SCUK Financial Support Senior Manager (S4) - Strategy, Change and Control

Santander Bank; Redhill; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in Redhill is recruiting for a Financial Support Senior Manager. This hybrid role demands strong leadership in Collections and Recoveries, ensuring strategic alignment with business goals. You'll oversee change initiatives and enhance governance, fostering innovation and compliance within the Financial Support Business Unit. Key qualifications include extensive experience in regulated environments and the ability to influence senior stakeholders. Benefits include a competitive salary, bonuses, and generous holiday allowance.

Benefits

Competitive salary dependent on experience

30 days holiday plus bank holidays

Annual bonus based on performance

Car allowance

Private medical cover

Generous pension contributions

Employee assistance programme

Sharesave scheme

Gym passes at reduced rates

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading Collections & Recoveries teams in financial services.
• Proven track record in digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks such as FCA Consumer Duty.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Financial Support strategic roadmap and align it with group objectives.
• Govern reviews of strategic programs for relevance and effectiveness.
• Provide thought leadership to support decision-making.
• Champion a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Oversee digital initiatives to improve customer outcomes.

Skills

Collections & Recoveries Management

Strategic Leadership

Digital Transformation

Regulatory Compliance

Performance Optimisation

Analytical Skills

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Experience in a regulated financial services environment

Job description

We are now recruiting for a Financial Support Senior Manager – Strategy, Change & Control. The role holder will provide strategic leadership and direction to define, govern and deliver the Financial Support Business Unit's strategy, change agenda and control framework. They will ensure the unit's alignment with business and group objectives, regulatory expectations and customer commitments by leading strategy, projects, transformation programmes and governance activities. The role drives excellence in performance, strengthens operational control and ensures effective delivery of strategic initiatives across internal teams and external partners. Reporting to the Head of Financial Support, the purpose of this role is to provide senior leadership and strategic direction across all aspects of strategy, change and control within the Financial Support Business Unit. The role exists to shape and execute a forward‑looking Collections & Recoveries strategy that drives performance, strengthens governance, enhances customer outcomes and reduces delinquency. The role is a hybrid position with at least 3 days a week in the Redhill office; remote workers will not be considered. Interviews will take place in January 2026.

Responsibilities

• Set and maintain the overarching Financial Support strategic roadmap, ensuring alignment with business and group objectives, transformation priorities and regulatory expectations.
• Lead collaboration with the Head of Financial Support Business Unit and SCF HQ to translate strategic ambitions into measurable business outcomes and performance goals.
• Govern regular reviews of strategic programmes to assess relevance, impact and effectiveness.
• Provide clear direction, coaching and support to team members across Strategy, Projects and Control disciplines.
• Set clear strategic and functional objectives that align department goals with the wider business blueprint.
• Provide thought leadership and data‑driven insights to support executive decision‑making and business case development.
• Champion a high‑performance culture of innovation and continuous improvement, proactively identifying opportunities for strategic enhancements across Financial Support processes and customer treatment strategies.
• Provide sponsorship and direction for the design and implementation of all change and transformation programmes, ensuring delivery of sustainable improvements in efficiency, cost, customer experience and business performance.
• Oversee the design and implementation of digital and self‑service initiatives, ensuring solutions are strategically aligned, operationally viable and deliver measurable improvements in customer outcomes, efficiency and control.
• Serve as a senior escalation and decision point for all change activities, representing the function across company‑wide project and change initiatives and ensuring key risks are mitigated.
• Foster strong alignment between Strategy, Operational Delivery and Control functions to ensure outcomes are embedded, measured and sustained.
• Lead collaboration with SCF HQ, ExCo, Finance, Risk and Legal teams to ensure all sales are commercially viable, strategically aligned and fully compliant with regulatory and governance frameworks.
• Drive portfolio analytics to identify accounts suitable for sale and optimise recovery strategies.
• Act as a senior liaison between Line 2 Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit, ensuring transparency, clear evidence and proactive management of control challenges.
• Lead the end‑to‑end management of audit findings and compliance remediation, ensuring timely resolution and sustainable control improvements.
• Champion a strong Risk‑Pro culture, promoting risk identification and accountability across all activities.
• Adhere to our commitment to Consumer Duty, ensuring we put our customers' needs first and set higher and clearer standards of consumer protection.

Qualifications

• Extensive and demonstratable experience leading a Collections & Recoveries team within a regulated financial services environment, delivering strong performance, compliance and customer outcomes.
• Proven understanding of all Financial Support, Field, Legal and Forbearance processes, including performance optimisation, customer outcomes and regulatory compliance.
• A strong strategic thinker who can develop, communicate and execute long‑term plans aligned with business goals.
• Significant experience in designing, leading and governing large‑scale change, transformation and improvement initiatives within a Collections & Recoveries function.
• Experienced in implementing or overseeing digital transformation within a Collections & Recoveries environment.
• Extensive knowledge and practical experience of end‑to‑end Portfolio Sale management, including portfolio identification, segmentation, pricing, due diligence and third‑party purchaser engagement.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant regulatory frameworks including FCA Consumer Duty, Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC), Treating Customer Fairly (TCF) and GDPR, with the ability to apply these across the Financial Support Business Unit's operational teams, customer interactions and external partners.
• Ability to engage, challenge and influence senior leaders and external partners to drive decision‑making and ensure alignment of strategy and governance.
• Understanding of operational resilience principles, with experience driving continuous improvement, efficiency and adaptability across a Collections & Recoveries team.
• Strong analytical capability with experience using MI and data‑driven insights to monitor trends, evaluate performance and drive decision‑making.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading high‑performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, professional growth and wellbeing.
• Credible, effective and enthusiastic leader who gains commitment from others and demonstrates the ability to achieve results through people.
• Proven experience of interacting with Executive Directors and Board Members on equal terms.

About the Company

Santander Consumer Finance is one of the UK’s leading motor finance companies, providing finance to a network of car dealerships throughout the United Kingdom.

Benefits

• Competitive salary dependent on experience.
• 30 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays.
• Annual bonus based on personal and company performance.
• Car allowance.
• Private medical cover.
• Generous pension contributions.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Sharesave scheme.
• Gym passes at a reduced rate for 3,000 gyms, leisure centres, etc.

Inclusion

We are creating a thriving workplace where all colleagues feel they belong and are supported to succeed. We all help to make Santander a workplace that celebrates diversity and attracts, retains and develops the most talented and committed people through living our values of Simple, Personal, and Fair. We have a zero‑tolerance approach to discrimination, bullying, harassment (including sexual) or victimisation of any kind. If you want to be considered for part‑time hours, please let us know and we can assess your requirements.