Head of Trade and Working Capital Italy, Greece, CEE

This position is subject to the applicable provisions of the Banking Sector Collective Bargaining Agreement in Italy

Are you a commercially driven Trade & Working Capital leader who can build a franchise, originate complex opportunities and lead senior client relationships across diverse European markets?

Role purpose

We are looking for a strategic, entrepreneurial and client-focused Director to lead our Trade & Working Capital business across Italy and Greece. Based in Milan, the successful candidate will lead the regional team of TWC Sales Specialists and Client Managers, with senior accountability for developing and executing the regional strategy, growing income and returns, deepening priority client relationships and ensuring high-quality delivery across the full Trade & Working Capital product suite.

The role combines regional business and people leadership with hands-on senior origination. The successful candidate will set the commercial direction for the region, lead and develop the team, personally originate and oversee complex opportunities, and ensure strong management of the existing client portfolio. They will work closely with Coverage and specialist partners across Barclays to deliver the full capabilities of TWC to clients across Italy and Greece.

Key responsibilities

Regional franchise leadership and strategy

Lead the TWC franchise across Italy and Greece, with overall responsibility for the region’s commercial strategy, people leadership, client portfolio and business performance.

Translate European and country priorities into a focused regional plan covering origination, portfolio growth, client management, income, returns and disciplined execution.

Identify priority clients, sectors and opportunities, using market intelligence, external networks and existing Barclays relationships to create sustainable origination momentum.

Monitor market trends and competitor activity, using insights to identify strategic opportunities and inform regional priorities.

Represent the region and TWC in senior country, European and product forums, providing clear insight on performance, opportunities, barriers, risks and required decisions.

Contribute regional market insight to the wider European TWC strategy and to product, platform, credit appetite and execution priorities.

Client origination and transaction execution

Originate and convert complex Trade & Working Capital opportunities across existing and new-to-bank corporate clients, working closely with Corporate and Investment Bank Coverage and specialist product partners.

Lead senior client dialogue on working capital, trade flows and risk mitigation, developing solutions across bonds, guarantees and indemnities, documentary trade, trade loans, receivables finance, supplier finance and other relevant structured trade solutions.

Take senior ownership of material opportunities from initial client engagement through structuring, pricing, credit approval, documentation, implementation and income realisation.

Lead commercial negotiations and coordinate deal teams, ensuring that client outcomes, pricing, risk, returns, legal terms, operational feasibility and execution timelines remain appropriately aligned.

Build senior relationships with clients, prospects and relevant market participants to strengthen Barclays’ visibility and generate actionable deal flow.

Identify cross-sell opportunities across Global Transaction Banking and the wider Corporate and Investment Bank, while ensuring activity is undertaken in accordance with applicable cross-border and client coverage requirements.

Represent Barclays at relevant industry events, conferences and networking forums.

Portfolio, risk and controls

Retain senior accountability for the regional TWC client portfolio, including portfolio performance, client retention, income delivery and escalation of complex client or execution issues.

Apply strong credit judgement and product expertise to identify, assess and mitigate transaction, legal, operational, conduct and reputational risks.

Ensure opportunities are appropriately prioritised against expected income, returns, strategic relevance, execution effort and resource requirements.

Maintain robust pipeline and performance discipline, with accurate and timely recording of client activity, opportunities, expected income, milestones and risks in required systems.

Ensure all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, the Enterprise Risk Management Framework and Barclays policies and standards.

Drive improvements in origination, governance and execution, sharing best practice across the region and wider European TWC business.

People leadership and collaboration

Lead, motivate and develop the regional team of TWC Sales Specialists and Client Managers, creating a high-performing, collaborative and client-focused culture.

Set clear commercial priorities and individual accountabilities across origination and client management, aligned to the wider European TWC strategy.

Provide active coaching, technical guidance and senior support on client strategy, opportunity development, structuring, pricing and execution of complex transactions.

