Senior Vice President, Head of Transaction Services

Our COO team delivers strategic execution for Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) across the globe. Through transformative data and digital solutions, customer servicing, and non-financial risk expertise, this team is where problems are solved, and careers are made.

CIB COO focuses on these key priorities:

• Protecting the bank, our customers and stakeholders by enhancing our operational resilience, strengthening our control environment, and improving risk management.
• Driving operational excellence and efficiency by optimising our processes and delivering the transition to net zero in our own operations.
• Enabling business growth and exceptional service by enabling our businesses to focus on our competitive advantage and deliver transformation and digitisation across the bank.

Role Purpose:

Credit & Capital Management (CCM) COO under Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB) are accountable for the execution and delivery of key end-to-end Credit and Capital Management delivery services essential to meeting core client and risk outcomes. Transaction Services is a key component of this operating model, and sits in the Global CCM COO - Transaction Services (TS) function.

The Head of Transaction Services will lead the implementation and ongoing operational delivery of Transition Services contained within the Transaction Services function. The scope of the role includes, but is not limited to:

• Pre-approval
• Financial spreading
• Post approval
• Loan administration - facility management, loan booking and servicing, drawdown, rollover, etc.
• Loan agency services
• Collateral management services
• Document management services
• Corporate trust (bonds & escrow)
• Portfolio management and risk distribution services

The purpose of the role is:

• To directly lead the Transaction Service teams in country and within the supporting COE to deliver an agreed set of business objectives (as set out in PLAs, SLAs, and OKRs), enable business growth and manage the FRP through the delivery of strategic initiatives and continuous improvement aligned to VSAT (Value Stream Aligned Transformation).
• Responsible and accountable for ensuring consistent local delivery, policy, frameworks, standards-setting, oversight and assurance.
• To proactively manage the market stakeholder relationships and act as the primary point of contact for BCO and business teams.
• The role holder will be responsible for driving streamlining and transformation and managing a robust control environment across all services within the market.
• Represent Transaction Services in country governance forums.
• Maintain control and governance of audit, assurance and MSII outcomes and clearance within timelines. Drive improvements in the control environment and deliver improvements in automating manual controls.

Principle Accountabilities and responsibilities include:

• The Head of Transaction Services will be a key member of the Regional TS Leadership team and be an active member of the CCM Services Leadership team, representing TS interests in country RTB, CTB and control committees.
• Manage, maintain and control country costs versus the FRP budget, including resource demand and supply within plan. This includes delivering cost-out targets to meet budgets.
• Manage and supervise the KRIs and KPIs, completion of volumes and incoming demand to generate and implement the strategies necessary to achieve an increase in performance, productivity, and the quality of all processes.
• Operational improvements through best-in-class process, unit processing times and leveraging digital solutions where available.
• Lead people and engagement initiatives within the respective team, deliver talent reviews, succession plans, deploy VSAT work streams and govern annual performance management. Creation of an inclusive and high-performing culture.

Strategy, Transformation & Change:

• Lead the strategy and execution of the TS function, including the functional management of all TS in market and CoE teams.
• The role is intended to operate with a strong commercial focus ensuring alignment to the objectives of the business, whilst always maintaining strict adherence to the firm's control principles.
• Execute the Global TS location strategy and deliver on resource optimization strategies.
• Take accountability for the execution of transformation and change initiatives (under the Credit and Lending Value Stream) in TS, liaising with resources from the Business and Change teams. Support the technology vision by driving adoption of platforms to be used by TS.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across the TS community, implement continuous improvement initiatives to deliver a high and consistent standard of service.
• Identify and drive opportunities to deliver long-term and support sustainable profit improvement and client outcomes. See beyond the day to day.

Policy & Procedure:

• Drive policy and procedure simplification/optimization to make the process more effective with a focus on value-add activities.
• Ensure adherence to policies and standards for financial crime, regulatory compliance, operational, security and credit risk as well as for operational excellence and production management.
• Drive decision-making process, proactively anticipate risks, seek multiple perspectives and inputs to challenge own views and biases, and escalate where appropriate.
• Take personal responsibility and accountability for internal and external stakeholders.

