Portfolio Business Manager - Co-Head of HR Colleague Experience - FTC

Barclays UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major financial institution in London is looking for a Portfolio Business Manager to join their HR Team. This role involves driving the HR strategy, managing key projects, and providing strategic support to senior executives. The ideal candidate should possess exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, experience in complex organizations, and a strong background in data-driven decision-making. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract offering the opportunity to influence HR initiatives within a leading firm.

Qualifications

• Ability to build strong relationships and communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Experience in influencing within complex, matrixed environments.
• Highly organized with experience managing multiple projects concurrently.
• Expertise in leveraging data analytics to inform strategic decisions.
• Skilled in crafting narratives and delivering presentations to executives.
• Experience in multi-year transformation road-maps and change management.
• Adept at representing senior executives in high-stakes situations.
• Ability to adapt, learn, and deliver across diverse functions.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic support to senior executives in developing business strategies.
• Manage colleague engagement planning and communication channels.
• Monitor and report on key projects, ensuring they stay on track.
• Identify and implement best practices to enhance operational efficiency.
• Develop performance reporting metrics that align with strategic objectives.
• Support leadership in talent development and succession planning.
• Assist with risk management and crisis response planning.
• Implement governance frameworks that support senior leadership structures.

Skills

Exceptional Stakeholder Engagement

Proven Success in Matrixed Organizations

Advanced Organizational and Multitasking Skills

Data-Driven Decision Making

Executive-Level Communication & Storytelling

Portfolio & Change Leadership

Trusted Executive Delegate

Versatility & Agility

Job description

We have an excellent opportunity for a Portfolio Business Manager to the Co-Head of HR Colleague Experience to join our HR Team. This is a 12 month fixed term contract, based in London.

About the Role

• Key role to drive the implementation of the HR CX strategy and 3 year roadmap to deliver the HR vision, working in partnership with senior executives across HR, navigating complex challenges, make informed decisions and deliver against the CX strategic objectives.
• Strategic support to the HR ExCo member (CX co-head) including assisting in the execution of in year and multi-year business strategy, research, and analysis to support decision-making and act as delegate for the senior executive in specific situations.
• Management of key projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of senior executives, ensuring strategic projects are on track, monitoring of progress, and provision of regular updates to the executive team.
• Champion improvement of operational efficiency for CX, partnering with functional partners, including the identification of areas for improvement, streamlining of processes, and implementation of consistently excellent best practices to enhance productivity and effectiveness.
• Management of the CX colleague engagement agenda in line with the strategic direction, managing communication channels and ensuring effective coordination across different departments and teams.
• Development of performance reporting for key metrics that reinforce the strategic objectives of the division and support the external commitments made. Analyse and draw insight to drive performance. Involvement in aspects of financial analysis and budget management, including assistance in financial planning, forecasting, cost management and monitoring of financial performance against targets.

Skills / Experience

• Exceptional Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and effectively communicate updates, insights, and recommendations to diverse audiences, including senior executives and cross-functional teams.
• Proven Success in Matrixed Organizations: Experience navigating and influencing within complex, matrixed environments, collaborating across multiple business units and geographies.
• Advanced Organizational and Multitasking Skills: Highly organized, with a track record of managing multiple concurrent projects and initiatives, while maintaining a strategic, forward-looking perspective.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Expertise in leveraging data analytics, financial planning, and advanced reporting tools to inform strategic decisions and drive business outcomes.
• Executive-Level Communication & Storytelling: Skilled in crafting compelling narratives and delivering impactful presentations to executive committees and board-level stakeholders.
• Portfolio & Change Leadership: Experience working across complex portfolios and projects, multi-year transformation road-maps, and championing effective change management practices.
• Trusted Executive Delegate: Adept at representing and acting on behalf of senior executives, ensuring continuity of leadership and decision-making in high-stakes situations.
• Versatility & Agility: Demonstrated breadth of experience and the ability to quickly adapt, learn, and deliver across a wide variety of functions, projects, and business challenges.

Purpose of the role

To enable the success of senior executives by helping navigate complex challenges, make informed decisions and deliver against their strategic objectives.

Accountabilities

• Strategic support to senior executives, such as the CEO or other top-level leaders including assistance in the development and execution of in year and multi-year business strategy, research, and analysis to support decision-making and act as delegate for the senior executive in specific situations.
• Management of Colleague engagement planning in line with the strategic direction, managing communication channels and ensuring effective coordination across different departments and teams.
• Management of key projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of senior executives, ensuring strategic projects are on track, monitoring of progress, and provision of regular updates to the executive team.
• Improvement of operational efficiency, alongside functional partners, within the organisation including the identification of areas for improvement, streamlining of processes, and implementation of consistently excellent best practices to enhance productivity and effectiveness.
• Development of performance reporting for key metrics that reinforce the strategic objectives of the division and support the external commitments made. Analyse and draw insight to drive performance. Involvement in aspects of financial analysis and budget management, including assistance in financial planning, forecasting, cost management and monitoring of financial performance against targets.
• Support to senior leadership to ensure appropriate resourcing across the business/function including planning and forecasting, partnering with HR to drive talent development and succession planning including the identification of high-potential employees, provision of mentorship and guidance, and support to leadership development and diversity initiatives.
• Support to the senior executive with risk and control oversight, escalation, crisis management and risk mitigation, support the development of contingency plans, coordination of responses to emergencies, and ensure business continuity.
• Implementation of a robust governance framework which supports the board of directors, executive forums and governance committees through the preparation of board materials, organisation of meetings, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior 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.

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.