Provide senior oversight of the regional client portfolio, supporting strong service delivery, portfolio discipline, retention and identification of opportunities to deepen client relationships.

Allocate resources effectively across clients, markets and opportunities, balancing new-business origination with management and growth of the existing portfolio.

Develop talent and succession within the team, supporting colleagues’ professional development and building broader TWC capability.

Build trusted relationships with Country Management, Coverage, Credit, Product, Structuring, Legal, Operations, Client Management and other partners required to deliver for clients.

Person specification

Essential experience and capabilities

Proven people and business leadership experience, with the ability to set strategy and commercial priorities, lead and develop an experienced team, manage performance and create accountability for delivery.

Significant relevant experience in Trade & Working Capital, transaction banking, structured trade finance or corporate banking, with a strong track record of senior client origination and transaction execution.

Broad technical knowledge across core Trade Finance and Open Account solutions, with the ability to connect clients’ working capital requirements to appropriate structures.

Proven experience of leading complex deal teams and transactions involving multiple internal and external stakeholders, credit approval, legal negotiation and operational implementation.

Strong credit, financial and commercial judgement, including the ability to assess structure, pricing, returns, risk mitigants and execution feasibility.

Demonstrable success in building senior internal and external networks and influencing decisions across organisational and geographic boundaries.

Excellent influencing, negotiation, communication and presentation skills, with the presence to engage C-suite clients and senior decision-makers.

Fluency in Italian and English, both written and spoken.

A client-first mindset combined with high standards of risk management, control, conduct and execution quality.

Desirable experience

Experience covering Italian corporates and a strong network across the Italian corporate and transaction banking market.

Cross-border origination or leadership experience across Greece.

Experience across bonds, guarantees and indemnities, documentary trade, receivables finance, supplier finance, trade loans and structured trade or export finance solutions.

Knowledge of credit insurance, risk distribution, ECA-supported finance or syndicated trade transactions.

Broader lending or Corporate and Investment Banking experience.

Proficiency with digital productivity and analytical tools, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and AI-enabled tools such as Microsoft Copilot.

About Trade & Working Capital

Trade & Working Capital is a specialist team within Barclays, comprising Origination, Structuring and Client Management and supported by Product Management, operational and functional partners. We work closely with Corporate Coverage teams to understand clients’ business cycles and deliver solutions designed to mitigate risk, support payment security and optimise working capital. The product set includes Bonds, Guarantees and Indemnities, Letters of Credit and Collections, Trade Loans, Receivables Finance, Sales Finance and Supplier Finance.

What we offer

The opportunity to lead and shape an important TWC franchise across a diverse group of European markets.

A platform to originate and execute sophisticated client solutions in partnership with senior Coverage and specialist product teams.

A collaborative European leadership environment with scope to influence the broader TWC franchise.

Meaningful people leadership and development responsibility within a client-focused business.

Assessment

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in the role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Barclays purpose, values and working environment

Barclays is an equal opportunity employer. Our values are Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship. Dynamic working provides colleagues with the opportunity to integrate professional and personal lives; any need for flexibility should be discussed with the hiring manager.

Purpose of the role

To manage sales and set the strategic direction. Provide support to the bank's senior management team, and to manage sales risk across the organisation. 

Accountabilities

• Development of strategic direction for sales, including the implementation of up to date methodologies and processes.
• Management of sales, including oversight of colleagues and their performance, implementation of departmental goals and objectives, oversight of department efficiency and effectiveness.  .
• Relationship management of sales stakeholders, including identifying relevant stakeholders, and maintenance of the quality of external third party services.
• Development and implementation of policies and procedures for sales.
• Management of sales risk, including identification of potential risks, development of strategies to mitigate those risks, and maintenance of alignment between the bank’s sales and compliance functions.  .
• Monitoring the financial performance of sales department, including revenue, profitability, and cost control.
• Conducting thorough market research to understand market trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory changes to identify market opportunities.

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.