Director, Trade Services

JOB TITLE: Director, Trade Services

SALARY: £83,000 - £107,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

LOCATION: Birmingham

HOURS: Full-Time

WORKING PATTERN: Our work style is hybrid, which involves spending at least two days per week, or 40% of our time, at one of our office sites

About This Opportunity

Within Client Operations – Lending & Working Capital we're dedicated to providing a streamlined end-to-end journey for clients, utilising new ways of working and technology alongside skilled colleagues to deliver best in class service.
 

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the leadership team within the Lending & Working Capital team, you’ll be responsible for managing the day-to-day servicing of Traditional Trade Products and associated secondary balance sheet management, including invoice discounting and receivables purchase products. This servicing spans Business and Commercial Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB), and LBCM clients.
 

Our aim is to maintain and build on our industry recognised best-in-class offering, delivering a range of complex products – we're looking for someone to lead the team to deliver on our ambitious plans aligned to CIB’s significant growth strategy. The teams are involved in a range of strategic programmes to deliver significant improvement in journey efficiency, partnering with platform teams to provide a market leading digital trade offering.
 

We need someone capable of working with partners across the entire E2E journey and bringing the circa 120 colleagues on the journey with you while continuing to make Lending & Working Capital Servicing an excellent place to develop. Driving activity across the team you'll be responsible for the delivery of a substantial asset book, highlighting the importance of our ability to support clients and contribute to the success of the Commercial Bank.

Key Accountabilities:

• Optimising cost to serve through driving efficiency through the operation

• Effective development, delivery and oversight of business performance against shared service agreements & key performance metrics

• Lead and contribute to the shaping of a significant strategic investment portfolio with the ability to turn strategy into delivered plans and sustained business performance

• Delivering business transformation through continuous improvement and driving the introduction of new technology to optimise E2E client journey

• Partner effectively with coverage and product partners taking a role in shaping business strategy

• Operational cost and risk management

What You'll Need

• Scale Leadership in Financial Services: Proven experience leading large, high-performing teams within financial services, delivering strategic outcomes through effective coaching and operational oversight.

• Cost and Risk Management: Demonstrated expertise in managing cost and operational risk, including the use of risk frameworks and proactive mitigation planning.

• Emerging Technology Implementation: Experience applying technologies such as Agentic AI, Generative AI, or digitalisation strategies to enhance operational performance and team effectiveness.

• Strategic Change Delivery: Ability to shape and deliver strategic programmes in partnership with platform teams, securing investment and driving transformation in agile environments.

• Continuous Improvement, Process and Governance Oversight: Skilled in managing complex processes with high regulatory and industry standards, while finding opportunities to improve efficiency and customer experience.

• Industry and Market Expertise: Maintains awareness of evolving market, economic, regulatory, and political factors impacting the Trade Business.

• A background in Trade Services and product knowledge is highly desirable; however, strong financial services and scale leadership experience is essential.

About Working For Us

Our ambition is to be the leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion supporting our customers, colleagues and communities and we’re committed to creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and develop. We were one of the first major organisations to set goals on diversity in senior roles, create a menopause health package, and a dedicated Working with Cancer Initiative.

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including flexibility in office attendance, location and working patterns. And, as a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a fair and proportionate number of applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role with a disability, long-term health or neurodivergent condition through the Disability Confident Scheme. We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to reduce or remove barriers. Just let us know what you need.
 

We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%

• An annual performance-related bonus

• Share schemes including free shares

• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping

• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top

• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies

If you’re excited by the thought of becoming part of our team, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.