Head of Payments

Hybrid working Skelmersdale / Manchester City Centre

Up to £78,000

The Co-operative Bank has been rooted in distinctive co-operative values and ethics, underpinning how we run our business and providing customers with a real ethical alternative for 150 years. 2022 marks our 150th anniversary of ethical banking, we remain committed to our co-operative heritage, and values in all that we do. It is our unwavering commitment to these values and our unique customer-led Ethical Policy, which has made us a natural leader in environmental and social issues today, resulting in the bank being rated as the UK’s best Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rated high street bank by leading ESG ratings agency Sustainalytics.

We are recruiting for a new role of Head of Payments to sit within our Customer Operations area. As our Head of Payments, you will be responsible for leading and shaping our payments function, defining and owning the end-to-end vison and customer experience for the Banks domestic and international payments proposition (Excluding Cards).

This role would be suitable to candidates from a Banking background with great understanding of payment schemes, compliance and payment regulations. This role requires 2 -3 days work in our Manchester City Centre office on Balloon Street and the occasional visit to our Skelmersdale office.

Key accountabilities:

• Define and own the end to end customer experience for payments (exc cards)
• Ownership of payments infrastructure and relevant third party suppliers
• Take responsibility for informing and delivering payments products and services which elevate the customer experience from the pure transactional and enable the wider business strategies across the Bank, building on the Banks brand positioning through its Values and Ethics
• Investigate opportunities to improve the customer experience and lead key areas in the delivery of the Payments Change agenda to ensure successful customer outcomes
• Deliver continual improvements to the E2E payments customer journeys, enabling the digitisation of payment processes
• Establish effective relationships with key delivery stakeholders both internal and external industry bodies and engender strategic supplier partnerships to maximise commercial benefit.
• Support a customer-centric culture which inspires and motivates colleagues within the Payments team.
• Support, create and embed a high performance culture though role modelling strong leadership behaviours and encouraging a culture of continuous personal growth.
• Set clear objectives, plan, work with delivery areas on the tactics to deliver against the plan and oversee timely adherence.
• Responsible for staff & non staff cost base, budgeting and forecasting including third party cost base and EBA compliance
• Support retail products with their accountability for overall payments P&L
• Support the use of market intelligence, research and customer segmentation to define customer outcomes and define renovation/ innovation within the Payments line
• Sponsor and lead the Banks approach and engagement with New Payments Architecture
• Inform and define our future ways of working and payment infrastructure leading as SME

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:

• Previous experience from the Banking industry
• Excellent knowledge of the UK Financial Services marketplace, with experience of managing significant Banking products / categories (customer needs, product strategies, pricing, product innovation, product management, regulation, competitor activity, market developments and trends.)
• Track record in planning, forecasting and financial interpretation skills
• Strong analytical and interpretational skills
• Proven track record in stakeholder management
• Track record in product management and driving change
• Strong communications / Influencing skills evidenced through a number of techniques.
• Proven ability in product renovation and innovation

What You Can Expect From Us:

• Flexible and remote working
• 27 days holiday, plus opportunity to buy 5 extra days
• Competitive pension / income protection / life assurance
• Positive, friendly work culture that promotes work life balance
• Commitment from employers on continued learning & development
• Wellbeing support ‘Help@Hand’ offers mental health support, physiotherapy, GP’s
• 2 paid days for volunteering per year
• ‘MyReward’ corporate discount for over 800 retailers and Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Family friendly policies and supportive working environment
• Recognition scheme and a culture in which we celebrate success
• Colleague network groups committed to inclusion and diversity within our Bank.

Our Bank is committed to continuing to create a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment where all colleagues can fulfil their potential. We welcome applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and lifestyles who can work with us in maintaining a culture of belonging, where people are valued and respected.

If you require more information or this document in a different format, please contact careers@co-operativebank.co.uk

As a reputable employer regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, all offers of employment for this role are subject to a series of background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks.