Senior Collections Strategy Specialist in Bolton

We now have the opportunity to join us within the newly formed Collections Strategy & Performance team. This role will be responsible for the design and optimisation of end-to-end collections and recoveries strategies across all portfolios. It will own the strategy governance routines, develop product/portfolio-specific strategy plans, and partner across the business to deliver fast and safe change that balances customer outcomes with commercial performance.

The role holder will look after strategy design and execution by designing, documenting and testing strategy changes as well as building and maintaining monthly plans and the framework, overseeing implementation quality and readiness. Key tasks include defining strategy KPIs/KRIs and ensuring MI gives a clear view of conduct, credit and operational risk, leading the analysis of performance trends, root causes and customer outcome evidence.

The role will support the ownership governance routines for strategy, policy and process; maintain clear audit trails and decision logs as well as the alignment to risk appetite and Consumer Duty. Embedding vulnerability and fair value considerations and leading external benchmarking and horizon scanning will be important.

This role can operate from either our Head Office campus in Binley, Coventry or our Manchester office but travel to both locations will be required occasionally. A team-led hybrid working arrangement is in place.

Benefits:

• 28 days holiday a year plus bank holidays and a holiday buy/sell scheme
• Annual discretionary bonus scheme
• Personal pension with matched contributions
• Life assurance (6 times annual salary)

To be successful you’ll be a recognised Line 1 subject-matter expert for collections strategy, governance and customer outcome design with the ability to build strong partnerships with Risk (Line 2), Ops, Compliance, IT, and Change to ensure safe, consistent and customer-focused delivery.

To be successful in this role it’s essential you have:

• Strong collections and consumer duty experience within UK retail banking.
• Experience in collections strategy design.
• Strong command of governance, control frameworks and risk appetite in a Line 1 environment.
• Skilled in translating data/MI into strategy decisions.
• Confident in influencing senior stakeholders and Exec.
• Proven track record designing and delivering multi-portfolio collections strategies.
• Deep understanding of forbearance tools, contact strategies and customer outcome testing.
• Experience leading change (requirements, testing, implementation, PIR) and operating robust change control.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including committee/pack writing and clear rationale setting.
• Ability to set direction and coach others.

Desirable experience will be:

• Understanding of the importance of customer care.
• Knowledge of both secured and unsecured collections.
• Working knowledge of SAS/SQL and decision systems to guide design and testing (hands-on ability advantageous).
• Leading a team.

We understand the need for flexibility, so wherever possible, we’ll consider alternative working patterns. Have a chat with us before you apply to see what the possibilities are for this role.

Proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We’re proud to offer an interview or assessment to every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for our vacancies.