a related field
  • You have 3+ years of experience leading underwriting, credit, risk, transaction, or finance teams
  • You have a deep knowledge of commercial fleet finance and/or equipment leasing structures
  • You have a strong understanding of lease economics, collateral management, residual value risk, documentation, credit enhancements, and commercial finance risk
  • You have experience underwriting regional, national, and/or multi-national commercial customers, including enterprise fleets, middle-market operators, logistics companies, service fleets, public-sector or quasi-public customers, or other vehicle-intensive businesses
  • You have a strong track record managing commercial credit risk while supporting business growth and profitability
  • You have expert-level Excel skills, including building and auditing complex multi-scenario financial models, underwriting templates, pricing tools, and portfolio analysis models
  • You are an exceptional people leader-building, developing, and managing high-performing teams
  • You have excellent analytical judgment and communication skills; with an ability to make and articulate clear recommendations with speed, accuracy, and strong customer orientation
  • You are comfortable operating in a fast-paced, innovative, and high-accountability environment
  • You are a self-starter who takes ownership, seeks input when needed, and consistently drives outcomes
  • Our core values (see below) are part of your inherent DNA, and you can cite many examples of when you demonstrated these values in your career


Salary: $225,000 - $250,000 plus annual bonus eligible

Location: Washington, D.C. Our in-office team works from our Dupont Circle office Tuesday through Thursday. Remote work on Mondays and Fridays is voluntary, and employees are welcome to work from the office if they'd prefer.

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