Transformation Head of Bus. Analysis & Change | S-5 | Transformation | Milton Keynes – Unity Place | Internal Mobility

Country: United Kingdom

IT STARTS HERE

Santander is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organisation, and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible. This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

Our mission is to contribute to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

The Transformation & Agile Team partners with ExCo & Senior Leaders across Santander UK to shape strategy into execution, solve complex business challenges and accelerate delivery of high-impact change. We combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution to improve customer outcomes, simplify how we work and build capabilities that create lasting competitive advantage.

We’re a high-performing Transformation Team focused on the bank's toughest strategic challenges. From strategy and operating model design to agile delivery and AI-embedded transformation, we help turn ambition into results at pace.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE

Santander UK is looking for a Transformation Programme Manager based out of Unity Place in Milton Keynes. This role is a unique opportunity to be part of a high impact senior team who will make a lasting impact on Santander UK business and gain visibility among Santander Group leadership. Successful execution of the Bank’s Transformation is key to the continued business success of our bank and is in sharp focus of our shareholders. In this role, you will challenge the status quo, drive change in all Divisions across the bank and extract quantified benefits at strategic scale. You will be part of a high impact team of senior colleagues reporting to the Chief Transformation Officer.

The team will partner with Division heads and engage with ExCo on a regular basis to drive the Transformation, focused on a number of well-defined strategic priorities. Most importantly, you will make Santander UK a robust and leaner business.

Transformation

We’re shaping the way we work through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Working with divisions/domains to build out multi-year transformation roadmaps and an executable rolling 12-month transformation plan with clearly articulated and viable customer, organisational and financial benefits.
• Developing an independent perspective and challenging status quo, OKRs and ongoing transformation initiatives to increase pace and ambition.
• Maintaining a high bar for quality initiative business cases and plans to ensure appropriate investment decisions are made, and initiatives can be value assured.
• Identifying execution risks and supporting directorates in mitigating them to ensure successful delivery of transformation.
• Maintaining a single source of truth and consistency with Finance to enable effective conversations in senior fora with minimal noise.
• Ensuring effective engagement of ExCo through timely submission of high quality, actionable materials.
• Preparing business cases, including progress, outcomes and risks to be presented to ExCo, ensuring clear insight and fast decision making.
• Contributing to improvement of change management methodology, processes and tooling.

As an S5 Leader in Transformation, you will also be responsible for:

• Leading a team of Transformation Programme Managers and supporting S4 Transformation Programme Managers to build out and deliver their transformation programmes.
• Developing the overarching Transformation Plan each year and identifying key strategic opportunities.
• Supporting the standardisation, communication and education of Transformation & Agile ways of working across the organisation and the teams that you interact with.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organisation. We’re enabling teams to go beyond by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role:

• Enterprise Transformation leadership - exceptional transformation/programme management skills, able to take on complex, ambiguous organisational problems where the answer is not known, determine what fundamentally needs to change and mobilise the organisation around a clear outcome, with experience in identifying the problem, identifying the solution and working through to completion (including large projects and portfolios). (Required)
• Strategic Problem Solving – looking beyond the stated problem or existing programme scope to identify root causes, systemic issues and opportunities to materially rethink the organisation. (Required)
• Value & Commercial Orientation – thinks in terms of customer, commercial and financial and value outcomes as well as milestones, deliverables and programme completion. Significant experience in finance, business cases, effort and cost estimation, operating and business model of a large universal bank, in particular its cost drivers (Preferred)
• Organisation & Operating Model Design – understands how to reshape structures, accountabilities, processes, capabilities technology and ways of working. (Required)
• Executive Influence and Constructive Disruption – confident working with Senior Executives and ExCo, challenging assumptions and creating alignment across leaders with competing priorities, including when there is no obvious organisational consensus. (Required)
• Intellectually Curious – continuously educates themselves on emerging technologies, new operating models and leading transformation approaches. (Required)
• Leadership Through Resistance - has the resilience and conviction to challenge established thinking, stand behind the right outcome when faced with resistance and push the organisation beyond its comfort zone to take well-judged risks where they are necessary to unlock material value. (Required)

It would also be nice for you to have:

• Technology & AI Fluency – understands how emerging technology, particularly AI and automation, can fundamentally change processes, roles, organisational structures, and customer propositions (Preferred)
• Experience in outsourcing & offshoring and understanding of Agile ways of working (Preferred)

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT

At Santander, your contribution matters. We recognise the difference you make every day, and we make sure you feel valued, supported and rewarded in return. Here, recognition goes beyond pay. It’s about the pride you feel in your work, the impact you have on customers and communities, and the opportunities you have to grow and thrive — personally and professionally.

Salary Range: £93,375.00 - £140,063.00 per annum (depending on experience). This salary range represents the expected remuneration for the role. Annual salary is based on a standard 35-hour working week. Actual salary offered will depend on skills, experience, qualifications and location.

Competitive rewards that reflect the real impact you make and the value you bring.

Wellbeing that goes beyond work — we work with a range of wellbeing partners across our 4 pillars of wellbeing (physical, mental, social and financial) to give you access to a suite of apps, discounted gym and fitness access, weekly online classes, flexible healthcare and mental health support.

Support for every life stage — from menopause and pregnancy to parenthood and beyond, with enhanced family leave, childcare options and tailored wellbeing support.

Time to give back through volunteering opportunities that let you make a difference in the communities we serve.

Global growth opportunities to shape your career, learn new skills and explore what’s possible across our international network.

Ready to be recognised? It starts with you.

LOCAL COMPLIANCE

At Santander, we’re proud to be an inclusive organisation that provides equal opportunities for everyone — regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation. We’re committed to creating a recruitment experience that’s accessible, fair and welcoming for all candidates. We want our people to thrive — at work and at home — while delivering the best outcomes for our customers and supporting each other to grow.

To make this possible, our roles are site-based with a hybrid working pattern, where colleagues are expected to attend the office at least 12 days per month (pro-rata for part-time roles). When applying, please consider the travel distance, time and cost to your chosen office location(s). We welcome applications on the understanding that, should you be offered this role, there may be no relocation package available. Santander will pay the employer mandatory government fees that are required to pay in connection with visa sponsorship. You may be liable for your own personal employee immigration and relocation costs. (Only applicable for roles that are eligible for sponsorship)

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply. For further guidance please visit Internal Mobility - Candidate Guidance. If you want to know more about the opportunity: Please contact - ceri.picton@santander.co.uk