Compliance Director - Retail Lending

Compliance Director - Retail Lending A leading global financial institution is seeking a Compliance Director Retail Lending to join their UK Regulatory Compliance Team. This role offers you the opportunity to shape regulatory compliance across secured and unsecured lending within Retail Banking and Wealth, while managing a dedicated team of professionals. You will play a pivotal part in providing clear guidance to business stakeholders, identifying and escalating key compliance risks, and representing the organisation with regulators and industry bodies. The position is hybrid, based in Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds or Southampton, offering flexibility for your work-life balance. If you are passionate about making a practical impact through sound judgement and strong governance, this is your chance to contribute meaningfully to the future of retail banking. * Take ownership of regulatory compliance activities for both secured and unsecured lending within Retail Banking and Wealth, ensuring robust risk identification and escalation processes. * Lead a team of Regulatory Compliance officers, fostering collaboration and professional growth while delivering clear advice to first line stakeholders. * Represent the organisation credibly in external engagements with regulators and industry associations, influencing industry standards and practices.

What you'll do:

As Compliance Director Retail Lending, you will be entrusted with overseeing regulatory compliance activities across secured and unsecured lending within Retail Banking and Wealth. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve building a supportive team environment among Regulatory Compliance professionals, guiding them through complex risk scenarios while maintaining high standards of governance. You will engage directly with business stakeholders to offer actionable advice on compliance risks related to products and channels. Your expertise will be called upon during external engagements with regulators or industry associations where you will represent the organisation’s interests credibly. Success in this role means proactively identifying potential risks using established frameworks, attending key governance meetings to share your insights, collaborating across departments for seamless risk management, and stepping in as a delegate for senior leadership when needed. By staying attuned to industry developments, you will ensure that the organisation remains responsive to regulatory changes while upholding its reputation for trustworthiness.

• Build, support, and nurture a team of Regulatory Compliance professionals who cover secured and unsecured lending within Retail Banking and Wealth.
• Oversee all aspects of Regulatory Compliance coverage for secured and unsecured lending products, ensuring alignment with business priorities and governance expectations.
• Provide comprehensive advice and guidance to business stakeholders on regulatory compliance risks, helping them understand implications for products and channels.
• Represent Regulatory Compliance in external engagements with regulators and industry associations, acting as an ambassador for the organisation’s commitment to ethical standards.
• Identify, assess, report, and escalate compliance risks using the Risk Management Framework to ensure early detection and mitigation across Retail Banking and Wealth.
• Execute regulatory compliance activities that are aligned with business priorities, supporting effective governance throughout the organisation.
• Attend functional and lines of business governance meetings relevant to the role, contributing insights that drive responsible decision-making.
• Act as a delegate for the UK Head of Regulatory Compliance when required, ensuring continuity of leadership and oversight.
• Collaborate closely with business teams to provide clear guidance on compliance matters, facilitating interdepartmental understanding and action.
• Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices to keep the organisation ahead of emerging risks.

What you bring:

To excel as Compliance Director Retail Lending, you will bring substantial experience from regulated environments where you have managed teams focused on regulatory compliance. Your deep understanding of secured and unsecured lending products will allow you to navigate complex risk landscapes confidently. You possess strong familiarity with non-financial risk management frameworks tailored for retail banking operations. Your proven ability to influence stakeholders ensures collaborative action on critical compliance issues. Experience working with regulatory policies specific to retail banking enables you to provide nuanced guidance across products and channels. A thorough grasp of retail banking business models supports your strategic approach to risk management. Representing organisations externally comes naturally due to your professionalism and credibility. Monitoring industry trends keeps you ahead of emerging challenges while your excellent interpersonal skills foster cooperation throughout the organisation. Above all, your commitment to ethical standards ensures that every decision is made thoughtfully for customers’ benefit.

• Extensive experience managing teams of Regulatory Compliance officers or comparable specialist groups within regulated environments.
• Deep knowledge of secured and unsecured lending products as well as associated regulatory compliance risks in retail banking contexts.
• Strong familiarity with non-financial risk management frameworks applied within retail banking operations.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders across different business areas by securing buy-in for compliance initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience working with regulatory compliance policies specific to retail banking environments.
• Thorough understanding of retail banking business models including product offerings and distribution channels.
• Track record of representing organisations in external engagements with regulators or industry associations.
• Ability to monitor industry trends, regulatory priorities, and best practices relevant to retail lending.
• Excellent interpersonal skills enabling effective collaboration across teams and departments.
• Commitment to ethical standards combined with sound judgement in complex risk scenarios.

What sets this company apart:

This global financial institution stands out as one of the largest banking organisations worldwide, guided by a purpose-driven mission: opening up a world of opportunity for customers everywhere. Their ambition is rooted in becoming the most trusted bank globally by putting customers at the heart of everything they do. Employees benefit from being part of an inclusive network that values collaboration, knowledge sharing, supportive leadership, generous training opportunities, flexible working arrangements (including hybrid roles), dependable pension contributions (where applicable), and access to ongoing professional development resources. The culture emphasises teamwork over hierarchy—ensuring everyone feels connected through communal goals—and encourages employees at all levels to contribute ideas that shape the future direction of retail banking services. With a focus on responsible governance and customer-centricity, this institution offers an environment where your expertise can make a meaningful difference both internally among colleagues and externally within the wider industry.

What's next:

If you are ready to make a lasting impact in retail banking compliance through thoughtful leadership and collaborative action, this is your opportunity—apply now!

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