At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead transformative payments initiatives and drive innovation in banking.
- Company: Join Cynergy Bank, a forward-thinking challenger bank redefining modern banking.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, hybrid working, and generous leave policies.
- Other info: Be part of a collaborative culture that values fresh ideas and empowerment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on banking transformation while leading talented teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing complex change programmes and strong stakeholder skills required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Lead transformation. Shape strategy. Deliver lasting impact. At Cynergy Bank, we're redefining what modern banking looks like by combining the power of technology with the value of human relationships. We're looking for an experienced Portfolio Lead - Payments to join our Transformation function and play a pivotal role in delivering some of the Bank's most strategically important payments initiatives.
Working directly with the Digital Delivery Director, you'll lead a portfolio of complex payments, business and technology change programmes, helping drive innovation, operational excellence and business growth across the organisation. This is a highly visible role with significant stakeholder exposure, offering the opportunity to influence major payments transformation initiatives, lead talented delivery teams and shape the future of a growing, award-winning bank.
What's the Opportunity?
As Portfolio Lead - Payments, you'll take ownership of a portfolio of interdependent projects and programmes, ensuring successful delivery from initial concept through to implementation and business adoption. You'll work closely with Executive and senior stakeholders to shape business cases, prioritise investment decisions, manage programme risks and ensure the successful delivery of strategic outcomes. This role goes beyond delivery management. You'll be a trusted advisor, problem solver and leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution. If you're passionate about driving change, leading high-performing teams and delivering measurable business value, we'd love to hear from you.
Where You Will Work
You'll enjoy our hybrid working model, spending 3 days per week in our Central London office and 2 days working remotely.
Why Join Us?
- Lead high-profile transformation programmes that directly impact customers, colleagues and business performance.
- Influence strategic decision-making at a senior level.
- Work across both business and technology change initiatives.
- Build, coach and develop talented project and change professionals.
- Play a key role in delivering the Bank's transformation agenda.
- Join a collaborative culture where innovation, empowerment and fresh thinking are encouraged.
- Work within a challenger bank environment where decisions can be made quickly and ideas can become reality.
- Benefit from a flexible and supportive culture, including hybrid working and our Dress for Your Day approach.
How You Will Make an Impact
- Lead the end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of strategic business and technology change initiatives.
- Shape project concepts, business cases and investment proposals.
- Mobilise programmes and secure the resources required for successful delivery.
- Manage interdependencies across multiple projects and workstreams.
- Drive delivery against agreed timelines, budgets, quality standards and business outcomes.
- Provide effective governance, reporting and oversight across the portfolio.
- Proactively identify and manage risks, issues and change requests.
- Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the Bank.
- Ensure smooth transition of projects into business-as-usual operations.
- Continuously improve portfolio management, governance and delivery practices.
- Support the development of a high-performing change function and delivery culture.
What You Will Bring
We're looking for a proven change leader with the experience and credibility to operate at senior stakeholder level within a banking and payments environment. You'll have:
- Significant experience leading complex business and technology change programmes and portfolios.
- A strong track record of successfully delivering large-scale strategic initiatives.
- Extensive programme and portfolio management experience, including governance, risk management and financial oversight.
- Experience building and leading high-performing project and programme teams.
- Strong commercial awareness and experience managing delivery budgets and business cases.
- Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Professional qualifications such as PRINCE2, MSP, PMI or equivalent.
- Excellent communication, leadership and decision-making skills.
- A proactive, collaborative and results-focused approach.
- Significant experience delivering change and transformation within banking, financial services and payments environments.
Payments Expertise
In addition, you'll bring extensive experience delivering change within the payments industry, with a strong understanding of payment ecosystems, schemes, industry participants and emerging payment technologies. You'll have:
- Extensive experience working within the payments industry, leading strategic and complex payment transformation initiatives.
- Proven experience programme managing multiple concurrent payment projects across a diverse payments landscape.
- Strong knowledge of UK and international payment schemes, including Faster Payments (FPS), CHAPS, Bacs, SWIFT and SEPA.
- Experience delivering change across card payment processing environments, including acquiring, issuing and payment processing ecosystems.
- A strong understanding of Open Banking and payment innovation opportunities.
