Head of Product Governance, Policy & Assurance and NAPA Chair - BPL

Job Description

Purpose of the role

To provide support to the Chief Risk Officer(S) in the implementation and ongoing effectiveness of the bank's risk management framework across various business units and functions.

Accountabilities

• Implementation support of risk management policies, standards, procedures, and controls across the bank.
• Asessment and promotion of risk management awareness and risk controls and culture.
• Review, challenge and monitoring of the effectiveness of existing risk management practices and identifying areas for improvement.
• Identification of new and emerging risks, and assessing the likelihood and impact of identified risks, and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Management and operation of associated committees, forum and meetings.
• Maintenance of risk inventories and governance documentation.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Company Background

Barclays’ Payments Acceptance business provides critical infrastructure to the UK economy, processing billions of pounds of payments annually for both small businesses and domestic and international corporate clients.

In April 2025, we announced a long-term partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to grow and transform the Payments Acceptance business by broadening the range of services offered, enhancing the experience for both existing and prospective clients. Leveraging extensive client relationships and deep experience of UK payments, we will create an environment of continuous innovation - activated by Brookfield’s global private equity expertise in payments, technology, operational transformation and corporate carve-outs - to ensure the business is strategically positioned for long-term growth.

Barclays will invest approximately £400m in the new business, the majority of which will be incurred during the first three years. Performance-linked incentives will drive greater alignment between the partners, underpinning the long-term commitment to the transformation.  Barclays and Brookfield will work to create a standalone entity over time, continuing to use the Barclaycard Payments (BPL) brand and acting as the sole payments acceptance services provider to Barclays’ clients for a minimum of ten years. 

For more information on our partnership with Brookfield, please visit Barclays.com.

Risk Function Overview

Product Governance, Policy and Assurance is part of the Risk Operations Function within the Chief Risk Office (CRO).  It will be responsible for managing and overseeing BPL-owned parts of the Product Governance process, and providing policy and assurance support to vertical functions within CRO (Credit Risk, Compliance, Financial Crime, ERM and Transaction Monitoring).

Purpose of the role

Accountable for Product Lifecycle framework across BPL, including acting as lead for the Barclaycard Payments Limited (BPL) Business Change Control Forum (BCCF), enabling business decisions and close control on material change.   Working closely with the Product function to ensure support and early collaboration on strategic business opportunities.

Additional responsibilities to cover ownership of the Risk Policy Framework and associated documentation, and performing Assurance / oversight of the CRO functional teams / processes to ensure compliance with policy

Accountabilities

• Business

  • Accountable for the Product Lifecycle framework for the new entity, including management and leadership of the Change Control Forum (BCCF) for BPL enabling business decisions and close control on material change

  • Responsible for ensuring all material change submissions and business approvals across BPL follow a common standard, with change control managed through the BCCF

  • Ensure early visibility and collaboration with functional approvers; create and manage product governance reporting, provide senior management with insights into the portfolio plan, delivery health, benefits, bottlenecks and areas of concern/decisions requiring attention

  • Understands the Payments Merchant Acquiring market, the product risk and balances the needs of clients with the needs of the BPL

• Governance & Controls

  • Lead and manage the Product Lifecycle framework & governance across BPL, delivering a structured colleague awareness and engagement plan via Lifecycle Champions

  • Accountable for ensuring that all strategic and material business change approvals are fit-for-purpose, efficient and have adequate governance and controls in place to ensure we manage the business in a risk aware manner

  • Management of pipeline into BCCF and NAPA, ensuring a smooth pathway for the business, whilst maintaining quality and control on business case proposals

• Leadership

  • Leadership of the senior Business Change Control forum (BCCF) in-line with best practice to ensure visibility of all material changes across Products, Processes and services

  • Provide strong enterprise wide leadership in a matrix environment, working across the group, engaging directly with the Senior Executives (MD’s) and Executive Committee (ExCo) to ensure alignment between Business teams and BPL goals and objectives

  • Be a champion for early cross business collaboration on change to help shape ideas and ensure the business is making decisions for the right reasons, in the right way, with the best possible outcomes for our clients, colleagues and shareholders

• Challenge process and bureaucracy to empower colleagues to drive business decisions

Stakeholder Management and Leadership

Given the importance of the growth agenda for BPL, the role involves extensive interaction with senior internal and external stakeholders across BPL and Group.  The successful candidate will be able to explain complex matters in a way that is helpful to a broad range of stakeholders, taking on board differing, sometimes opposing, points of view, ensuring an outcome that is appropriate within the relevant risk appetite and budget capacity.

Risk and Control Objective

Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Policies and Policy Standards.

Person Specification

• The role holder will be a trusted adviser influencing the senior functional management and other forums/committees outside of own function with significant experience in service operations or technology operations within a complex fintech, payments, payment acquiring company.

• Able to lead from cross functions to drive better client and company outcomes

• Able to successfully lead at all levels and influence decisions Strong commercial skills and excellent business acumen

• Demonstrable experience of managing portfolios and large change programs currently or in recent past

• Management experience, with proven coaching and colleague development skills

• A natural leader, able to adapt style according to the audience, whilst maintaining authenticity

• Outstanding stakeholder management at all levels, up to and including regional and global executive level.

• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship and applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK.

• This role is intended for candidates who are already operating at Director level.