Senior Portfolio Lead - Customer Change

Swindon, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom

It's an exciting time to be joining Group Customer & Communications (GCC) at Nationwide as we have an important journey ahead of us; both for our core Nationwide brand, as well as for the integration of Virgin Money.

As an experienced change professional, used to shaping and executing large and complex portfolios of business change, you will be confident and proficient at leading through ambiguity and working with diverse groups of people to translate ideas and desired outcomes into tangible and executable packages of work.

Working in GCC, you'll be part of a Change Team who ensure programme deliverables are aligned with broader integration and Society plans; lead milestones through key stages, mobilise resources and unify project teams behind a common goal, outcome and shared programme plan. This includes integration change activity that's owned by GCC to bring together the Nationwide and Virgin Money brands and customers.

If you don't have experience of portfolio management but are a Change Manager at the top of your game, we're also recruiting for these skills within our growing team. Check out our vacancies website for more details.

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 either our Swindon or London office. 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. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here .

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.

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

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.

Please note that if you are successful in securing this role the job title on our internal systems will be Senior Change Portfolio Lead.

What you'll be doing

We're looking to recruit an experienced and passionate change leader to deliver on a blend of areas.

As a Senior Portfolio Lead, you'll play a pivotal role within the Group Customer & Communications (GCC) function, leading complex, multi-workstream programmes and shaping the portfolio of transformation activity across GCC and NBS. You will bring structure, clarity and pace to large-scale change, operating confidently across senior levels and overseeing multiple interdependent projects to drive meaningful business outcomes.

You'll provide strategic direction and leadership across large, complex programmes, ensuring the right governance, delivery structures and programme controls are in place to drive efficiency, transparency and quality. You'll oversee a portfolio of change initiatives, managing interdependencies, sequencing and resource utilisation to ensure alignment to strategic objectives and optimise value delivery.

It'll be your responsibility to lead delivery through the full change lifecycle, selecting and applying appropriate delivery methodologies, and championing an agile, adaptive mindset to accelerate progress and remove barriers.

By establishing and maintaining strong stakeholder engagement at senior levels, you will ensure there is alignment across GCC, Nationwide and Virgin Money, securing clear ownership of decisions, risks and priorities. You'll need to proactively identify, elevate and resolve risks, issues and strategic blockers, supporting delivery leads and influencing senior stakeholders to maintain momentum.

You'll provide clear, insightful programme reporting and updates to relevant Boards, governance forums and committees, delivering well formed recommendations and highlighting key decisions required. You will also continually enhance programme management maturity, coach project teams, embed best practice, and drive consistency and efficiency across the function.

About you

To be successful in the role, you will need:

• Extensive experience leading significant transformation programmes or managing large, complex business change portfolios across cross functional environments, which have delivered compelling and measurable outcomes.
• A successful history of turning ambiguous concepts into well defined, fully scoped and resourced change initiatives and delivering them to time, cost and quality at scale.
• Exceptional communication, influencing and storytelling skills, enabling you to build alignment, simplify complexity and inspire commitment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem solving capabilities, with the ability to quickly interpret information, challenge constructively and shape pragmatic, forward looking solutions.
• Proven leadership of project delivery teams, creating clarity of purpose, driving accountability and fostering collaboration.
• Confidence and credibility operating at Executive level, with experience crafting compelling programme briefs, business cases and strategic recommendations.
• Deep, practical expertise in programme and portfolio planning, governance and controls, including managing complex interdependencies and significant delivery risk.
• 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 1938
• Apply Before 02/16/2026, 11:55 PM
• Locations Nationwide House, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN38 1NW, GB; 1 Threadneedle Street, London, Greater London, EC2R 8AY, GB