- Experience delivering payment overlay services and associated industry solutions, including Current Account Switch Service (CASS), Cash ISA Transfer Service and Confirmation of Payee (CoP).
- Demonstrable experience managing complex delivery relationships across the payments vendor community, including third-party technology providers, payment processors, scheme operators and strategic partners.
- The ability to navigate complex regulatory, operational and technical dependencies within large-scale payment transformation programmes.
- Strong knowledge of payments industry developments, emerging technologies and regulatory change, with the ability to translate these into successful business outcomes.
How We Will Support You
At Cynergy Bank, we believe great people do their best work when they're supported both professionally and personally. Alongside a competitive salary, you'll benefit from:
- Annual incentive opportunity of up to 50%
- 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
- An additional day off for your birthday each year
- Option to purchase additional annual leave through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Pension scheme with employer contributions
- Private Medical Insurance
- Option to select a Health Cash Plan as an alternative to Private Medical Insurance
- 4x salary life assurance
- Group Income Protection
- Hybrid working from day one
- Dress for Your Day policy
- Electric Vehicle Scheme
- Education support and professional development opportunities
- Money Coach financial wellbeing support
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Season Ticket Loan
- Give As You Earn charitable giving scheme
- Lifestyle Hub employee discounts and wellbeing offers
- Enhanced family-friendly policies
Who Are We?
Cynergy Bank is the UK's Human Digital Bank, supporting ambitious businesses and individuals through a combination of relationship-led banking and innovative technology. Our mission is to empower customers to achieve their ambitions by providing personalised banking experiences, supported by modern digital capabilities. We're proud to challenge traditional approaches, embrace innovation and create an environment where talented people can thrive. Named Bank of the Year 2025, we're recognised for our commitment to customers, innovation and service excellence. Our values guide everything we do:
- Putting the Customer First
- Risk Front and Centre
- Opportunity, Empowerment and Innovation
- United Team, Inclusive and Diverse
- Doing the Right Thing
Ready to Apply?
This advert highlights the key responsibilities and requirements of the role. A full job description will be shared with shortlisted candidates. If you don't meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We value potential, diverse experiences and different perspectives as much as direct experience. At Cynergy Bank, we use anonymous screening at the initial stage of our recruitment process, helping ensure every application is assessed fairly based on skills and experience. Apply now and help deliver the future of payments at Cynergy Bank.
Portfolio Lead - Payments in London employer: Cynergy Bank
Cynergy Bank is an excellent employer that values its employees by offering a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including 25 days of annual leave and a generous pension contribution. The work culture promotes collaboration and innovation, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development in a dynamic London environment, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Portfolio Lead - Payments in London
✨Tap into Campus Networks
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Join finance-focused groups on platforms like LinkedIn and engage in discussions. This can really help you stand out from the crowd, allowing potential employers to see your knowledge and interest in industry trends. Plus, you might stumble upon job postings shared exclusively within the group.
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Don’t shy away from reaching out directly to firms like Cynergy Bank. Use their websites and apply through them, but also consider following up with a polite email to express your enthusiasm. Being proactive can make a huge difference in getting noticed in the competitive financial services sector.
We think you need these skills to ace Portfolio Lead - Payments in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to Cynergy Bank.
Include Relevant Financial Software Experience:If you've worked with financial modelling tools or software like Excel, SAP, or specific analytical tools during your studies or internships, bring that up! Highlighting your proficiency can really make your application pop and show you're ready to hit the ground running in a full-time role.
Research and Reflect:Before hitting that 'apply' button on Cynergy Bank's website, do a little digging. Look up their recent projects, values, and culture. Reflecting their ethos in your application can make a huge difference and show you’re genuinely interested in being part of the team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cynergy Bank
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with Cynergy Bank.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to tackle case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-world banking scenarios. Familiarise yourself with the types of problems you might face—think risk assessments or investment evaluations—and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly.
✨Show Your Passion for Finance
Since this is a full-time position, employers at Cynergy Bank will be keen to see your genuine interest in finance. Be prepared to discuss recent industry trends or news articles that excite you, showcasing your enthusiasm and engagement with the field.
✨Network with Industry Professionals
Before your interview, reach out to current or former Cynergy Bank employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.
