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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead customer lending operations and shape strategies for enhanced service and growth.
- Company: Join Newcastle Building Society, a purpose-driven mutual focused on community financial futures.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, bonuses, flexible working, and extensive health benefits.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in financial services while developing high-performing teams.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in financial services, especially in lending or mortgages.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
As our Customer Lending Operations Director, you’ll play a key role in shaping and delivering the strategy for end-to-end customer and lending operations. You’ll influence how services are experienced across the full customer lifecycle, balancing strong customer outcomes with thoughtful risk management, operational resilience and sustainable cost control.
You’ll lead the development and delivery of a multi-year operating strategy aligned to business priorities, guiding transformation that simplifies processes, enhances digital journeys and creates capacity for future growth. A central focus will be evolving the mortgage proposition—improving platforms, tools and processes to enhance service, scalability and overall performance.
Working as part of the senior leadership team, you’ll nurture and develop high-performing teams, encourage a culture of continuous improvement, and build leadership capability that supports long-term organisational success and growth.
About You
You’re an experienced senior leader with a strong background in financial services operations, ideally within lending or mortgages, and a good understanding of UK regulatory frameworks and governance. You bring the ability to shape and deliver strategic change, while keeping customer outcomes, risk awareness and commercial performance at the heart of decision-making.
You will be comfortable operating in complex, evolving environments, using sound judgement to balance risk and opportunity. With a thoughtful and considered approach, you combine strategic thinking with a focus on delivery, ensuring outcomes are achieved with quality, pace and accountability.
You will build strong, collaborative relationships and are confident working with senior stakeholders, boards and regulators. Through open and effective communication, you create alignment, offer constructive challenge and support cross-functional teams to deliver shared goals.
Above all, you value purpose-led leadership. You are motivated by developing inclusive, high-performing teams, strengthening operational resilience, and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers and communities that support sustainable growth.
About Us
The Newcastle Building Society Group comprises of Newcastle Building Society, Manchester Building Society, Newcastle Financial Advisers and Newcastle Strategic Solutions. Our purpose, connecting our communities with a better financial future inspires and directs our activities.
As an inclusive employer and member owned mutual, we aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We believe everyone should feel valued, respected, and celebrated for who they are, we want colleagues to feel this is a place they belong. A place to be you.
What do you get in return?
- Financial Corporate bonus scheme (on target 20%, up to a maximum 30%)
- Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution)
- Annual performance related pay reviews
- Colleague mortgage scheme
- Electric car salary sacrifice scheme
- Life assurance (4x salary) and income protection
- Access to our financial advisers
- Access to a range of high street and online discounts
- A 35-hour weekly contract - We are happy to talk flexible working and welcome discussions
- 30 days’ annual leave + bank holidays
- The option to buy and sell up to 5 days’ holiday
- Hybrid working (typically 3 days’ home based)
- Above statutory family leave entitlement - 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay, regardless of gender or route to parenthood
- Private medical insurance
- Access to a health cash plan through a Medicash scheme
- Access to an employee assistance programme
- Free onsite gym at our Cobalt head office and access to discounted gyms
- Two paid volunteering days each year
- Cycle to work scheme
Recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment, we’re committed to ensuring every candidate has the opportunity to showcase their full potential throughout the recruitment process. We strive to make our processes as accessible as possible, if there are any ways in which we can provide support or make adjustments, we would love to discuss this with you, you can contact your Recruiter for this vacancy at kate.wilkinson@newcastle.co.uk
Customer Lending Operations Director employer: Newcastle Building Society
Contact Detail:
Newcastle Building Society Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Lending Operations Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the financial services sector, especially those in lending or mortgages. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that might not even be advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you showcase your purpose-led leadership style and demonstrate why you're the perfect fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've led teams, managed risk, and delivered strategic change in previous roles. This will help you stand out as a candidate who can drive transformation and enhance customer experiences.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our mission to connect communities with a better financial future.
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Lending Operations Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in financial services operations, especially in lending or mortgages. We want to see how your background aligns with the role of Customer Lending Operations Director.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a senior leader, it’s crucial to demonstrate your ability to nurture high-performing teams and drive strategic change. Share specific examples of how you've developed teams and improved processes in your previous roles.
Communicate Clearly: Effective communication is key! Use clear and concise language in your application to convey your ideas and experiences. We appreciate candidates who can articulate their thoughts well, especially when it comes to influencing stakeholders.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. This way, we can ensure your application is reviewed promptly and you’re considered for this exciting opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Newcastle Building Society
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the financial services landscape, especially around lending and mortgages. Brush up on UK regulatory frameworks and governance, as these will likely come up during your chat. Being able to speak confidently about these topics will show that you’re not just a candidate, but a knowledgeable leader.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Prepare examples of how you've shaped and delivered strategic change in previous roles. Think about specific instances where you balanced customer outcomes with risk management. This will demonstrate your ability to think strategically while keeping the focus on delivery and quality.
✨Build Relationships
Highlight your experience in building strong, collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders. Be ready to discuss how you’ve communicated effectively with boards and regulators in the past. This is crucial for a role that involves influencing and guiding transformation across teams.
✨Emphasise Purpose-Led Leadership
Talk about your approach to developing high-performing teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Share your thoughts on purpose-led leadership and how it aligns with the company’s values. This will resonate well with the interviewers and show that you’re a good cultural fit.