Operations Analyst Discovery Programme 2026 Knutsford

Barclays UK; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company is offering a virtual Operations Analyst Discovery Programme in 2026 in Knutsford. This program allows students to learn about diverse career paths and positions them for the future internship in 2027. Participants will engage in workshops on financial services, the operational business area, and network with graduates and senior leaders. The successful candidate should be interested in understanding global banking dynamics and the operational processes that affect customer transactions daily.

Qualifications

• Students must be 2 years out from graduation regardless of their degree discipline.
• Curiosity about global banking operations is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operations in the operations business division.
• Assist in KYC tasks related to Client Due Diligence and AML policies.
• Monitor real-time transaction flow to ensure accuracy.

Job description

Operations Analyst Discovery Programme 2026 Knutsford

Dates: April 15th & 16th 2026

Open to all students, the Discovery Programme is a virtual opportunity to learn about the career paths Barclays, and be considered for our 2027 internship. We want to help you learn about the opportunities we offer and encourage you to picture yourself in the world of financial services.

Why Barclays Discovery Programme?

• Join seminars and workshops, where you’ll learn about financial services, Operations as a business area, the recruitment process and Barclays as an employer.
• Participate in specific breakout sessions within Operations, where you'll gain insights of what you can expect from the Summer Internship in 2027.
• Build your understanding of the assessment process and next steps.
• Connect with people from across our business, including current graduates who have already made the journey that you are starting out on.
• Attend dedicated networking sessions with senior leaders and graduates aligned to your chosen business area.

Operations at Barclays

Millions of people, businesses and corporations across the globe rely on Barclays. They might be buying a coffee or purchasing a home. They might be opening a credit card account or leveraging the finance to seal a multinational corporate takeover. They might be investing in a new TV or a £million currency trade. In the end, all these activities, the financial ebb and flow that underpins our daily lives and keeps the global economy moving, come down to processes. And in Operations, it’s our job to ensure that Barclays is there, running those transactions smoothly for our customers and clients, every minute of every day.

As part of Operations, you’ll get insight into our ever-improving systems and see what it takes to deliver efficient, painless processing. You could be providing financial services to a large client base across our Private Bank and Wealth divisions; client reporting and reviewing tax packs; account opening and quality assurance reviews; educating colleagues on how to assess, control and mitigate risk; enhancing our lending operations; or even investigating fraud claims. Whatever you do it will make money and finance work better for our customers and clients.

Who can apply?

You’ll need to be 2 years out from graduation and can be studying any degree discipline.

Beyond that, you’ll need to be curious to understand how a global bank adapts in a constantly evolving environment.

We are recruiting on a rolling basis, so we recommend that students apply early.

Barclays does not provide sponsorship to attend the 2‑day insight programme, and Barclays will also require applicants for this position to have legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the 2027 Summer Internship Programme.

Working in Knutsford

Whilst our Discovery Programme is virtual, if successful in securing a place on our 2027 internship programme, you’ll be based in Knutsford.

Set in a stunning 64‑acre site, Barclays Radbroke campus in Knutsford, Cheshire, is a tech hub like no other. The campus has tennis courts, gardens and even bee hives, as well as the latest in technology systems, equipment, and development.

Behind our world‑leading innovations is a 3,500‑strong team: some of the world’s best minds who are re‑defining the future of finance, each and every day. It’s an incredible community with talents in all kinds of areas, from academics to project masterminds to people who build robots.

Whilst our campus facilities will make you want to come to the office to work every day, flexible working is celebrated and we are currently operating in a hybrid working environment; many colleagues spend part of their working hours at home and part in the office, depending on the nature of the role they are in. And when you do come into the office to work, we offer a free coach service from both Knutsford and Northwich station multiple times a day if you’d prefer to travel by train.

It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Purpose of the role

To support the day-to-day operations of the operations business division providing insights and expertise that help more senior colleagues make informed decisions, develop new products and services, and identify new market opportunities.

Accountabilities

• Performance of KYC tasks while following standard procedures related to Client Due Diligence and AML policies.
• Monitoring of real time transaction flow, trade updates and exception queues to ensure timely and accurate trade representation across systems.
• Address incident, problem and change management issues to improve services across the bank.
• Provision of support to continuous improvement of the operational process and the development of best practices; coming up with ways to improve systems and processes.
• Provision of support for cleared derivatives, performing daily reconciliation of related fees and undertaking a range of complex customer and product related processing activities.
• Participation in training and development programs to enhance skills and knowledge.

Analyst Expectations

• To perform prescribed activities in a timely manner and to a high standard consistently driving continuous improvement.
• Requires in-depth technical knowledge and experience in their assigned area of expertise.
• Thorough understanding of the underlying principles and concepts within the area of expertise.
• They lead and supervise a team, guiding and supporting professional development, allocating work requirements and coordinating team resources.
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
• Or for an individual contributor, they develop technical expertise in work area, acting as an advisor where appropriate.
• Will have an impact on the work of related teams within the area.
• Partner with other functions and business areas.
• Takes responsibility for end results of a team’s operational processing and activities.
• Escalate breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Take responsibility for embedding new policies/ procedures adopted due to risk mitigation.
• Advise and influence decision making within own area of expertise.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work you own or contribute to. Deliver your work and areas of responsibility in line with relevant rules, regulation and codes of conduct.
• Maintain and continually build an understanding of how own sub‑function integrates with function, alongside knowledge of the organisations products, services and processes within the function.
• Demonstrate understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub‑function.
• Make evaluative judgements based on the analysis of factual information, paying attention to detail.
• Resolve problems by identifying and selecting solutions through the application of acquired technical experience and will be guided by precedents.
• Guide and persuade team members and communicate complex / sensitive information.
• Act as contact point for stakeholders outside of the immediate function, while building a network of contacts outside team and external to the organisation.

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.