Delivery of Exceptional Customer Service through Operational Excellence:

• Define goals in production quality, service quality, financial performance, and operational risk that enable Credit and Capital Management strategy and overall efficiency of the post-approval credit process.
• Implement globally defined customer- and risk-centric service level agreements (SLAs) for TS and ensure delivery of service within the agreed SLAs.
• Accountable to ensure appropriate standards of vendor management and vendor risk management are applied.
• Continuously seek ways to improve effectiveness and productivity by reducing complexity, increasing client service, and rationalizing processes and costs.

Risk and Control Management:

• Develop process controls to closely manage the lending process and ensure adherence to policy and standards.
• Ensure the organization strictly adheres to internal control policies and that all activities are conducted in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Accountable for ensuring effective controls are in place to manage operational, regulatory, information security, contingency, vendor, and fraud risk.
• Establish proactive partnerships with other key stakeholders, including Credit and Capital Management, Risk, Transformation, and Technology to support service and product development initiatives.

Accountabilities for Business, Customers and Stakeholders:

• Accountable for the provision of the TS function in line with agreed OKRs, SLAs and KPIs and risk and control appetite.
• Ensure the global operating model is maintained and delivered consistently across all segments and teams.
• Participate in relevant regulatory change initiatives and operational risk-related forums/committees.
• Ensure teams are operating in alignment to global principles and target operating model to deliver a best-in-class service.
• Responsible for the overall engagement model with the business and is expected, as a minimum, to maintain a regular dialogue with key stakeholders to review performance, identify common issues, as well as represent TS in various business and governance forums.
• Develop organizational plans, budgets, and financial controls to meet strategic plans and objectives and ensure proper communication to all parties involved.
• Future-compatible and client-centric mindset: sharp awareness of present and future client needs.

Leadership & Teamwork:

• Provide strong leadership to TS teams and be a strong advocate for TS with internal stakeholders.
• Attract, develop, and retain top-quality staff, including building a strong performance management culture.
• Lead, motivate and inspire a high-caliber TS team by setting high standards for recruiting and internal team governance.
• Develop critical skill sets in team members and provide a stimulating work environment to attract key talent.
• Champion the voice of the customer and build a culture of balancing commercial and client/customer imperatives at all times.
• Exemplary leadership skills to engage diverse teams to partner and work together.
• Display executive presence by remaining calm in times of crisis, making balanced decisions, and radiating confidence to teams.
• Accountable for succession planning, performance management and recruitment across TS, in line with the agreed global organization design blueprint for TS.
• Take accountability for the remediation of all actions across TS identified by 2nd and 3rd line of defense.
• Ensure the bank is not put at any operational or reputational risk, continually reassess the operational risks associated with the role and inherent in the business, taking account of changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, and operating procedures.

Functional Knowledge & Key Skill set required:

• Thorough understanding of the Group and CIB business, including products, propositions, services, systems, sales process, relationship management models, the financial services landscape and competitor developments.
• Expert in credit and lending processes and services, extensive operations management and a proven track record of delivery.
• Knowledge of the changing regulatory environment, especially in the financial services sector.
• Strong knowledge of operationalizing policies and procedures for managing or minimizing risk - including credit, operational, regulatory, and reputational risk - in accordance with the Group Standards Manual, Risk FIM, relevant guidelines and standards.
• Strong relationship management and influencing skills, outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to communicate effectively and confidently at all levels.
• Ability to build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across the organization, including credibility with both Business and Risk leaders.
• Strong commercial mindset and relationship management with program/transformational change management skills.
• Proven problem-solving skills with ability to consider alternative and innovative solutions. A resilient, self-starter capable of driving performance sometimes in ill-defined/new domains.
• Excellent planning, organizing and commercial skills including strong financial management capability.
• Proven ability to articulate complex issues concisely and in clear language.
• Deep understanding of structures, processes and objectives, particularly in the risk environment, preferably within a large bank.

Pro-tip: Familiarity with AI-enabled tools is an advantage.