Head of Strategic Finance - Insights and Operations - BPL in London

We are looking for a senior strategic finance professional with a strong background in fintech or payments, and direct experience supporting insights and operations functions. You will bring a commercial mindset and a track record of partnering closely with insights, operations and technology teams—translating investment decisions and operational costs into clear financial frameworks and recommendations. You will be highly experienced in financial forecasting, ROI modelling, investment cases and business partnering at a senior level, and comfortable operating in a fast‑moving, high‑growth environment where the quality of your analysis directly shapes strategic decisions.

Requirements

• Act as the primary finance business partner to the relevant leadership team, providing strategic counsel and financial insight that drives confident, well‑informed decision making in the FinTech, Payment Acquiring, E‑Pay Acceptance industry.
• Lead the development of robust financial forecasts, scenario models and long‑range plans, ensuring commercial ambition is grounded in financial discipline.
• Build and own the investment case framework for the area, evaluating new opportunities, initiatives and resource allocation decisions with rigour and clarity.
• Develop and maintain ROI frameworks and performance tracking tools that allow the business to assess returns and course‑correct quickly.
• Translate complex financial analysis into clear, compelling narratives for senior leadership, the head of Corporate and Strategic Finance, the CFO and external parties.

Accountabilities

• Development and implementation of business unit financial strategies, plans and budgets, using insights to evaluate the financial implications of strategic initiatives and recommend appropriate actions.
• Development of financial models to forecast future performance, assess investment opportunities and evaluate financial risks for business units, and analyse the impact of business decisions on financial performance and provision of recommendations.
• Cross‑functional collaboration to provide financial insights and guidance to business unit stakeholders.
• Identification of opportunities and implementation of financial process improvements that streamline financial operations.
• Support to business units in identification, assessment and mitigation of financial risks, including provision of training and guidance on financial risk management and compliance practices.
• Analysis and presentation of financial data to provide insights into business performance, identify trends and support decision‑making.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function‑wide strategic initiatives; contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business‑wide.
• Manage the direction of a large team or sub‑function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business; for an individual contributor, lead organisation‑wide projects and act as a deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross‑functionally; train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long‑term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions.
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function‑wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub‑function.
• Escalate breaches of policies / procedures appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensuring regulations are observed and relevant processes are in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up‑to‑date relevant sector / functional knowledge and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex / sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions / business divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

Barclays’ payments acceptance business provides critical infrastructure to the UK economy, processing billions of pounds of payments annually for both small businesses and domestic and international corporate clients. In April 2025, we announced a long‑term partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to grow and transform the payments acceptance business by broadening the range of services offered, enhancing the experience for both existing and prospective clients. Leveraging extensive client relationships and deep experience of UK payments, we will create an environment of continuous innovation – activated by Brookfield’s global private equity expertise in payments, technology, operational transformation and corporate carve‑outs – to ensure the business is strategically positioned for long‑term growth. Barclays will invest approximately £400m in the new business, the majority of which will be incurred during the first three years. Performance‑linked incentives will drive greater alignment between the partners, underpinning the long‑term commitment to the transformation. Barclays and Brookfield will work to create a standalone entity over time, continuing to use the Barclaycard Payments (BPL) brand and acting as the sole payments acceptance services provider to Barclays’ clients for a minimum of ten years.

Purpose of the role: To provide financial expertise and support to specific business units or departments within the organisation, and act as a liaison between the finance function and various business units, helping to bridge the gap between financial data and business decisions. All senior leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others. All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.