At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the integration of Virgin Money's products into Nationwide, shaping the future of banking.
- Company: Join a purpose-driven mutual that prioritises customer needs and fairer finances.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, competitive pension, performance bonuses, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for career growth and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a meaningful impact in financial services while leading high-performing teams.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in product management and leading large-scale transformations in financial services.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
Join us as a Senior Product Manager and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of banking by leading the integration of Virgin Money's Savings and Current Account products into Nationwide. This is a high profile leadership opportunity for an experienced product professional with deep expertise in Savings or Current Accounts, who thrives in complex environments and enjoys influencing strategic decisions at the highest level.
As a recognised subject matter expert, you'll help define and deliver the migration approach, ensuring the best outcomes for both customers and the business. Working within our Retail Product Integration team, you'll lead a highly capable team of product specialists while collaborating across the Society to drive key integration decisions. You'll act as a central figure within the programme, building strong relationships with senior stakeholders, including Executive-level leaders, and guiding teams through significant change.
Your ability to think strategically, challenge assumptions, solve complex problems and inspire others will be essential to delivering long-term commercial success and an exceptional customer experience. We're looking for an established people leader with significant product management experience in financial services, strong commercial acumen and a proven track record of leading large scale integration, transformation or business change programmes.
You'll be a confident communicator with the resilience to navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities and bring people together behind a shared vision. If you're passionate about shaping strategy, leading high-performing teams and driving meaningful change, we'd love to hear from you.
We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best. This is a 24-month Fixed Term Contract opportunity. 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 be located at our nearest regional office or hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration and in some locations you’ll be expected to spend at least two days a week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, in the office.
If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.
The extras you’ll get include:
- 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
As a Senior Manager within the Integration team, you'll play a leading role in defining and delivering the migration of Virgin Money Savings and Current Account products into Nationwide. You'll shape the future customer and product proposition by assessing strategic opportunities, evaluating migration options and making recommendations that balance customer outcomes, commercial objectives, operational requirements and risk considerations.
Acting as a trusted subject matter expert, you'll identify opportunities, navigate complex trade-offs and influence key decisions that support the Society's long-term strategy. You’ll lead one of our Product Integration teams while also taking accountability for a Project Implementation team within a major integration programme.
Working closely with colleagues across Technology, Operations, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Finance and Customer functions, you'll bring together diverse perspectives to drive evidence-based decisions and deliver successful outcomes. Your expertise will be instrumental in assessing proposition design, pricing, servicing models and customer journeys, ensuring every decision reflects the needs of members, regulatory expectations and business priorities.
Alongside delivering strategic change, you'll provide inspiring leadership to a team of product specialists, creating an environment where people feel empowered, accountable and supported to grow. You'll develop compelling business cases, investment recommendations and governance papers, build deep product and operational knowledge, and play a central role in ensuring the integration delivers lasting value for Nationwide and its members.
To succeed in this role, you'll be an experienced product leader with a strong track record of delivering strategic change within financial services. You'll combine deep banking expertise with commercial insight, stakeholder influence and the ability to lead teams through complex transformation.
A proven people leader with strong expertise in Savings, Current Accounts and everyday banking products, you should have significant senior-level experience within financial services, shaping strategy, propositions and key business decisions in complex environments.
You should also have a successful track record of leading large-scale integration, transformation or business change programmes, strong commercial, customer and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to assess opportunities, balance competing priorities and make impactful recommendations.
Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills are essential, with the confidence to build relationships and collaborate across all levels of the organisation. Demonstrated experience developing business cases, evaluating investment opportunities and supporting strategic decision-making is also required.
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.
Senior Product Manager - Integration in Chester employer: Nationwide
At Virgin Money, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and dynamic work environment in Cleckheaton. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through ongoing training and development opportunities, alongside a competitive benefits package that includes generous holiday allowances, health and wellness resources, and a strong pension plan. Join us to be part of a team that values customer care and community impact, where your contributions are recognised and celebrated.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Product Manager - Integration in Chester
✨Join Financial Networking Events
Jump into local finance meetups and conferences — they’re a goldmine for temporary roles in banking and financial services. You can chat with industry professionals and even get leads on upcoming opportunities that might not be posted online yet.
✨Utilise Temp Agencies Specialised in Finance
Reach out to temp agencies that focus on the banking sector. They often have strong ties with various firms and can help you secure short-term gigs that can help beef up your CV and get your foot in the door at firms like Nationwide.
✨Connect with Alumni from Your Uni
Don't underestimate the power of your university’s alumni network. Many former students are working in banking and can help you find temporary roles or even offer mentorship. Reach out directly or attend alumni events to broaden your circle.
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Keep your eyes peeled on job boards specifically for finance roles. Companies like Nationwide might post temporary positions directly on their sites, so make sure to apply there too. Set alerts to catch those roles the moment they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Product Manager - Integration in Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Academic Achievements:In banking and financial services, your academic record can really make you stand out. List relevant grades, certifications, or coursework on your CV, especially if you've taken finance-related modules. This is particularly important for a temporary role where qualifications can help you shine even brighter!
Highlight Relevant Experience:If you’ve done any internships, part-time roles, or even coursework that aligns with banking or finance, make sure you include those! Showcase specific tasks where you used quantitative skills or analytical thinking, as this is what the hiring managers at Nationwide will be keen to see in your application.
Tailor Your Cover Letter Purposefully:When writing your cover letter, focus on why you’re interested in a temporary position at Nationwide. Let them know how you can quickly adapt to the team's needs and how eager you are to learn the ropes of the banking sector during this short stint. Your motivation and enthusiasm could really set you apart!
Be Prepared with References:For temporary roles, references can play a crucial role in your application. Make sure you’ve got a couple of references lined up who can vouch for your skills and work ethic. This helps to give Nationwide confidence in your short-term commitment to the role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nationwide
✨Brush Up on Financial Regulations
Since this is a role in banking and financial services, be ready to discuss key regulations like MiFID, Basel III, or GDPR. These are hot topics, and your awareness of how they impact daily operations can give you a significant edge during your interview with Nationwide.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare for interview questions that assess your analytical abilities. You might need to tackle hypothetical scenarios involving risk assessment or financial forecasting. Bringing examples of relevant projects or coursework can emphasise your practical understanding of these concepts.
✨Highlight Flexibility and Adaptability
For a temporary role, showing that you can quickly pick up new processes and tools is crucial. Be ready to discuss previous experiences where you had to adapt to changing requirements or tight deadlines, as this will reassure Nationwide that you’re a reliable team player.
✨Demonstrate a Willingness to Learn
In a temporary position, leaning into your eagerness to learn can really set you apart. Be prepared to share how you’re staying updated on industry trends or any additional training you've pursued. Employers appreciate candidates who are proactive about their development—even for short-term roles.
