Communications Surveillance Operational Lead

Barclays; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A multinational bank is seeking a Vice President for Communications Surveillance Operations based in Glasgow. This leadership role involves driving operational excellence, managing surveillance activities, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills and experience in conduct risk management within a global financial institution. This position requires strong team management and a tech-savvy approach with an interest in applying AI and automation to surveillance operations.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of FCA Market Abuse Regulation (MAR).
• Experience managing teams through transformation.
• Ability to analyse and synthesize complex data sets.

Responsibilities

• Monitor market activities, including order flows and communication.
• Conduct investigations to gather evidence of market misconduct.
• Provide reports to regulatory authorities and internal stakeholders.

Skills

Strong experience in communications or trade surveillance

Excellent investigative and analytical skills

Strong proficiency with surveillance platforms

Tech-savvy mindset

Ability to operate in a matrix environment

Tools

Surveillance platforms

Data analytics tools

Job description

We are seeking a dynamic Vice President, Communications Surveillance Operations & Targeted Surveillance Unit (TSU) to lead our Glasgow-based team at the forefront of conduct risk management. This pivotal leadership role will drive operational excellence, embed enhanced surveillance processes, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration.

The VP will oversee end-to-end surveillance activities, including intelligence‑led investigations and TSU reviews, ensuring risks are identified, escalated, and remediated effectively. With responsibility for integrating advanced analytics and AI‑enabled detection, the role requires strong analytical acumen, proven change leadership, and the ability to deliver in a complex, global matrix environment.

This is an opportunity to shape the future of surveillance capabilities, partner with global stakeholders, and represent the Glasgow team in governance forums—making a tangible impact on the firm’s transformation journey.

Requirements

• Strong experience in communications or trade surveillance, investigations, or conduct risk management within a global financial institution.
• Deep understanding of FCA Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and equivalent global regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent investigative and analytical skills, with attention to detail and ability to synthesise complex data sets.
• Experience managing teams through transformation, including technology or process change.
• Strong proficiency with surveillance platforms, case management systems, and analytical tools.
• Tech‑savvy mindset with an interest in applying AI, machine learning, and automation to surveillance operations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a matrix environment, influencing across global teams and multiple stakeholder groups.

Additional qualifications

• Experience in targeted or thematic surveillance, or investigative roles within Compliance or Risk.
• Knowledge of investment banking products and trading practices.
• Experience with market conduct surveillance systems and data analytics tools.

This role is based in Glasgow with 3 anchor days in the office Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

You may be assessed on key critical skills relevant for success in the role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job‑specific technical skills.

Purpose of the role

To monitor and analyse market activity for potential signs of abuse or manipulation, verifying that there is adherence to regulatory requirements and internal policies and taking action to mitigate market misconduct.

Accountabilities

• Monitoring market activities continuously, including order flows, prices, trading volumes and communications to identify potential irregularities or market misconduct.
• Conducting in‑depth investigations to gather evidence and assess the risk of market manipulation, insider trading, or other misconduct.
• Business support in projects related to the firm’s market surveillance framework.
• Regulatory query and internal/external audit support.
• Provision of accurate and timely reports to regulatory authorities, internal stakeholders, and management regarding market surveillance activities, incidents, and trends.
• Execution of appropriate controls aligned to the Barclays control framework and related firm‑wide standards.
• Control environment support in relation to data quality, model effectiveness and efficiency.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/processes; deliver continuous improvements and elevate breaches of policies/procedures.
• If managing a team, define jobs and responsibilities, plan for the department’s future needs and operations, counsel employees on performance and contribute to employee pay decisions/changes. Lead specialists to influence operations of a department, in alignment with strategic and tactical priorities, balancing short‑ and long‑term goals to meet corporate requirements.
• Lead people to demonstrate clear set of leadership behaviours—Listen, Energise, Align, Develop—to create an environment where colleagues thrive and deliver consistently excellent standards.
• If as an individual contributor, be a subject‑matter expert, guide technical direction, lead multi‑year assignments, and train and coach less experienced specialists.
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross‑functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, supporting the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls within the team’s remit.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of organisational functions to contribute to achieving business goals.
• Collaborate with other areas to stay aligned with business activity and strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought, comparing and selecting complex alternatives, applying interpretative thinking to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and incorporate outcomes of extensive research in problem‑solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

Values

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.