Retail Client Strategy and Business Management Lead

St. James’s Place; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave & bank holidays

Private Medical Insurance

Pension scheme

Enhanced Parental Leave

Protection benefits

EV salary sacrifice scheme

Job summary

St. James’s Place in London is seeking a Retail Client Strategy and Business Management Lead for a 12-month fixed-term contract. You will shape strategy for retail clients, coordinate across directorates and drive governance to deliver key priorities.

You’ll work with senior leaders to turn priorities into actionable plans and ensure alignment with broader business objectives. You will analyse market and client insights to propose evidence-based service models, pricing and client experience

Qualifications

• Experience supporting strategy development, proposition design, business planning or commercially focused initiatives.
• Strong planning, governance and project coordination skills.
• Excellent analytical skills with ability to translate data into clear recommendations and executive materials.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with senior leadership teams.
• Experience within financial services, wealth management or a regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and evolution of the approach to serving retail clients, translating proposition direction into priorities, plans and recommendations.
• Analyse client, commercial, operational and market insight to develop evidence-based proposals across segmentation, service models, client experience, pricing and engagement strategies.
• Maintain and develop the retail client strategy roadmap with data-driven decisions.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams, managing milestones, dependencies, risks, actions and stakeholder engagement.
• Prepare briefing papers, executive summaries and recommendations for leadership, governance forums and senior stakeholders.
• Lead elements of business planning and reporting, producing management information on priorities, risks and delivery progress.
• Maintain governance frameworks, reporting calendars, action logs and forward plans.
• Support budget, resource, risk and continuity activities by coordinating inputs and identifying issues.
• Deliver strategic reviews and priority projects with options and next steps for decision-makers.
• Build relationships across the business, influencing stakeholders and addressing significant risks.

Skills

Strategy development

Planning & governance

Project coordination

Analytical capability

Stakeholder management

Client proposition knowledge

Job description

Retail Client Strategy and Business Management Lead

London, United Kingdom

Are you ready tochart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success.This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance:

Location: London - Paddington

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: 12 month Fixed-Term Contract

Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

About the Role

We're looking for a Retail Client Strategy and Business Strategy Lead to join our Client, Communications and Marketing (CCM) Directorate for a fixed term of 12 months. This is an exciting opportunity to help develop our approach for retail clients with simpler needs and less investable wealth. You will also support the efficient coordination, oversight, and delivery of key strategic priorities across the directorate.

Working closely with senior leaders, including the Business Manager, Retail Proposition Director and Chief Client Officer, you'll combine strategic thinking with strong organisational capability to turn priorities into plans. Through analysis, stakeholder collaboration and effective governance, you'll help drive important outcomes for clients and support the successful delivery of our broader business objectives.

What You'll Be Doing

• Support the development and evolution of our approach to serving retail clients, translating agreed proposition direction into clear priorities, plans and recommendations.
• Analyse client, commercial, operational and market insight to develop evidence-based proposals across segmentation, service models, client experience, pricing and engagement strategies.
• Maintain and develop the retail client strategy roadmap, ensuring decisions are supported by relevant data and insight.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams, managing milestones, dependencies, risks, actions and stakeholder engagement to ensure successful delivery.
• Prepare high-quality briefing papers, executive summaries and recommendations for leadership teams, governance forums and senior stakeholders.
• Lead elements of business planning and reporting activity, producing clear management information on priorities, performance, risks and delivery progress.
• Maintain governance frameworks, reporting calendars, action logs and forward plans, ensuring agreed actions are supervised and delivered.
• Support budget, resource, risk and business continuity activities by coordinating inputs and identifying emerging issues requiring attention.
• Deliver strategic reviews and priority projects, assessing options and recommending practical next steps for decision-makers.
• Build positive relationships across the business, influencing stakeholders and driving progress while appropriately raising significant risks or dependencies.

About You

You are a commercially minded and highly organised strategy professional who enjoys turning complex challenges into practical, actionable solutions. Comfortable working with senior stakeholders, you combine strong analytical capability with excellent communication skills to create clear, decision-ready outputs. You thrive in a collaborative environment, bringing structure, influence and momentum to central initiatives while maintaining a strong focus on client outcomes.

• Experience supporting strategy development, proposition design, business planning or commercially focused critical initiatives.
• Strong planning, governance and project coordination skills, with the ability to prioritise, stakeholders and dependencies simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical skills, coupled with proficiency in interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and redefining insights into clear recommendations and executive-level materials.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work effectively across senior leadership teams and subject matter experts.
• Experience within financial services, wealth management or a regulated environment.
• Understanding of client proposition development, pricing strategies, customer experience design or retail client segmentation.

Please note: This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract and will require occasional travel within the UK.

What's in it for you?

Whatever stage of life you're in, our benefits are designed to provide the support, flexibility, and peace of mind you need to thrive both at work and beyond.

In addition to our discretionary annual bonus scheme, which reflects both individual and company performance, you'll benefit from a market-leading benefits package tailored to support your wellbeing, financial security, and family life.

Our benefits include:

• 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Private Medical Insurance – company-funded cover for you and your immediate family
• Generous Pension Scheme – a non-contributory employer contribution of 10%, increasing with length of service up to 15%, plus the opportunity to increase this through salary sacrifice
• Enhanced Parental Leave – up to 26 weeks' full pay to support growing families.
• Protection Benefits – company-funded critical illness cover, income protection, and life assurance
• EV salary sacrifice scheme through Tusker

Reasonable Adjustments

We're an equalopportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessibleand inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stageplease let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]
Research tells usthat applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put offfrom applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been onan extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role andcan demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless ofwhether you tick every box.