Head of Business Directnew

Nationwide is building a modern, relationship-led Business Bank, combining outstanding customer outcomes, sustainable growth and disciplined risk management.

We're looking for a strategic and inspirational leader to join our Business Direct & Customer Support leadership team as Head of Business Direct.

Reporting to the Director of Business Direct & Customer Support, you will be accountable for all remote business lending origination, relationship management and customer servicing activity across the UK. You’ll lead business banks national remote relationship management model, ensuring customers receive the right level of relationship support whilst enabling greater use of digital and self-service channels. You will lead the business bank contact centre with responsibility for telephone & live chat channels. You will lead a national team of c.210 colleagues; this will grow in line with our growth ambitions.
 
This is a highly visible leadership role with responsibility for the vast majority of human assisted support and a significant asset and liability portfolio, including approximately £300m of lending and £7bn of deposits. We expect the balance sheet to grow significantly post the launch of our Nationwide Business product’s which bring with it our first ever digital led overdraft proposition and market leading BCA / Savings products. You'll hold end-to-end accountability for the performance and strategic direction of Business Direct, balancing growth, customer outcomes, commercial performance and risk within an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Leading through continued transformation, you'll shape the future of our relationship and servicing model, driving greater digitisation, simplification and operational effectiveness while maintaining a relentless focus on governance, control and customer outcomes.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job, you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part-time, you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at either our Swindon, Northampton, Glasgow or London offices. If you’re based at our Glasgow office, this will apply from 1 April 2027 and ahead of that there will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here.

Whilst these locations are where we are primarily looking to fill the role, if you’re an internal applicant based in a different location we would welcome your application and if successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this could work for this specific role.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.

If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.
 

What you’ll be doing

Customer experience will be at the centre of everything you do. You'll own the Business Direct customer experience strategy, leading the evolution of customer journeys and relationship models to ensure customers receive the right support, through the right channels, at the right time.  Whilst we continue to support Virgin Money businesses, migrate Virgin Money businesses to Nationwide and launch or Nationwide business propositions, you will be responsible for ensuring customers & colleagues are supported to the highest standard. 

You'll be accountable for the performance of a significant asset and liability portfolio, balancing growth, customer outcomes and risk. With responsibility for a lending book of approximately £300m and a deposit portfolio of approximately £7bn, you'll ensure financial ambitions are delivered whilst maintaining a relentless focus on customer experience and portfolio quality.

As the leader of Business Direct, you'll play a critical role in delivering Nationwide's digital agenda. You'll drive the simplification, digitisation and automation of lending and servicing journeys, helping reduce manual intervention whilst creating a more seamless experience for customers and colleagues alike. Working closely with partners across the organisation, you'll ensure Business Direct continues to evolve in line with changing customer expectations and business priorities.

Risk and governance will form a significant part of your remit. You'll provide leadership across both credit and non-credit risk disciplines, ensuring robust governance frameworks are in place and operating effectively. From Financial Crime and Consumer Duty to operational resilience and customer outcomes, you'll ensure the highest standards of governance and control whilst continuing to enhance customer experience.

You'll operate at the centre of a broad stakeholder landscape, working closely with senior stakeholders across Business Banking, Operations, Risk and Control Functions to ensure Business Direct delivers against its strategic, commercial and customer ambitions. You'll regularly engage with senior Business Banking, Risk and Operations stakeholders, providing oversight of portfolio performance, customer outcomes and emerging risks.

Working across Business Banking and the wider organisation, you'll build strong partnerships with senior stakeholders to influence strategic priorities, identify opportunities for growth and create greater value for customers. You'll also work closely with Specialist Business teams to ensure customers are aligned to the most appropriate relationship model, creating capacity for growth whilst improving customer outcomes and service effectiveness. You'll use data and performance insight to anticipate emerging trends, shape strategic responses and ensure Business Direct remains well positioned for the future.

Most importantly, you'll lead and inspire a national team of around 140 colleagues. You'll create a high-performing culture where people feel empowered, accountable and supported to deliver their best work. Through visible leadership, coaching and development, you'll build capability and engagement whilst leading your teams through ongoing change and transformation.

 

 

About you

You'll be a proven senior leader with experience of leading large-scale customer-facing businesses within a regulated environment. Comfortable operating at pace and across a broad range of priorities, you'll have the ability to balance customer outcomes, commercial performance, operational effectiveness and risk whilst providing clear strategic leadership.

You'll bring significant experience of leading geographically dispersed teams and creating high-performing cultures that deliver through change. You'll be recognised for building engaged, capable teams and for creating environments where colleagues can thrive whilst remaining focused on customer and business outcomes. You'll have significant experience in leading large-scale customer servicing, contact centre or relationship management operations within a regulated environment, with responsibility for delivering strong customer and commercial outcomes.

You'll have a strong track record of managing significant commercial and balance sheet responsibilities, coupled with experience of operating within complex credit, conduct and non-credit risk frameworks, including responsibility for customer outcomes, operational risk, financial crime and regulatory compliance. You'll understand how to balance growth ambitions with effective governance and control, ensuring strong customer and business outcomes are delivered sustainably.

A strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen, you'll be comfortable shaping direction, translating strategy into execution and influencing at senior levels across the organisation. You'll build trusted relationships, challenge constructively and bring people together behind a common purpose.

Experience of Business Banking, customer relationship management and digitally enabled servicing models will be highly beneficial, as will experience of leading large-scale transformation and simplification initiatives.

Above all, you'll be an authentic and inspiring leader with the credibility, resilience and ambition to shape the future of Business Direct and play a key role in the continued evolution of Nationwide's Business Bank.

 

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes
   

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

 

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 30 days holiday, pro rata
• Access to private medical insurance
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus
• Training and development to help you progress your career
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

 

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society
 

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best.

We are purpose‑driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.
 

What to do next

To apply, simply click the ‘Apply Now’ button. Please ensure you attach your CV and complete a few short application questions.

If you’d like to find out more about the role or have any questions, feel free to contact christopher.royston@nationwide.co.uk (Executive Resourcing) for a confidential conversation.