Lead Product Manager - Core Banking

At OakNorth, we’re on a mission to empower the UK’s most ambitious businesses. Since 2015, we’ve lent over $18 billion across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while fuelling the UK economy.

Team Mission 🚀 In this role, you’ll own Core Banking - the foundational banking capabilities that power OakNorth's business banking services across the UK and US. You’ll define the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for Core Banking, collaborating closely with commercial, engineering, design, and other teams to deliver impactful, customer-centric solutions. Reporting to the Product Director, you will be a senior member of the product team with true ownership from strategy through to delivery. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, takes ownership, aligns stakeholders, and builds high-quality digital products with cross‑functional teams.

The role 👋

• Defining the next phase of Core Banking: Develop a strategy informed by business goals, customer insights, and market opportunities. Translate long‑term strategies into actionable, iterative plans that deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• Defining Pricing strategy: Develop pricing strategy for our deposit products in close collaboration with Treasury and Finance, ensuring compliance with ALCO requirements.
• Leading Core Banking roadmap: Identify and define new products and capabilities. Support our US market expansion, ensuring core banking capabilities meet US market requirements.
• Collaborating cross‑functionally: Work iteratively with teams across design, engineering, marketing, compliance, external partners, and other squads to refine and execute your strategy.
• Developing subject matter expertise: Become the subject matter expert for core banking, including financial account management, bank ledger, reconciliations, interest calculations, and regulatory compliance.
• Leading strategic decision‑making: Make build‑versus‑buy decisions for critical banking functionality. Navigate complex regulatory requirements across UK (PRA, FCA) and US markets, partnering with Compliance, 1LOD, and 2LOD teams.
• Providing mentorship through influence: Work with the Product Director to help shape best practices and offer strategic guidance, supporting a culture of high talent density in Business Banking.

What we’re looking for 🔎

• 8+ years of product management experience, with significant time in financial services or banking technology.
• Proven experience shipping successful, user‑centric digital products in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong technical fluency to engage meaningfully with engineering teams on architecture and implementation.
• Track record navigating regulatory environments and working with compliance and risk functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships across business and technical teams.
• Experience in scale‑up or growth environments, building capabilities from scratch.
• Experience leading or mentoring other product managers.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and convey complex ideas clearly.

Nice to have 👌

• Deep understanding of core banking systems, account structures, and banking operations.
• Familiarity with APIs, data platforms, and microservices architectures.
• Experience with modern core banking platforms (ThoughtMachine highly valued).
• Accountancy qualification or background in accounting, ledger management or reconciliations.
• Professional experience in payments, cards, or lending operations.
• Dual‑market banking operations experience (UK/US).

What makes working here better 😍

• This is a truly hybrid role, offering engineers the flexibility to work from home while also providing opportunities to collaborate in person with the team when it adds value.
• There’s no fixed requirement for days in the office, instead, we focus on creating space for engineers to engage meaningfully, whether that’s in‑person for whiteboarding sessions or remote for deep focus work.
• Work‑life balance 🌴 - 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) each year, and enhanced family leave allowances.
• Competitive salary & equity 🏦 - We want people to have a serious stake in the business.
• Good kit 💻 - Your choice of the best laptop, running macOS or Ubuntu.
• Team socials 🎉 - The opportunity to get to know each other outside of work.
• Company socials 🥡 - A chance to catch up and meet new colleagues weekly over informal office breakfasts and dinners at OakNorth - or at our free barista bar every day.
• Commuter support 🚲 - We offer the cycle to work & EV scheme.