Head of Product Governance in Glasgow

The Head of Product Governance is accountable for the end-to-end governance, compliance and supplier oversight of the Business Bank product suite, encompassing Transactional Banking, Savings, Unsecured and Complex Lending alongside supplier management. The role leads on ensuring compliance with key regulation, as well as internal minimum control standards and leading effective oversight of our key suppliers.

The Head of Product Governance will play a critical role in both shaping and managing the governance requirements of the Business Banking product suite. Reporting to the Director of Group Business Products, the role is designed to drive the modernisation and transformation of product governance across the end-to-end Business Banking function to support future customer needs and business growth ambitions.

As our business banking function continues to evolve, we’re looking for an inspiring product governance expert to drive impact in a fast-paced environment. Working alongside the Commercial Product Leads, you’ll play a critical role in delivering first-class product management, ensuring compliance with key regulation and internal policy whilst owning management of Consumer Duty and conduct outcomes, supplier relationship performance and product-led regulatory reporting (e.g. CASPR, BBLS etc). Across Business Banking products, you’ll be accountable for the whole governance lifecycle from design, delivery and ongoing management of the suite to enhance customers outcomes, experience and value.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at either our Glasgow, Northampton or London office. If you’re based at our Glasgow office, this will apply from 1 April 2027 and ahead of that there will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events. Alternatively, you'll be located at our Edinburgh hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events, this is expected to be weekly in Edinburgh.

If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here.

Virgin Money is now part of Nationwide. Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in October 2024. Virgin Money continues to serve customers on the high street, and there will be a phased and considered integration over the coming years. You’ll be employed by Nationwide from day one, delivering real impact and benefitting from a highly competitive range of benefits. We’re a workplace where you’re rewarded, recognised and celebrated. Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.

Responsibilities:

• The Head of Product Governance is accountable for shaping and leading a strategically important business unit spanning product governance and compliance, consumer duty, conduct and supplier oversight and monitoring alongside issues management.
• Operating with significant autonomy and influence, supporting the translation of Business Banks strategy into market-leading customer solutions, the role holder will provide strategic direction on product compliance and regulatory best practice ensuring an effective balance between good value for customers and sustainable business outcomes.
• You will partner closely with Transformation, Customer Operations, COO and Business Control to ensure products continually evolve to meet shifting customer needs, competitive priorities, regulatory requirements and technological innovation.
• You will ensure products are not being developed on a standalone basis, working with other Product Heads to ensure rounded customer solutions are delivered in line with our purpose.
• You will be required to build strong relationships with ExCo, senior leaders and functional heads, acting as the single point of accountability for product governance and compliance both internally and externally, representing Business Bank product perspectives in senior decision‑making forums to ensure people and customer impact is considered alongside delivery and commercial outcomes.
• You will oversee the monitoring of key performance indicators, management information and customer insight frameworks to support informed decision-making and robust issues management.

About you:

• Deep leadership experience and skilled in people development and performance management, with a track record of leading and motivating successful teams.
• An experienced business banking professional with prior exposure to running product teams.
• Exceptional business and commercial acumen, including experience in key Business Banking regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrable corporate finance experience with knowledge of core Business Bank commercial lines (Transactional, Savings, Lending, Cards and Financial Risk Solutions).
• Expertise in creating, mobilising & delivering improvements on Consumer Duty, Conduct and Supplier Relationship outcomes - at pace.
• A specialist in product line risk management having delivered complex regulatory change programmes.
• An active interest in entrepreneurship with finger on the pulse of latest trends, macro-developments and financial services best practice with the ability to use knowledge to make recommendations for Nationwide.
• Confident representing Nationwide and Business Bank externally, with ability to build trusted relationships with a range of different external stakeholders.
• Highly experienced at understanding, analysing and interpreting complex data and insight to inform strategy and decision making.
• The ability to write and speak clearly and effectively, adapting your style to suit the audience, with experience of report writing and formal presentation creation.
• An excellent communicator, able to understand and articulate messages, sentiments and expressions in a way that is appropriate to the context and impactful.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills and ability to manage and own multiple competing priorities and deliverables.

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind.
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand.
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development.
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

Qualifications:

The extras you’ll get:

• 30 days holiday, pro rata.
• Private medical insurance.
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement.
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus.
• Training and development to help you progress your career.
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death.
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness.
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year.

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We forge our own path at Nationwide. As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives. If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us. At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society. We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.