Operational High Risk Analyst - London or Manchester

Handelsbanken; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible benefits package

Training and development

Job summary

Handelsbanken in the UK is seeking an Operational High Risk Analyst based in London or Manchester, with flexible working arrangements to discuss. You will act as SME for high risk management across the branch network and help embed robust credit instructions and controls.

Join a values-led bank known for safety and long-term thinking, and contribute to regulatory compliance, risk insights, and governance through data-driven reporting to support business operations.

Qualifications

• Excellent understanding of regulatory and best practice expectations within UK Credit Risk.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to challenge and influence stakeholders.
• Approachable, proactive engagement with the business.
• Able to balance risk and reward and make sound decisions.

Responsibilities

• Provide SME oversight for high risk management within the branch network.
• Embed credit instructions, processes, and controls for high risk management.
• Collaborate with branches and local credit teams on high risk cases.
• Identify emerging risks at local and portfolio levels.
• Support regulatory horizon scanning and compliance related to high risk/collections.
• Support watchlist strategies and forbearance solutions.
• Review Stage 3 impairment tests and provision adequacy.
• Oversee forbearance and collections instructions for complex cases.
• Deliver data-driven insights for management reporting at multiple levels.

Skills

Regulatory UK Credit Risk

Stakeholder communication

Influence & challenge

Proactive engagement

Decision making under risk

Job description

Handelsbanken is a relationship bank built on trust, long-term thinking and local decision-making. We provide bespoke banking and wealth management services to personal and corporate customers,Our decentralised model means decisions are made close to the customer, in our branches. Our central Functions teams play a vital role in supporting the branch network, providing the expertise, governance and infrastructure that enable branches to serve customers effectively and sustainably.This approach had underpinned our success for decades. Handelsbanken is independently recognised as one of Europe’s safest commercial banks, holds the strongest credit rating among its peers and is consistently ranked highly for customer satisfaction and relationship banking.

Our culture is values-led, shaped by trust, respect, and long- term vision, want to grow and want to make a meaningful impact in their local community and with the Bank

We also recognise that flexibility can support people to perform at their best, and that it looks different for everyone. While arrangements will depend on the requirements of the role and the needs of the business, we are open to having a conversation around what flexibility could look like for you.

Check our Handelsbanken website for further information

The opportunity

UK Credit has functional responsibility for credit operations in the UK, ensuring that the Bank’s credit policy, process and culture is fully implemented in the branch network. UK Credit Management has functional responsibility for credit portfolio management, credit management information, portfolio oversight, including the management of the Bank’s Collections and Recoveries activities and management.

The key stakeholders for UK Credit Management are UK Credit teams, the UK Board, Board & Risk Committee, Districts, Branches, Chief Branch Officer, external and internal auditors, UK Credit Risk Control, Products, Compliance and external regulators.

The UK Operational High Risk Analyst is based in London or Manchester, but flexible working arrangements can be discussed based on individual circumstances.

Key responsibilities

• Act as subject matter experts (SMEs) that provide support and oversight for the management of high risks owned by the branch network.
• Hold functional responsibility for the implementation and embedding of adequate credit instructions, processes and controls in order to ensure adequate high risk management and oversight.
• Working alongside Branches and Local Credit Teams to develop a detailed understanding of high risk cases and work with the wider credit team to analyse and present information relating to the high risk credit portfolio.
• Identify emerging and thematic risks at local and aggregated portfolios.
• Provide support to regulatory horizon scanning and keep up to date with regulatory requirements on high risk/collections and recoveries aspects.
• Provide branches with support and challenge of customer watchlist strategies, action plans and forbearance solutions.
• Review and challenge Stage 3 Impairment tests and Stage 3 provision adequacy at customer level including scenario design and forward looking analysis.
• Undertake Unlikeliness to Pay, Impairment Testing and Default oversight. Including assessing the adequacy of controls on a customer and portfolio level.
• Oversee the appropriate implementation of forbearance and collections instructions, including management of complex, high risk cases.
• Provide training and guidance to branches in the management of high risk customers, including recognition of high risk trends and adherence to instructions to achieve good customer outcomes.
• Support the development and reporting of data derived from Watchlist portal in order to undertake analysis for both ad-hoc and regular management reporting at customer, branch, district, and aggregated portfolio levels.
• Provide district and area level assurance that the risks are being effectively managed, with appropriate evidence of control testing and oversight for high risk customers.
• Serve as a conduit between Local Credit Teams and the business, communicating data-driven insights to non-technical audiences.
• Present on a regular basis to the UK Credit Oversight and District Credit Committees.
• Championing the value of strong risk management and supporting the local credit departments and other members of credit in understanding how to manage risks, including working with Watchlist credit MI that is provided to them;
• Support projects across the business by bringing expertise to discussions around high risk customer management.
• Ensure risks are managed effectively and efficiently, highlighting and delivering improvements where necessary to support both business operations and strategy, through the development and use of suitable MI.
• Operate in line with the Bank's Credit Risk Management framework, Credit Policy, Credit Instructions and all other relevant risk and compliance policies/procedures to ensure appropriate and timely escalation of any concerns

What we’re looking for

Research (by Harvard University) shows that women are particularly likely to second guess themselves and not apply - so if you are worried you don't meet all the criteria, get in touch anyhow and let us do the worrying…

• Excellent understanding of regulatory and best practice expectations within Credit Risk in the UK;
• Be able to demonstrate strong communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Be comfortable challenging and influencing stakeholders;
• Be approachable and proactive in the engagement with the business;
• Be able to balance the risk and reward and being prepared to make a decision.

Why join Handelsbanken

We want everyone at Handelsbanken to feel supported, motivated, and able to do great work. That’s why, alongside brilliant colleagues, meaningful work and training and development opportunities, we provide a variety of benefits designed with your wellbeing in mind.

In addition, there is a flexible benefits package with the key highlights detailed below.

The Bank is deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities. This is so that we are an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work that encourages everyone to apply, regardless of socio-economic background, age, disability, pregnancy and/or parental status, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), veteran status, marital and civil partnership status, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment or sexual orientation. #LI-DS1