Who is Charity Bank?

Charity Bank is a savings and loans bank with a mission to use money for good. We use the money our savers entrust to us to make loans to charities, social enterprises and organisations with charitable purposes. Our community of borrowers, savers, shareholders and staff are all working towards one goal – helping to create lasting social change in our communities. If you believe that banks have a vital role to play in creating a world, we all want to live in and you want to live your values at work, apply for this vacancy today.

Charity Bank Recruitment Process

At Charity Bank, we prioritise inclusion and fairness in our recruitment process. Our use of recruitment software helps mitigate unconscious bias by incorporating skill-based questions alongside CVs. Responses and CVs are anonymised and reviewed in random order by our hiring team to ensure an equal chance for all candidates, regardless of background. Demographic questions are strictly for statistical purposes, ensuring a balanced candidate pool. Opting out of these questions is an option.

The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT or similar) is permitted in the application process. However, we advise against copying and pasting answers from AI tools, as this often results in generic responses. We encourage you to showcase your own experiences, voice, and style in your answers.

We review all applications within two weeks after the closing date, so expect feedback shortly thereafter. If you require reasonable adjustments during the application process, please email us at recruitment@charitybank.org.

Disability Confident Scheme

Under the Equality Act 2010, a person with a disability is someone who has – or has had in the past – a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

As an Equal Opportunities and Disability Confident Committed employer, we actively encourage applications from people who consider themselves to have a disability falling within this broad definition. To access the Disability Confident Scheme, as an applicant with a disability/long term health condition/mental health condition, you are simply required to:

• Show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification.

• Answer ‘yes’ to both the following questions on the Bank’s application form, ‘according to the definition of disability do you consider yourself to have a disability?’ and ‘do you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme?’

You are not required to share the name or nature of your condition; you are simply stating the fact that you have a disability or long-term health condition/mental health condition. If you do not answer ‘yes’, your application will not be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme.

Adjustments for the application process and interview can be made if needed, so please contact us at recruitment@charitybank.org if you require this.

We are keen to recruit from as diverse a talent pool of applicants as possible, so the scheme gives you not a guaranteed job offer but an opportunity to be fairly and equally assessed in interview along with other candidates who meet the criteria for the role.

Hiring managers do not automatically know the details of your condition(s), they are allowed only to ask what adjustments you may need before the interview or when you are in receipt of a job offer.

Be reassured that any adjustments you require will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not form part of any aspect of the assessment.

If a job offer is made to you, we will discuss with you any adjustments that you may need in the workplace to enable you to perform the duties required. These will not be discussed at the interview.

In your application, please ensure you demonstrate clearly how you meet the essential criteria.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact us recruitment@charitybank.org.

Four-Day Week with Full-Time Pay 

Charity Bank's Four-Day Week initiative, open to all employees from day one, champions work-life balance by providing four days of work with full-time pay. This innovative approach underscores productivity, equal compensation, and the creation of an inclusive workplace in line with Charity Bank's social mission. The 32-hour workweek typically spans four eight-hour days, offering flexibility to typically choose Friday or Monday as the day off. Days off are protected and treated like weekends, ensuring uninterrupted personal time. The arrangement is flexible, adapting to part-time employees on a pro rata basis. 

JOB PROFILE

Job Title: Head of Change

Contract: Permanent

Location: Tonbridge

Responsible to: CIO

Direct Reports: x1 Business Analyst

Date: December 2025

________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall Purpose of the Role:

· To lead the development and execution of a modern, enterprise-wide change capability that enables the bank to deliver value at pace. This role is responsible for defining and embedding a hybrid delivery model, managing a strategically aligned change portfolio, and building internal capability to ensure change is business-led, customer-centric, and outcome-driven.

· You’ll ensure the right change gets delivered in the right way – balancing agility with control, enabling speed to value, and supporting transformation aligned with the bank’s mission.

· Champion change management education, ensuring all stakeholders understand the change process, their roles, and the value of structured change.

Key Accountabilities:

· Design and embed a hybrid change delivery model: A scalable, flexible change framework is in place - supporting both product-led initiatives and centrally managed, cross-cutting change. The model is understood, adopted, and adds value.

· Ensure all change initiatives are aligned with the bank’s Enterprise Architecture, collaborating closely with the Head of IT to maintain architectural integrity and avoid technical debt.

· Work in partnership with the Head of Data, Integrations, and AI to ensure all change initiatives comply with data governance, integration standards, and ethical AI practices

· Lead end-to-end change delivery: High-priority initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and to expected outcomes. Agile and product-led ways of working are embedded and maturing across the organisation.

· Manage a strategic change portfolio: Change investments are prioritised, governed, and tracked transparently. Benefits realisation is visible and drives future decision-making.

· Drive agile and customer journey-led transformation: Teams design and deliver around customer value, not process. Agile disciplines are used pragmatically and consistently across business and tech.

· Provide Board and ExCo with actionable insight: Change performance and portfolio value are reported clearly. Leadership trusts the data and uses it to make informed trade-offs and steer decisions.

· Build change capability across the organisation: Business units have stronger ownership of change. Internal talent is developed, external dependency reduced, and delivery capability improves year-on-year.

· Ensure effective change governance and compliance: Governance is lean but robust. Regulatory and internal audit requirements are consistently met without slowing down delivery.

· Own vendor and partner delivery relationships: Key strategic technology partners are aligned to roadmap priorities. SLAs, commercial outcomes, and collaboration are actively managed and optimised.

· Foster a continuous improvement culture: Lessons are captured and acted on. The change function learns and evolves, driving improvements in both speed and predictability.

