Senior Manager, Product – Product Strategy & Operations

Join us as a Senior Manager, Product - Product Strategy & Operations and play a pivotal role in shaping a brand-new function at the heart of Retail Products. This is a unique opportunity to help define cross-product strategies and customer propositions, influence how products are delivered across the business, and drive innovative thinking that improves both customer outcomes and commercial performance. Working alongside a team of experienced leaders, you will help establish and grow a function designed to bring greater efficiency, effectiveness and strategic focus across our products and customer journeys.

As an experienced people leader with a strong background in product management, strategy and proposition development, you will be instrumental in building and developing a high-performing team while setting the direction for and delivering key strategic initiatives. Drawing on your leadership experience and understanding of the financial services market, you will shape cross-product agendas, deliver proof-of-concept initiatives that demonstrate customer and commercial value, and bring ideas to life through clear, compelling communication. This role offers the chance to make a visible impact, influence senior stakeholders and help create a function that will play a critical role in the future success of our Retail Products business.

We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.
 

The working hours (per week) for this role can be between 28 and 35 hours.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll be located at our nearest regional office or hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration and in some locations you’ll be expected to spend at least two days a week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, in the office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. 

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

This is a rare opportunity to help shape and establish a brand-new function, playing a key role in delivering the strategic ambitions of Retail Products and supporting the successful growth of cross-product capability. You'll work at the forefront of strategic thinking, helping develop cross-product propositions, product and services, and drive initiatives that deliver meaningful value for both customers and the business. This is a highly visible role with the opportunity to make a lasting impact across a wide range of products, services and customer journeys.

Success in this role requires someone who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment and is comfortable navigating ambiguity while balancing multiple priorities. You’ll lead the development of cross-product propositions and strategic recommendations, ensuring member, commercial and risk considerations are carefully balanced, while driving initiatives that deliver against key investment objectives. Working closely with colleagues and senior stakeholders across Nationwide, you’ll also play an important part in building a high-performing, engaged team and helping create a function that will shape the future direction of Retail Products.

About you

We're looking for an established senior leader with a proven track record of shaping and delivering strategic product and proposition agendas, building high-performing teams, and driving outcomes in fast-paced, complex environments. You'll be a confident collaborator and influencer, comfortable engaging, supporting and constructively challenging stakeholders at all levels while balancing competing priorities and delivering meaningful business impact.

As a minimum, you'll need:

• Extensive product management experience within financial services, with a track record of leading strategic, proposition development and transformation initiatives

• Demonstrable experience shaping business strategy, developing customer propositions and delivering measurable commercial and customer outcomes

• Proven people leadership experience, with the ability to build, develop and inspire high-performing teams

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working effectively across senior leadership groups and complex matrix environments

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to translate complex topics into clear, compelling recommendations and presentations

• Commercially astute, with experience developing business cases, assessing investment opportunities and balancing customer, risk and commercial considerations

• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the flexibility to adapt quickly, manage multiple priorities and thrive in a dynamic, evolving environment

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 30 days holiday, pro rata

• Private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us. To find out more about how we use and process your data, please read our Privacy policy.

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please read more here.

Disability Confident

We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level.  

That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion. Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment Support.  

Apply safely with Nationwide 

Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by a job scam. 

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be Senior Manager Product.