Relationship Manager in Leeds

Reports To: Group Chief Commercial Officer

Location: Thorpe Park, Leeds 15 (some travel to partner meetings and events)

Hours of Work: 37.5 per week. Hours of work will be flexible and dictated by the needs of the business, therefore it is expected that the successful applicant will work those hours necessary to successfully discharge the duties of the role.

The Role Overview: To represent Advise Wise in the market and be the main contact for key partners (lenders, solicitors and distribution firms) in Equity Release and Later Life Lending. The role builds and strengthens partner relationships, improves the results we deliver through partners, and is responsible for Mortgage Club performance. It also helps agree and prioritise improvements to the platform and adviser experience, working with Compliance, Marketing and Technology.

Key Outcomes:

• Build strong relationships with lenders, solicitors and distribution partners so Advise Wise becomes their first choice.
• Improve Mortgage Club performance with clear plans, regular updates and agreed actions for each partner.
• Make the platform easier for advisers to use by managing improvements and explaining changes clearly.
• Grow the business by working closely with partners and coordinating activity with the Telephone Business Development Managers.
• Grow the business in line with rules and policies by keeping clear records of partner activity, marketing support and commercial agreements.
• Identify and champion opportunities for cross-Group collaboration that enhance engagement, increase platform adoption, and drive commercial and capital value.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Partner relationship management: Onboard all new adviser firms and networks, ensuring a seamless and professional introduction to the Advise Wise platform and Mortgage Club, with a focus on clarity, value, and adviser experience. Build and manage key relationships with lenders, legal partners and distribution firms in Equity Release and Later Life Lending. Agree a plan with each partner: shared goals, how you will work together (for example, how often you meet), and what each side will deliver. Be the main point of contact when partners raise issues (for example, service problems, delays or stalled cases). Attend partner meetings and represent Advise Wise professionally.
2. Partner engagement and market presence: Manage day-to-day engagement with firms and key adviser contacts to drive platform adoption, satisfaction, and commercial performance, with a digital-first approach to support and communications. Lead external activity such as conferences, lender events, roundtables, webinars and adviser events. Maintain a visible, professional presence that reflects Advise Wise’s brand and values. Work with Marketing and Compliance to make sure partner communications are clear, consistent and compliant. Collect and summarise market insight (competitor activity, partner feedback and adviser needs) to help shape our plans. Support the Group CCO in delivering the broader strategic plan, including preparation for firm/lender/network reviews, commercial negotiations, and board reporting.
3. Mortgage Club performance ownership: Track Mortgage Club performance using measures such as cases in progress, applications, completions (by partner and overall), partner mix, service levels (for example, agreed turnaround times) and conversion. Run monthly performance reviews with key partners and internal teams. Spot what is holding back performance and help fix it (for example, process delays, missing data or poor handovers between teams). Keep clear records for each partner, including actions, issues/risks and progress against the plan. Track team performance and firm engagement metrics, ensuring data accuracy and CRM discipline to enable better decisions, automation, and strategic insight.
4. Adviser experience & platform development: Lead improvements to the platform so it is easier for advisers to use and helps the business run smoothly. Turn partner and adviser feedback into clear change requests: what needs to change, why it matters, what to do first, what it depends on, and how we will measure success. Work with Technology and Product teams to plan and deliver changes, and help communicate updates to partners and advisers. Set up testing and feedback with selected advisers and partners to check changes work well before a full release. Escalate any platform issues or sourcing errors promptly to the relevant Group services to ensure quick resolution, customer protection, and to ensure sourcing accuracy.
5. Coordination with Telephone BDMs (team-based execution): Coordinate in-person and phone activity so campaigns, partner priorities and product updates are delivered consistently. Share clear priorities with the Telephone Business Development Managers, including which firms and lenders to focus on and why. Turn opportunities into practical plans (who to contact, what to discuss and what outcome we want) and track results. Help the team stay aligned so messages to partners are consistent and support business goals.
6. Working with Compliance, Marketing and Technology: Compliance: make sure partner agreements and promotional activity are checked, recorded properly and support good customer outcomes. Marketing: work together on partner campaigns, content, events and product communications. Technology: agree priorities, make sure partner needs are understood, and set clear expectations on timing and outcomes.

The Person Overview:

• Confident externally: comfortable being visible in the market and representing the business.
• Organised and disciplined: follows through and turns meetings into actions and results.
• Practical and resilient: handles escalations and complex partner situations calmly.
• Focused on customer outcomes: naturally prioritises adviser experience and good end-customer results.
• Collaborative: able to coordinate across teams without needing formal authority.

Skills & Experience:

• Mandatory:
• Relationship & influence: Proven ability to build relationships with senior people and work confidently with executives. Strong negotiation skills, balancing business growth with risk and compliance. Confident presenting and representing the business externally.
• Commercial & analytical: Strong commercial mindset: able to set partner plans and turn them into measurable results. Comfortable using performance data and trends, and turning insight into actions. Able to manage priorities and make sensible trade-offs.
• Delivery & cross-functional leadership: Experience defining what needs to change and coordinating delivery with Technology and Product teams. Works in an organised way: tracks actions clearly, manages stakeholders and delivers against agreed outcomes. Able to bring different teams together around a shared goal.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication; able to produce partner plans, updates and briefing notes. Clear, professional tone for external audiences — confident but collaborative.
• Knowledge & experience: Experience in relationship management or business development in Equity Release, Later Life Lending, mortgages, retirement lending, or similar financial services. Understanding of how mortgage clubs, distribution and advisers typically work. Familiarity with how lenders design products, run services and what drives conversion. Experience working with compliance, marketing and technology teams in a regulated or high-risk environment.
• Desirable:
• CeMAP (or equivalent) or strong later-life lending market knowledge. A relevant industry qualification (financial services / relationship management) is beneficial but not essential.