· Define and track metrics for change process effectiveness, adoption, and continuous improvement.

Key Contacts

Internally:

· Direct reports

· CIO and wider Technology team

· Executive Committee

· Functional heads (e.g., Lending, Savings, Marketing, Risk, Operations, Finance)

· IT service owners

Externally:

· System integrators and third-party solution providers

· Regulators and auditors (as required for Change queries or reviews)

Other Requirements:

· Flexibility to work extended hours on occasion to meet critical delivery deadlines or regulatory reporting cycles.

PERSON PROFILE

Experience (Essential):

· 5+ years of experience in financial services, with a strong track record in SME specialist commercial lending (high-growth and/or challenger bank environment).

· Proven experience in leading and embedding scaled Agile delivery frameworks (e.g. SAFe-lite, hybrid agile models) in real-world financial services settings.

· Deep understanding of product-led, and customer-centric delivery practices applied pragmatically to support business outcomes.

· Demonstrated expertise in banking (especially lending and credit) transformation including customer journey redesign (borrower, broker, solicitor), platform modernisation, AI/automation assisted loan origination and in-life servicing, workflow, and predictive decisioning.

· Strong background in portfolio and investment management including prioritisation frameworks, cost management, benefits tracking, and portfolio-level risk management.

· Strong ePMO experience – ideally having set up and led successful ePMO teams.

· Skilled in designing and delivering insightful reporting to ExCo and Board audiences - linking change performance with strategic decision-making.

· Experience in leading complex, multi-vendor product transformations - aligning roadmaps, resolving dependencies, and managing delivery risks across supplier ecosystems.

· Ownership of strategic technology vendor relationships, including SaaS platforms, hosting providers, and system integrators with clear focus on value and service performance.

· Successful delivery of business-led change initiatives across multiple functions (e.g. Risk, Compliance, Finance, Operations), not limited to technology domains.

· Expertise in lean, risk-aware change governance balancing delivery pace with regulatory and audit expectations (e.g. FCA, PRA compliance).

· Experience building internal change and delivery capability across P3M disciplines (Project, Programme & Portfolio Management).

· Knowledge of regulatory change delivery and engagement with internal audit functions.

· Background in culture-led change, including stakeholder engagement, behavioural adoption, and leadership enablement.

· Proficient in delivery tooling (e.g. Asana, Jira, Confluence, Power BI, MS Project, or equivalent).

· Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles and their application in change delivery.

Experience (Desirable):

· Experience delivering change within a purpose-led, social impact, or not-for-profit financial institution.

· Familiarity with ESG-linked transformation or impact-led portfolio prioritisation frameworks.

· Hands-on experience in a Product-led business (as a Product Owner or Product Manager), ideally within lending and credit, with full ownership of product lifecycle and value delivery.

· Understanding of data-driven change insight - using delivery metrics (e.g. throughput, cycle time, benefits burn-up) to inform decisions.

· Experience with AI governance, ethical data use, and explainability within credit or customer-facing systems.

· Experience in cost-to-income ratio optimisation through change and technology investment.

· Exposure to cloud-based technology environments and DevOps-aligned delivery models.

· Knowledge of data governance, integration, and AI/automation standards relevant to banking operations.

Skills

· Strategic Thinking: Able to align change delivery with organisational goals and social impact priorities.

· Delivery Leadership: Build trust & find common ground with stakeholders, Strong grasp of agile frameworks, ceremonies, and mindsets, with the ability to lead blended delivery models (agile, hybrid, traditional).

· Product & Customer-Centric Thinking: Skilled in defining value propositions, mapping customer journeys, and delivering outcomes over outputs.

· Portfolio Management: Proficient in managing change portfolios, prioritising investment, and optimising resource allocation.

· Benefits Realisation: Capable of designing and tracking benefits frameworks to ensure measurable value delivery.

· Lean Governance & Risk Management: Balances speed with assurance; builds governance that enables rather than restricts.

· Commercial & Vendor Management: Experienced in owning relationships with SaaS vendors, system integrators, and service providers.

· Data & Insight Orientation: Uses delivery and portfolio data to drive action, reporting, and continuous improvement.

· Influencing & Stakeholder Engagement: Communicates with clarity and credibility at all levels, including ExCo and Board.

· Coaching & Capability Building: Develops others through mentoring, training, and hands-on support; uplifts internal change capability.

· Adaptability & Problem Solving: Operates effectively in ambiguity, shifting priorities, and evolving strategic contexts.

· Collaboration & Cross-Functional Leadership: Brings together business, technology, and support functions to enable cohesive delivery.

Knowledge

· Deep understanding of SME commercial, products, customer needs, and lifecycle.

· Knowledge of agile and hybrid delivery methodologies (e.g. Scrum, SAFe, Kanban), including practical application beyond IT.

· Familiarity with product management principles, customer journey mapping, and human-centred design approaches.

· Strong grasp of enterprise change frameworks, portfolio management practices, and investment governance.

· Understanding of regulatory expectations in financial services (e.g. PRA, FCA) and their impact on change delivery.

· Awareness of AI, analytics, and automation use cases in credit decisioning, servicing, and operational transformation.

· Knowledge of SaaS platforms, hosting environments, and system integration models relevant to banking operations.

· Familiarity with tools and platforms used in change and delivery management (e.g. Jira, Confluence, Power BI, MS Project).

· Insight into social impact, ESG, and purpose-led strategy in the financial services context.

· Awareness of data governance, AI explain ability, and ethical considerations in digital transformation.

· Knowledge of internal audit, risk, and compliance functions and how they interact with change initiatives