As Performance Director, you'll play a pivotal role in leading the performance, development and strategic direction of Nationwide's branch network, ensuring the delivery of exceptional outcomes for customers, colleagues and the Society. This is a highly influential leadership role with accountability for driving business performance across a large geographical area, translating strategy into action and ensuring the successful delivery of key priorities through strong leadership, governance and collaboration.
Reporting to the Branch Network Director, you will act as a trusted deputy, providing leadership across a broad portfolio of operational, customer and commercial objectives. You will lead regional performance through a balanced scorecard of measures, identifying opportunities to improve customer outcomes, colleague engagement, productivity and business performance, while developing the capability of senior leaders within the region.
A key part of the role will be sponsoring and leading significant change across the branch network ensuring strategic initiatives are successfully implemented and deliver sustainable benefits for customers and colleagues. Working closely with partners across Retail Services and the wider business, you will help shape the future of the branch proposition, balancing operational excellence with innovation and continuous improvement.
You will undertake detailed analysis and interpretation of management information to identify performance trends, risks and opportunities, enabling robust decision making and the effective deployment of resources. Through close collaboration with regional leadership teams and business partners, you will develop and implement performance improvement strategies, ensuring accountability and delivery against agreed outcomes.
The role sits at the heart of Retail Services leadership and requires strong stakeholder management across a wide range of internal and external partners. You will identify and develop new opportunities for the business through market insight, networking and cross-sector engagement, helping ensure Nationwide remains relevant, competitive and responsive to customer needs.
As co-chair of Branch Network Governance meetings, you will provide oversight and direction on key operational, performance, risk and strategic matters, ensuring effective governance, clear decision making and alignment to Society priorities. You will also lead the preparation and communication of executive reporting, stakeholder updates and leadership reviews, providing clear insight and recommendations that support business decision making.
We're looking for a strategic and commercially minded leader with a strong track record of delivering performance improvement, leading through others and influencing at senior levels within a complex and regulated environment. Just as important is a leadership style that is collaborative, inclusive and aligned to Nationwide's values.
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.
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.
If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.
Responsibilities
What you’ll be doing
You will lead the performance of Nationwide's branch network by working closely with Area Directors to drive customer, colleague and business outcomes, providing support, challenge and direction to ensure delivery against key priorities. You will chair Branch Network Governance meetings, overseeing performance, risk, operational and strategic discussions, and ensuring clear actions and decisions are taken across the network. As a sponsor of major branch network initiatives, you will lead the successful delivery of change programmes that improve performance, capacity and customer outcomes, working with senior stakeholders from across the Society. You will also act as deputy to the Branch Network Director, representing the function at senior forums and providing leadership and decision-making support across the wider Retail Services leadership team.
About you
The minimum requirements for the role are:
Working knowledge of the Branch Network
- Experience leading large-scale operational or customer-facing teams within a complex, regulated environment, with accountability for delivering performance across a broad range of customer, colleague and business measures
- A strong track record of influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, with the credibility to operate at executive level, chair governance forums and deputise for senior leaders when required
- Ability to develop clear reports, governance packs and executive-level presentations (both verbally and in writing)
- Experience leading and embedding significant business change programmes, delivering measurable improvements in customer outcomes, operational performance and colleague experience
- Outstanding leadership skills, including developing leaders, building high-performing teams
- Strong analytical and commercial acumen, with the ability to interpret complex management information, identify opportunities and risks, and translate insight into effective action plans
- Excellent judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities, manage complex business challenges and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment
- A broad understanding of the financial services landscape, including market developments, customer expectations, risk management requirements and the factors that drive sustainable business performance
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
There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:
30 days holiday, pro rata
Access to 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.
What to do next
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.
The hiring manager for this role is Mark Brayton, and the main recruitment contact is Jemma Ives.
Performance Director in London employer: Nationwide
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