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. 

Role Profile

Job Title:                   Lending Product and Change Manager                

Contract:                    Permanent, full-time (32 hours per week)

Location:                     Hybrid: minimum, on average, of 2 days per week in the Tonbridge Office

Responsible to:   Head of Projects and Operational Resilience

 Purpose of the Role

Charity Bank, wholly owned by charities and social purpose investors, is entirely focused on supporting UK charities and social enterprises. In 2025, Charity Bank is embarking on the next phase of its strategic development, aiming to enhance our social impact by significantly increasing the volume and value of secured loans to customers in order to support property acquisition, development/refurbishment and working capital needs in sectors such as Social & Supported Housing, Health & Social Care and Community Based Organisations.

 The Lending Product and Change Manager will co-ordinate and manage the lending product backlog at Charity Bank with responsibility for delivery of projects and change items through the lifecycle in line with our project and change management policies. The Lending Product and Change Manager will take responsibility for all aspects of product administration (setup, monitoring and reporting) and will support both the Head of Projects and Operational Resilience and Director of Business Development and Borrower Experience with the development of the end to end lending journey with a focus on delivering enhanced customer experiences and internal productivity gains.

Dimensions of the Role

Projects:

·       Responsibility for systems and process implementation, and best practices that optimise efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance. To include the automation of tasks and controls where possible and production of management information.

·       The role holder will need to be comfortable leading both the design and presentation of ideas with a range of stakeholders with the aim of driving continuous improvement to both customer and user experience.

·       Support the definition and delivery of product strategy and distribution channels.

·       Responsible for overseeing the prioritisation of development of the Bank’s principal CRM tool (Salesforce).

·       Provide input and ensure adherence to the Bank’s strategic Plan.

·       Keep on the pulse of the market, competitor, technology, and change – and bring this knowledge to the wider team and business.

·       Maintain a rigorous understanding of both secured and unsecured lending, the Bank’s product suites – how they work, the process, types of clients, commercial drivers, and regulations.

·       Support the management of risk for the Bank’s products including management of the product governance processes, at launch, in-life, and end-of-life.

·       Act as the project manager to help deliver change, where approval has been given, ensuring best practices in change management, reporting and delivery are met.

Operational Resilience:

·         Support the development of materials across the lending journey that can be utilised for a business continuity scenario testing exercise.

·         Keep up to date with regulations and bring this knowledge to the wider team and business.

·         Maintain a rigorous understanding of the Bank’s policies and processes around operational resilience.

·         Support staff and Head of Projects and Operational Resilience with mapping out important business services, risk appetite analysis and updating any Business Continuity documentation.

Key Contacts:

Internally – Projects & Operational Resilience, IT, Lending Services, Credit, Marketing & Communications, Compliance (Risk & AML), the Bank’s committees, IT and Finance teams. On occasion Savings Operations and Savings Product.

Externally – Borrowers, outsourced providers, auditors and networks.

Other Requirements:

·         Deep understanding and experience with the development of secured lending products and services to SME borrowers.

·         Some unsocial hours when needs arise.

·         the appointee may be required to attend the Tonbridge office more than 2 days per week where a project requires onsite support.

Key Deliverables:

 ·         The right candidate will demonstrate a proficiency in leveraging technology and automation tools for optimising lending operations. They should possess a solid understanding of lending systems, integrated software and data solutions and architecture and have input into the development and improvement of digital channels for borrowers to support the origination of secured lending across a wide range of borrower personas.

·         To actively explore opportunities to streamline processes, digitalise manual tasks and think innovatively on how technology can support the Bank’s loans operations, reduce costs, make the Bank greener and enhance the overall borrower and CB user experience.

·         From the lending perspective to lead on the implementation of technology projects such as; onboarding journey, document management, updates to the core bank system, mobile app etc.

Key Accountabilities:

Projects

·         Provide regular analysis and post ‘go-live’ MI following any change projects to ensure key information on risks are communicated effectively and aid strategic decision making.

