Head of Credit, Speciality Finance

Secure Trust Bank PLC; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - GBP 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retail bank is seeking a Head of Credit for Speciality Finance to enhance its credit strategy. This senior leadership role requires extensive credit risk experience, strong commercial acumen, and the gravitas to influence at senior levels. The successful candidate will lead a high-performing credit team, ensuring robust lending decisions while maximizing returns. This is an exceptional opportunity for those looking to shape the future of Speciality Finance in a trusted bank environment.

Benefits

Opportunities for personal and professional growth

Supportive leadership team

Collaborative culture

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in credit risk, ideally in speciality finance.
• Strong knowledge of structured lending and regulatory frameworks.
• Exceptional ability to deliver sound credit judgments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evolve the Business Finance SF credit policy.
• Ensure robust lending decisions aligned with credit policy.
• Build and lead a specialist SF Credit team.

Skills

Credit risk experience

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Job description

London or Manchester | Permanent | Senior Leadership Role

Secure Trust Bank is an established, well‑funded and capitalised UK retail bank, proudly supporting over one million customers. For more than 70 years, we’ve helped consumers and businesses achieve their ambitions — and our journey continues as we pursue our ambition to become the UK’s most trusted specialist lender.

Our people are at the heart of that mission. We believe in empowering colleagues with autonomy, recognising exceptional performance, and fostering a culture where ideas are valued and impact is real. If you’re driven, proactive, and thrive in a fast‑paced environment, we’d love to hear from you.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced and influential Head of Credit for Speciality Finance (SF) to play a pivotal role in shaping the credit strategy and risk oversight of our rapidly developing SF proposition within Secure Trust Bank Group.

As a senior leader in the second line of defence, you will ensure high‑quality credit decisions, evolve our SF credit risk framework, and help firmly establish SF as a trusted and scalable product suite. You will also act as an MRT under FCA/PRA regulations, with the intention of being a member of the Bank’s Credit Committee.

This is a rare opportunity to build and lead a high‑performing SF Credit team while contributing directly to the Bank’s long‑term growth.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Developing and evolving the Business Finance Speciality Finance credit policy and risk appetite
• Minimising provisions and write‑offs while maximising return on equity within Group risk parameters
• Ensuring robust lending decisions aligned with credit policy, legal standards and regulatory requirements
• Exercising delegated authority as a Credit Committee member
• Supporting strategic initiatives driven by the Head of Business Finance Credit
• Working collaboratively with the Restructuring Director on distressed exposures
• Producing and presenting SF MI at Executive Risk Committees
• Building, mentoring and leading a specialist SF Credit team to deliver exceptional results
• Providing support to the wider Commercial Finance Credit function as required
• Partnering effectively with key stakeholders across Commercial Finance, Group Finance, Risk, Compliance, Marketing, People and Change

About You

You’ll bring extensive experience and credibility, with the gravitas to influence at senior levels and the expertise to guide a growing SF credit portfolio.

Experience & Knowledge

• Demonstrable credit risk experience, ideally within speciality finance or similar structured lending
• Strong expertise in SF structures such as borrowing base and block discounting facilities
• Proven ability to deliver sound credit judgments on complex transactions
• Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks including FCA/PRA, KYC/KYB and AML standards
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance growth with prudent risk management
• Experience managing in‑life credit risk and distressed assets
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills

Competencies

• Risk Aware – Keeping customers and the Bank safe
• Customer Focused – Putting customer needs at the heart of decisions
• Ownership – Taking accountability and delivering results
• Performance Driven – Motivated to deliver at pace and high standards
• Team Oriented – Working collaboratively to achieve collective success

Why Join Us?

At Secure Trust Bank you’ll be part of a culture that values collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement. You’ll have the autonomy to make an impact, the support of a talented leadership team, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

If you want to shape the future of Speciality Finance within a growing, purpose‑led UK bank, this could be your next big step.

Everyone is different. Everyone is valued

As part of our vision to become the most trusted specialist lender in the UK, we’ve been helping customers and businesses fulfil their ambitions since 1952. In that time, we’ve learned that we’re more than the sum of our parts. We’re a strong Group because of our people and our strengths; specialist, expert, ambitious and also diverse. All of our people are different and this is something we celebrate.

Every one of our employees brings unique talent, ability and perspective to their role.

That’s why Secure Trust Bank Group nurtures differences. We understand that we perform better because we’re not cast from the same mould. We actively embrace and support diversity, work with leading industry bodies and promote initiatives that reinforce our philosophy of giving you the freedom to be who you are.

We’re an award‑winning bank providing savings accounts and lending services to over one million customers. We’re Secure Trust Bank Group. We embrace difference.