Operational Effectiveness Manager

  • Description This
  • City, Swindon
  • Jan 15, 2026
Full time

Job Description

Now is an exciting time to work in Finance and get involved in a multi-year transformation that will shape the future of Finance at Nationwide and Virgin Money.

This role sits in the Future Capabilities and Operations team in Finance and as an Operational Effectiveness Manager, you'll play a critical part in co ordinating the change required by Finance to support group-wide integration activities. You'll work collaboratively with subject matter experts across Finance and key strategic integration programmes to deliver an ambitious change agenda, influence decisions at the highest level and provide oversight for every stage of the journey.

If you thrive in a change environment, enjoy navigating ambiguity, want to make the complex simple, and would like to have a lasting impact on the future of our organisation then this role offers an exceptional opportunity to do this.

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 hub. There will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events in one of our office sites. This is anticipated to be twice per quarter in Swindon or London. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

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.

Uncompromisingly Customer, whatever our role

The extras you'll get
  • Access to 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

Are you a Virgin Money colleague? Take a look at the Cross-Company Careers Guidance on VMx where you'll find information on how we manage cross-entity hires.

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.

The hiring manager for this role is Victoria Hyland and the main recruitment contact is Thomas Pegg .

What you'll be doing

You will be responsible for a variety of change related activities.

Firstly, you'll co ordinate the Finance Portfolio change agenda in support of one, or a number of strategic integration programmes, influencing the strategic direction of Finance and supporting the function. This will allow you to translate demands from outside Finance into delivery roadmaps and actionable plans, tracking progress against these and flowing progress updates into senior forums.

While problem solving, you will connect the dots and unblock issues, manage budget and resource requirements and assist on delivery-related decisions and escalations to maintain pace against agreed priorities and schedule - championing the Finance Function agenda and narrative to support the delivery of this.

To work out a clear plan you will comfortably navigate ambiguity and use information from multiple sources and use your judgement to make assumptions where there are gaps and support stakeholders along the way. You will collate and analyse various data points and bring in an external perspective and your analysis will shape consistent, timely and high quality communications for the function. You will adapt this to suit the audience.

Working closely with colleagues in Finance and from across the business, including matrix working with our COO project management teams, you will be responsible for Finance Portfolio updates at programme level and will be required to represent Finance across business forums as required and interact with Function Leaders from around the business.

About you

You will be an individual who is determined and passionate to make a difference to the Function. Therefore, you will:

  • Be able to evidence a successful track record of managing complex change initiatives
  • Be a strategic thinker who can support stakeholders to prioritise conflicting priorities and challenge them to think beyond the short-term and/or tactical
  • Have excellent change management skills and be able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
  • Show experience in planning and decision-making within ambiguous environments
  • Have excellent communication, technical, analytical, interpersonal, and influencing skills and be able to quickly forge strong relationships with technical experts
  • Have advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills and be able to demonstrate these skills through experience of gathering information from various sources and presenting this simply and concisely to audiences at differing levels, up to ExCo level
  • Have used the Nationwide's Change Frameworks and supporting technology such as Jira and Confluence
  • Be able to manage a budget and resource plans efficiently

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.

Job Info
  • Job Identification 1594
  • Apply Before 01/20/2026, 11:55 PM
  • Locations Nationwide House, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN38 1NW, GB 92/96 Argyle Street, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G2 8BQ, GB 3 Red Hall Crescent, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2DF, GB Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EP, GB Kings Park Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN3 6NW, GB 38 Carver Street, Sheffield, West Yorkshire, S1 4FS, GB Masterton House, Dunfermline, Fife Region, KY11 8NX, GB 1 Threadneedle Street, London, Greater London, EC2R 8AY, GB