Senior Partnership Managernew

 

Step into an exciting opportunity as a Senior Partnership Manager, where you'll lead a high-performing Unsecured Lending Partnerships team and take ownership of relationships with some of the organisation’s most strategic partners, including Visa, Mastercard, FIS/TSYS and Experian. Working closely with senior leaders, you'll drive partner performance, ensure contractual and regulatory obligations are met, and identify new opportunities that deliver greater value for customers and the business. This is a highly visible role that combines strategic thinking, commercial insight and influential stakeholder management, with the opportunity to shape partnership decisions that directly support business growth and Board-level objectives.

 

We're looking for a confident and commercially minded partnership professional who thrives on building strong relationships, influencing across business areas and creating win-win outcomes. You'll bring experience managing regulated supplier or partner relationships, overseeing service delivery, performance and third-party risk, while balancing commercial value and customer benefit. As a proven leader, you'll inspire and develop your team, navigate competing priorities with ease, and use data, financial insight and market opportunities to drive continuous improvement.

 

This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in the future of the business, leading strategic partnerships through a period of growth, change and innovation. You'll have the freedom to strengthen existing relationships, explore new partnership opportunities and help shape the next chapter of the organisation's unsecured lending journey.

 

We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.

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 be located at our nearest regional office or hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration and in some locations you’ll be expected to spend at least two days a week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, in the office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. 

 

 

Virgin Money is now part of Nationwide

 

Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in October 2024. Virgin Money continues to serve customers on the high street, and there will be a phased and considered integration over the coming years.

 

You’ll be employed by Nationwide from day one, delivering real impact and benefitting from a highly competitive range of benefits. We’re a workplace where you’re rewarded, recognised and celebrated.

 

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

 

You'll lead the Unsecured Lending Partnerships team, setting clear priorities, providing direction and developing colleagues to build strong, effective relationships with key partners. Working across the organisation, you'll ensure partners deliver against agreed expectations, meet contractual obligations and provide maximum value to both customers and the business. You'll collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to gain insight into partner performance, customer needs, commercial outcomes and future partnership opportunities, helping to drive continuous improvement and long-term success.

 

Using your commercial expertise and understanding of third-party risk management, you'll ensure partnership activity is well governed, evidence-based and aligned with strategic business priorities. You'll assess performance, identify opportunities, manage risk and help shape the future direction of key partnerships, balancing customer benefit with commercial value.

 

Alongside day-to-day oversight, you'll play an influential role in strategic decision-making, building robust business cases, preparing governance updates and presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders. This is an opportunity to make a real impact by strengthening existing partnerships, exploring new opportunities and helping to drive the continued growth and success of the Unsecured Lending business
 

 

About you

 

As a minimum you will have:

 

• Experience leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams, setting clear priorities and driving successful outcomes

• Proven experience managing regulated partner or supplier relationships, including performance oversight, contractual governance and value delivery

• Knowledge of third-party risk management within a regulated environment, including SYSC 8 requirements and outsourced supplier controls

• Experience identifying, evaluating and developing partnership opportunities, assessing strategic fit, customer benefit, commercial value and deliverability

• Background in strategic planning, business development, partnerships or commercial roles within financial services or a similar regulated sector

• Strong commercial acumen with experience using customer insights, market analysis, financial data and risk considerations to inform recommendations and decision making

• Experience developing business cases, commercial proposals, business plans, financial models and senior-level decision papers

 

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

• 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 our 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. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

 

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

 

 

What to do next

 

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

 

Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us. To find out more about how we use and process your data, please read our Privacy policy.

 

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please read more here.

 

Disability Confident 

 

We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level.  

  

That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion. Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment Support.  

  

Apply safely with Nationwide

 

Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by a job scam. 

 

The hiring manager for this role is Oliver Salmon, and the main recruitment contact is Lorraine Ifil.