Head Of Specialised Business Services

Bendigobank; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 260,000 - 370,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work options

Health & wellbeing support

Career progression & learning

Job summary

Bendigo Bank is seeking a seasoned Head of Specialised Business Services to direct a high-calibre team of workout, restructuring, and loan realisation specialists. With substantial DLA, you will act as the bank's principal authority on impaired asset management, commercial workouts, and security enforcement.

You will lead strategic portfolio stewardship, exercise DLA, oversee enforcement, drive change, and brief executives and the board on risk and provisioning.

Qualifications

• Experience in Australian commercial banking or restructuring advisory managing impaired assets and complex credit analysis.
• Demonstrated DLA authority over portfolios with restructuring terms and recovery actions.
• Proven leadership of high-performing teams with resilience and collaboration.
• Ability to navigate regulatory shifts and changing credit cycles.
• Tertiary qualifications in Business/Commerce/Accounting/Law; professional accreditations valued.

Responsibilities

• Direct and empower a team of workout, restructuring, and loan realisation specialists.
• Exercise DLA to sanction restructuring terms, forbearance, and recovery strategies.
• Initiate and manage legal and recovery proceedings with external partners as needed.
• Lead organisational and market transformation within the SBS team.
• Brief senior leadership and the Board on provisioning, distressed exposures, and credit risk.
• Collaborate with 1st Line Banking, Agribusiness, and Credit Decisioning leaders for risk identification.

Skills

Banking & restructuring

DLA experience

People leadership

Change management

Negotiation

Regulatory awareness

Education

Business/Commerce degree

CA/CPA ARITA FINSIA

Job description

Reports to: Chief Credit & Market Risk Officer

Location: Hybrid model (minimum 3 days/week) based out of our Melbourne, Adelaide, Bendigo, or Sydney corporate office

Employment Type: Permanent Full-Time

Closing date: 11 November

We've never been ‘just a bank'. Just like you should never be ‘just an employee'. We're united in our belief that in banking, better can be bigger, and together we're making it happen.

It starts here. With Bendigo Bank… and you.

Your Impact and Authority

As the Head of Specialised Business Services, you will direct and empower a high-calibre team of workout, restructuring, and loan realisation specialists. Holding substantial Delegated Lending Authority (DLA), you will serve as the bank's principal authority on impaired asset management, commercial loan workouts, and security enforcement.

In this role, you will be instrumental in:

• Strategic Portfolio Stewardship: Leading the proactive workout and rehabilitation of complex Business and Agribusiness credit exposures, preserving viable commercial enterprises, protecting customer equity, and minimising write-offs to bad debt.
• Exercising Delegated Lending Authority (DLA): Formulating, reviewing, and sanctioning high-value restructuring proposals, forbearance agreements, settlement deeds, and recovery strategies within policy tolerances and the Group Risk Appetite Statement.
• Enforcement & Professional Panel Oversight: Decisively instigating legal and recovery proceedings when required, directing external panel solicitors, investigative accountants, and Rural Financial Counsellors, and appointing Receivers and Liquidators to safeguard bank security positions.
• Driving Organisational & Market Transformation: Steering the SBS team through significant operational change and modernisation, while actively pivoting credit management strategies to address evolving macro credit and interest rate cycles.
• Executive & Board Engagement: Delivering timely, clear briefings to the Chief Credit & Market Risk Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Executive Committee, and Board Risk Committee regarding portfolio provisioning, distressed exposures, and emerging credit risks.
• High-Stakes Stakeholder Collaboration: Partnering closely with 1st Line Business Banking, Agribusiness, and Credit Decisioning leaders to ensure early risk identification, seamless transfer protocols, and balanced risk-reward outcomes.

What You Bring to the Role - Your Gravitas and Expertise

We are seeking a seasoned practitioner from an Australian commercial, corporate, or institutional banking background, or a premier corporate restructuring and insolvency advisory practice. You bring:

• Proven Banking & Restructuring Acumen: Extensive experience within Australian banking or specialised turnaround advisory managing impaired assets, complex credit analysis, securities law, and distress workouts for SME, middle‑market, corporate, or agribusiness clients.
• Delegated Lending Authority (DLA): Demonstrated experience holding and exercising a formal DLA over impaired or high-risk credit portfolios, with direct sign-off authority for restructuring terms, loss provisions, and formal enforcement actions.
• Demonstrated People Leadership: A proven track record of leading, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing professional teams, fostering high technical capability, emotional resilience, and a collaborative, supportive culture.
• Agility in Managing Change: High commercial acumen and personal resilience to lead teams through structural and operational change, regulatory shifts, and volatile credit cycles.
• High-Level Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Gravitas to negotiate at the C-suite, board, and business owner levels, working productively alongside insolvency practitioners, mediators, and agricultural advisers to achieve optimal commercial resolutions.
• Qualifications: Tertiary qualifications in Business, Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Law. Professional accreditations (e.g., CA/CPA, ARITA, FINSIA) are highly regarded.

So, why work for us?

Join a team that truly values you and the diverse contribution you make, every day. You'll also get access to a great range of benefits, including:

• Flexibility that puts people first: Whether it's hybrid work, flexible hours, or job sharing, our flexible work options are designed around balance and delivery.
• Health and wellbeing support: Discounted gym memberships, private health insurance subsidies, and comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services for you and your family.
• Career progression and continuous learning: Broaden your knowledge through our corporate university ‘BEN U' or supported external executive development programs.

We believe a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture is central to our success and we actively encourage applications from those who bring diversity of thought to our business. We support candidate requests for adjustment to accommodate an illness, injury, or disability to equitably participate in the selection process.

Still in two minds?

Research suggests 60% of women and underrepresented groups might stop here, even after getting as far as drafting an application. We believe that diversity makes every team stronger, so even if you don't tick every box we still want to see your application!

We're making better, bigger. And we'll get there with you.

Now's the time to set your sights even higher - on the future you and the future career you deserve.