UKCB Product Risk Specialist

Overall purpose of role

• UK Corporate Banking includes Global Transaction Banking.  Under Barclays strategy the business area has a clear growth strategy which focuses on continued expansion of products and services for our clients globally. 
• The role is to provide effective Risk oversight of the new product risk approval process for UKCB (including Global Transaction Banking) focusing on credit risk and working closely alongside other second line of defence areas (e.g. Operational Risk, Legal and Compliance).
• Provide oversight, advice and challenge as the second line of defence from a credit risk management perspective across all stages of the process (including payments and transactional services).
• Work closely with Front Office and Global risk teams to achieve Barclays’ commercial objectives whilst managing within risk appetite and parameters, facilitating the Risk process.
• Broad risk stakeholder network across credit and operational risk alongside the NAPA and Product Review teams.
• Empowered to be a delegate to the UKCB Chief Risk Officer in executing key responsibilities in relation to UKCB Product Risk.

Key Accountabilities

• Overall accountability to the UK Corporate Banking Chief Risk Officer in execution of responsibilities in relation to new product approvals and ongoing product reviews.
• Effective Risk oversight of the product risk approval process with appropriate independent check and challenge.
• Key member of related product risk first line and second line led committees being sufficiently empowered to make decisions.
• Identify controls and processes to be strengthened within Barclays Policies and Standards and collaborate on system and process changes required.
• Oversight of the product and services pipeline with early stage discussions and feedback on key risk areas.
• Working closely with key stakeholders across first line and second line to ensure aligned on risk appetite and any challenges.
• Responsible for credit risk review of annual and ad hoc product reviews.

Stakeholder Management and Leadership

• Build strong working relationships and proactively manage internal clients/stakeholders across all relevant teams.

• Key stakeholders for this role include a range of Front Office colleagues spanning across Banking and Products (UKCB including Global Transaction banking) as well as Legal, Compliance, Technology and a broad spectrum of Risk colleagues both at the regional and global level (notably Credit and Operational Risk).

• Demonstrate strong collaborative working relationship and negotiation skills

Risk and Control Objective

• Contribute towards continued development and improvement of the control environment. Influence the implementation of effective risk controls and monitoring framework.
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Barclays Policies and Policy Standards.

Person Specification

• Highly driven with the ability to improve ways of working across all business areas and create a positive working environment.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Solid commercial awareness and ability to balance risk/reward.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Essential Skills/Basic Qualifications:

• Broad experience of credit, payments and operational risk and linked banking products and services.
• Strong experience of controls and governance alongside implementing change.
• Awareness of legislation and regulatory requirements affecting the Bank and customers.
• Sound understanding of investment banking products & respective legal documentation.

Desirable skills/Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters / Professional qualification such as MBA/ CA/ CFA or equivalent.

Purpose of the role

To safeguard the financial health of the bank by identifying, analysing, and mitigating potential credit risks associated with lending activities.

Accountabilities

• Analysis of financial data, including income, assets, liabilities, credit history, and economic trends, to determine the risk of default.
• Monitoring of existing loan portfolios to identify potential credit deterioration or early warning signs of default.
• Recommendation of loan approvals, rejections, or adjustments based on risk evaluation and bank lending policies.
• Development and implementation of credit risk mitigation strategies, including collateral management, loan restructuring, and workout plans.

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.