Senior Manager - Independent Model Validation

Datatech Analytics; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK financial services provider is seeking a Senior Manager for Independent Model Validation to lead the review and challenge of models across the organization. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical and communication skills, and experience in model development or validation. This full-time position offers a hybrid working model and a competitive salary with benefits supporting wellbeing and professional development.

Benefits

Pension

Annual bonus

Flexible benefits

Qualifications

• Highly numerate with strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in model development or validation within financial services.
• Good knowledge of relevant regulations and guidance.
• Practical coding skills for model development, testing, and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent review and challenge of models.
• Maintain the model validation framework, policies, and standards.
• Produce clear written reports and present findings.
• Support and coach junior team members.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Model development experience

Regulatory knowledge

Practical coding skills

Job description

Senior Manager, Independent Model Validation

The organisation

Our client is a UK based financial services provider with a strong focus on responsible growth and long term customer relationships. They offer specialist products to retail and business customers and are investing heavily in data, modelling, and risk capabilities. This role sits within a central model risk function, providing independent challenge to models used across the business.

The role

As Senior Manager for Independent Model Validation, you will:

• Lead independent review and challenge of models, including
• Methodology and theoretical soundness
• Regulatory alignment
• Data quality, monitoring, and performance
• Implementation, documentation, and model use

Shape and maintain the model validation framework, policies, and standards.

Work closely with model developers, owners, and users on model changes, performance issues, and remediation.

Produce clear written reports and present findings at internal committees and forums.

Support and coach more junior team members, helping to build a strong model risk culture.

What we are looking for

• Highly numerate, with strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in model development or validation within financial services, for example credit risk, capital, provisioning, or stress testing.
• Good knowledge of relevant regulations and guidance, for example IRB, IFRS 9, model risk management, and emerging expectations around AI and ML models.
• Practical coding skills for model development, testing, and implementation.
• Able to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

Working pattern and benefits

Full time role, with a hybrid working pattern that blends office and home working.

Competitive salary with a market aligned benefits package, including pension, annual bonus, and a range of flexible benefits to support wellbeing and work life balance.

Strong emphasis on professional development, with support for training, qualifications, and internal mobility.