Product Manager

Head of TWC Product Development, Trade & Working Capital Product Management

About Trade and Working Capital (TWC)

TWC provides international trade finance and working capital solutions to clients globally. The TWC product suite includes Trade Finance, Supply Chain & Receivable Financing products provided via a team of specialists across Barclays’ Corporate Banking footprint. 

About the TWC Product Management team
TWC Product Management team are responsible for the end-to end lifecycle management of TWC products and related client channels across the UK, Europe, APAC & ME and Americas. This includes defining the client experience, digital and innovation strategy, driving the P&L for the business and overseeing the risk & control framework.

Overall purpose of role

The role will be part of the wider Trade & Working Capital Product Management team who are collectively responsible for  actively supporting the development, implementation and execution of TWC Product strategy globally.

The role holder will have specific focus on developing commercial propositions, leading innovation, own client experience and ensure optimum use of capital and liquidity across all TWC products, (Documentary Trade & Open Account) across all Barclay’s geographies. This includes responsibility for all client segments from small and medium enterprises to global corporates including FI and Non-Bank Financial Institutions.

Key Accountabilities

Our approach to Product Management centres on how we create, manage and change products, while proactively understanding the  client needs to ensure our products are fit for purpose and respond to market conditions.

Our directors have a broad and comprehensive understanding of the concepts and underlying principles of their products, with full accountability for the end-to-end management of these products throughout the product lifecycle. This empowers them to manage risk appetite, profitability, quality of service and performance of their products. Key accountabilities are:

• Define, establish and commercialise product strategy, demonstrating a sound understanding of the underlying business principles and theories underpinning the product disciplines. Actively scan the external environment to identify any risks and opportunities to your product line.
• Drive the adoption of an innovative, risk based and client focused strategy when designing and changing products.
• Combine client insight with an understanding of the financial, risk and operational underpinnings of the product to drive propositions that solve client problems in a profitable way.
• Management responsibility - ensure appropriate team structure and staffing levels with clear roles and objectives in place to support delivery of the strategy, planning for the team’s future needs and operation. As appropriate, recruit and develop colleagues for a specialised and high-performing team
• Own the end-to-end client journey. Ensure that the core processes that support the product are robust and deliver the right outcome for our clients. Integrate with the relevant functions in order to achieve this.
• Accountable for periodic Product Reviews and regulatory compliance, adherence to operating model and ownership and deep understanding of regulatory impacts.
• Establish and maintain strong partnership with Legal, Compliance and Internal Audit where appropriate.
• Take ownership of any actions raised through an audit or risk review.
• Accountable for ‘business as usual’ operation of the product/channel, defining and managing SLAs and KPIs as appropriate. Maintain strong and effective cross-functional MI control reporting; highlighting trends, understanding root causes or channel incidents, system gaps and client feedback

Stakeholder Management and Leadership

Product Managers cannot influence change alone. As owner of the Product end to end, you will need to work with, and influence, key stakeholders from across the business. This ranges from subject matter experts through to senior leadership at MD level.

• Build and maintain stakeholder relationships with leaders in the Corporate business to ensure the product proposition is robust, effective and meets the needs of all client segments
• Actively lead the relationships with partners in delivery, support and oversight functions and demonstrate collaboration at all levels.
• Influence and negotiate across all levels of the organization and industry
• Manage Service Partners through appropriate mechanisms (e.g. Inter-Group Agreements and Service Schedules).
• Demonstrate a strong track record for developing talent, consistently facilitating constructive functional and personal development of others
• Act as a role model visibly and consistently behaving in ways that reinforce culture, encouraging others to do the same

Essential Skills/Basic Qualifications:

• Good working knowledge of Trade Finance products (LCs, SBLCs, Trade Loans, ECA offering)
• Proven track record of owning and delivering projects and/or initiatives

Desirable skills/Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience of product ownership in a financial services organisation
• Experience of working in a strong regulatory environment with attention to the detail
• Working knowledge of the full range of business disciplines e.g. Compliance, Operations, Service, Sales, Marketing, IT, Finance, HR, and Risk
• Knowledge of credit management within Banking as well as related risks and mitigants
• Good knowledge of end to end Client Implementation and Transaction Management Functions

Salary / Rate Minimum: $220,000

Salary / Rate Maximum: $ 250,000

The minimum and maximum salary/rate information above include only base salary or base hourly rate. It does not include any other type of compensation or benefits that may be available.

Purpose of the role

To develop and manage the success of specific financial products and services, providing in-depth expertise on a particular product line, bridging the gap between product development, marketing, sales, and customer service. 

Accountabilities

• Provision of SME expertise on specific products and services to customers and colleagues, including features, functionalities, benefits, limitations, risks and compliance.
• Identification of market trends, new features, regulatory requirements and potential risks, and analysis of data obtained from sales figures and, customer feedback, to support the product development process, and communicate key findings to relevant stakeholders to improve product offerings.
• Response to customer inquiries, resolution of issues, and provision of guidance on product usage.  .
• Presentation of the advantages and features of the product to potential customers, building trust and encouraging adoption.
• Assistance with the development and execution of marketing materials for the product, such as brochures, presentations, and online content.
• Participation in training sessions and workshops to share product knowledge and expertise with colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Participation in events, conferences, and other networking opportunities to showcase the product and generate interest.

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.