·         Accountability to ensure the Bank’s suite of operating manuals and workflow checklists are updated to include new processes arising from change projects.

·         Co-ordinate the delivery of projects and initiatives relating to the Bank’s gathering and/or management of its loans, such as any changes to products or new product offerings. Deploy and apply appropriate project management skills and disciplines to ensure timely, efficient and cost-effective delivery of those projects. Provide support for other projects across the wider bank as required.

·       Support the Bank’s suite of lending reporting to meet the requirements defined in project and change management policies.

·       Prepare and maintain a library of suitable training for new and existing project managers in the business and provide guidance.

·       responsible for documenting change and ensuring training and embedding of change to end users.

·       Monitor releases and developments to any project software used by the Bank or could be used to assist the Head of projects and Operational Resilience in selecting the most appropriate features and customisations for the Charity Bank project portfolio.

·       Feed into the bi-monthly project status reports and internal newsletter for review.

·       Support in developing the bi-monthly project committee decks on Convene for review.

·       Develop monthly (or more frequently as required) project check-ins for all live projects to inform status reporting.

·       Support record-keeping relating to projects and keep internal and external stakeholders to agreed timelines and deliverables.

·       Develop quarterly departmental check-ins to monitor workload and future loading projections for review.

·       Where required, attend and develop draft minutes for the project committee.

·       Support the Bank’s suite of policies concerning Projects and Change.

Operational Resilience

·         Within the Lending and Borrower journey:

o    Support Key topics including mapping important business services, setting impact tolerances, and addressing third-party vulnerabilities within the borrower journey.

o    Support the Bank’s suite of policies concerning operational resilience.

·       Work with colleagues to ensure the Bank’s outsourcing register is maintained in line with policy and regulations.

 Essential Experience

•     Minimum of 3 years relevant experience withing a financial institution for borrower and lending journey as a product manager

•     Minimum of 3 years project management experience

•     Delivering reporting for senior management

•     Knowledge of KYC, Anti Money Laundering, ongoing screening checks etc.

•     Knowledge of Salesforce and/or another system that supports delivery of an end-to-end journey for loans.

•     Negotiating and influencing a variety of internal audiences and stakeholders

•     Knowledge of operational resilience regulations

Desirable Experience

•     Working in a commercial banking environment

•     Working with charities or social enterprises

•     Change management experience

Essential Attainments

• Minimum of 5 relevant GCSEs (grade 4-9 or A - C) or equivalent qualifications.

  Desirable Attainments

• Degree/Professional qualification

Essential Special Aptitudes

•     MS Office suite

•     Project planning – exposure to PRINCE, ITIL or similar

•     Experience of manipulating data to provide information

•     A self-starter, able to work on own initiative to deliver high quality outcomes within agreed timescales.

•     Meticulous attention to detail, highly organised, systematic in approach

•     Able to analyse significant bodies of data - identifying trends, themes and actionable insight.

•     High level of common sense, sound judgement, practical and pragmatic

•     Computer-literate: strong excel skills.

•     Excellent presentation and verbal and written communication skills, to be able to inform and persuade both orally and in writing and communicate effectively with a variety of audiences.

•     Numerically competent

•     Ability to produce comprehensive report.

•     Negotiating and influencing skills

•     Persistence, an eye for detail

• Outsourcing register/Important business service mapping experience

Desirable Special Aptitudes

•     Working with a portfolio of projects to provide portfolio reporting

•     Salesforce knowledge

•     Any technical qualifications on data analytics would be a plus (SQL, SAS, Python, etc.)

•     Any experience with implementing project or portfolio management tools.

  Essential Disposition

•     Confident and able to engage at all levels.

•     Influencing skills – good at getting a message across

•    A self-starter and team player, but able to work on own initiative.

• A strong understanding of Charity Bank’s mission and values

Desirable Disposition

•     Resourceful and self-starter

  Thinking Style

•     Well-organised and systematic in approach.

•     Detail-conscious and determined to get the right outcome with the required quality.

Strategic thinker

Circumstances

• Some unsociable working hours/overnight stays