Lead Impairment Modeller

At Vanquis, we have a simple purpose: to deliver caring banking so our customers can make the most of life’s opportunities. Established in 1880, we’re now a FTSE All Share company and leading specialist bank. We lend responsibly, providing tailored products and services to over 1.7 million UK customers. We see ourselves as the bank that’s got your back.

Vanquis has been named one of the Financial Times UK’s Best Employers 2025, ranking in the top 50 nationwide and seventh in Banking and Financial Services. This recognition is based on independent employee feedback, reflecting our strong workplace culture, career growth opportunities, and commitment to our people. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and actively support the Armed Forces community, including veterans, reservists, and military families.

We take care of our colleagues as well as our customers, creating a workplace where everyone feels connected, valued, empowered and rewarded– all guided by our four core values – caring for people, pulling together, finding better ways and getting the right things done. Rewarding our colleagues goes beyond pay. We’re building a culture where everyone feels valued, motivated, and proud. Alongside competitive salaries, we offer meaningful benefits, annual salary reviews, a discretionary bonus scheme and evolving recognition.

We care about your career and ambitions just as much as you do, offering tools, guidance and opportunities to help you grow. Take ownership, stay curious and we’ll match your ambition with unique experiences, hands-on learning and tailored development to support your career journey.

The role involves developing, maintaining and strengthening our IFRS9 Provisioning Models. It will involve complex modelling to develop, monitor and take full ownership of the bank’s provisioning models under IFRS 9. There is an overarching responsibility to understand and evaluate impairment impacts as the Bank grows and launches new products and services. The individual will need to be capable of taking a more holistic view of the interaction of the model with the business to identify periods when business changes, or short-term fluctuations, may be leading to variances, and suggesting appropriate adjustments to the models.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, monitor and calibrate the Bank’s provisioning models.
• In conjunction with the decision science, data & analytics teams, plus any relevant third-party providers, lead the remediation actions raised by 2nd line Model Risk team (MRO) validation, along with initiating relevant model recalibrations and enhancements.
• Lead the impairment model monitoring, working with Credit Risk and Data/Analytics team.
• Ensure relevant governance and controls are followed with regards to the impairment process and any enhancements.
• Work with the wider Impairment team to maintain and enhance segmentation, reporting, controls, monitoring, governance, and robust procedural documentation for internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform ad-hoc analyses as required and provide recommendations and solutions based on analysis.
• Working with the wider treasury and finance teams ensure internal and external audit points are addressed and closed in a timely manner.
• Champion a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Inspire and engage colleagues by clearly communicating objectives and aligning goals with broader strategic priorities.
• Encourage technical excellence and capability development within the impairment modelling team.
• Actively support talent development by identifying skill gaps and mentoring junior team members.
• Promote innovation and best practices in modelling, governance, and risk management to enhance decision-making and operational resilience.

Experience required:

• Extensive practical experience in designing, building and calibrating impairment models, ensuring robustness and compliance with IFRS 9 standards, and delivering innovative solutions to complex modelling challenges.
• Strong technical expertise in SAS, Python, and SQL/Snowflake for model development and data manipulation.
• Hands-on experience collaborating with decision science and data analytics teams to implement model enhancements and validate performance.
• Solid understanding of the impairment framework and IFRS 9 reporting requirements within a regulated financial services environment.
• Experience working with diverse credit portfolios (e.g., credit cards, vehicle finance, or non-standard retail credit markets) is highly desirable.
• Process-oriented approach to model governance, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication skills - able to present technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and a methodical approach to work, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Self-starter with a proactive mindset and strong motivation to add value through continuous improvement and innovation.
• Strong computer literacy, especially with Microsoft Excel and related tools.

Location: London or Bradford (Hybrid working)

Working Pattern: Hybrid—typically a couple of days a week in the office. Part-time or flexible arrangements are considered to support work-life balance.

What We Offer:

• Holidays: 25 days holiday up to 30 days (depending on service)
• Pension: We will contribute up to 10%
• Maternity/Paternity: Enhanced maternity and 4 weeks paternity leave
• Workations: Opportunity to work abroad 20 days a year
• Volunteering: 2 paid days to ‘give back’ to the charity of your choice
• Development: LinkedIn Learning for all
• Finance: Snoop Premium available to all colleagues
• Opportunities to connect: via quarterly socials, in-person and virtual company updates
• Medical: Opportunity to opt in for Private Medical Insurance