Full-time Head of Operations - Specialist Customer Support Services, Nationwide

We are looking for an experienced and inspiring Head of Operations to lead our

Specialist Customer Support Services (SCS) function. This is a significant

leadership role, accountable for delivering excellent service, strong

operational performance and good customer outcomes for members who require

specialist support. This role reports into the Director of Support.

Leading a large, multi-site operation across both Virgin Money and Nationwide,

you'll set the strategic direction for the function while ensuring services

remain efficient, well controlled and compliant. You'll oversee the delivery of

support for customers experiencing vulnerability, as well as those requiring

bereavement, power of attorney and other specialist services, always maintaining

a strong focus on fair customer outcomes.

As a key member of the Support leadership team, you'll translate Nationwide's

strategy into clear operational priorities and lead the ongoing transformation

and integration of the function. Working collaboratively with senior leaders,

internal partners, suppliers, regulators and industry bodies, you'll help shape

services, influence decision-making and ensure the effective management of

change.

You'll have end-to-end accountability for operational performance, customer

journeys, capacity planning, budgets, risk and control management, audit

activity, complaints and regulatory obligations. Through visible and inclusive

leadership, you'll empower colleagues across multiple locations to deliver

exceptional service while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous

improvement and customer focus.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced operational leader with

strong commercial judgement, a track record of leading large-scale operations,

sound risk management skills and the ability to influence at senior levels.

You'll play a pivotal role in helping Nationwide deliver better outcomes for

customers, colleagues and society.

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

best.

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 spend at least two days per week, or if part-time, you'll

spend 40% of your working time, based at our Swindon, Bournemouth, Northampton

or Glasgow office. If you’re based at our Glasgow office, this will apply from 1

April 2027 and ahead of that there will be a need to regularly connect with

colleagues for collaboration events. If your application is successful, your

hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find

02out more about our approach to hybrid working here

[https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnationwide-jobs.co.uk%2Flife-at-nationwide%2Frewarding-you&data=05%7C02%7CSamantha.Graham%40nationwide-jobs.co.uk%7Cc3d3225d77e54ab5a92008dedc2cceff%7C18ed93f5e4704996b0ef9554af985d50%7C0%7C0%7C639190282163461695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PC5Y9xpYWimDrh3FYkvbMMF87I34nF17ytwWljcifjI%3D&reserved=0].

Whilst these locations are where we are primarily looking to fill the role, if

you’re an internal applicant based in a different location, we would welcome

your application and, if successful, your hiring manager will provide further

details on how this could work for this specific role.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change,

as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this

recruitment process.

If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a

temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an

application.

03RESPONSIBILITIES

What you’ll be doing

You will lead the development and delivery of the function's strategy, setting

clear priorities and leading teams across multiple locations to deliver

excellent service and fair customer outcomes. Using customer, market, regulatory

and operational insight, you'll drive improvements to customer journeys and

ensure policies and processes align with regulatory requirements and industry

best practice.

You'll be accountable for operational performance, capacity planning, budgets,

risk and control management, complaints, audits and regulatory activity,

ensuring the operation remains efficient, resilient and well governed.

Working closely with colleagues across Nationwide and external partners, you'll

build strong relationships, influence decision-making and drive improvements in

service, quality and cost. Through visible and inclusive leadership, you'll

create a high-performing culture that champions accountability, development and

continuous improvement.

04About you

• We are looking for:
• Significant senior leadership experience within a complex customer support or
• financial services operation
• Deep understanding of specialist customer support, regulatory requirements,
• operational risk and customer outcomes
• Proven track record of leading multi-site teams, building high-performing
• cultures and improving customer and colleague outcomes
• Strong commercial and financial management experience, including budget
• setting and accountability, capacity planning and cost management
• Experience delivering operational transformation, service improvement and
• organisational change
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage
• senior leaders, boards and external stakeholders
• A degree, relevant professional qualification, or equivalent senior
• leadership experience
• 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.

05QUALIFICATIONS

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.

06What 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 [https://nationwide-jobs.co.uk/privacy].

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

read more here [https://nationwide-jobs.co.uk/help-and-support].

07Disability 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 [Recruitment.Support@nationwide-jobs.co.uk].

08Apply 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. [https://www.nationwide.co.uk/news-and-stories/job-scams/]
• The hiring manager for this role is Jasper Davy, and the main recruitment
• contact is Sameena Rehman.
• Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title
• on our internal systems will be Head of Operations.