The Vacancy
Role Type: Perm/full time
Location: Hybrid working - open to any of our offices (London, Reading, Manchester, Cardiff), must be willing to travel to London frequently
Aldermore Group – why we exist
We’re Aldermore – the award-winning bank, trusted and highly rated by over a quarter of a million customers for more than a decade. With our range of specialist mortgages, savings accounts and business finance solutions, we're backing more people to go for it.
We thrive by saying “yes” to our customers. We respect the ingenuity of entrepreneurs and their startups; we give first-timers a leg-up onto the property ladder; we open up the lending market to many; and thousands of customers chose Motonovo Finance every week to buy their next car, van or motorbike.
This is where you come in. We are on a journey. A journey defined by a destination; to deliver on our purpose.
Let us tell you a bit about the opportunity
As the Director of Credit Risk, a senior second-line role reporting directly to the Deputy CRO, you will shape and lead the Group’s credit risk strategy at the highest level. Working closely with the Deputy CRO/Chief Credit Officer, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring the Group makes robust, well‑informed lending decisions and maintains a strong, sustainable credit risk profile across all business lines.
You will take ownership of the Group’s credit risk management framework, setting the tone for how we identify, measure, manage, and report credit risk. This includes oversight of credit policies, lending strategies, risk measurement methodologies, and the delivery of clear, impactful reporting that ensures the Group consistently operates within its defined credit risk appetite.
This is a highly visible leadership position. You’ll regularly engage with a broad range of influential stakeholders including FirstRand (our parent company), Group Executives, senior leaders across the business, regulators, investors, and credit rating and reference agencies. You will represent Aldermore’s credit risk strategy and performance whilst providing expert insight on emerging trends and portfolio developments.
This position is designated as a Certified Role under the FCA’s Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR).
How You’ll Contribute
1. Oversight & Impact Provide independent, expert challenge to 1LOD, ensuring credit risk is managed confidently within the Group’s risk appetite, framework, and policies, as well as regulatory requirements such as MCOB and CONC. You will own and continually refine the Group’s credit risk management framework, appetite, and associated policies, making sure they remain aligned to evolving industry best practice and deliver real value to the business.
2. Strategic Partner to the Business Act as a trusted strategic partner to senior leaders, influencing behaviours, shaping risk culture, and enabling safe, sustainable growth. You’ll bring clarity on emerging risks, guiding the business to develop forward‑looking strategies that quantify, manage, and monitor credit risk with precision.
3. Leadership that Elevates Performance Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of Credit Risk professionals. You’ll set direction and ensure the function delivers deep expertise and impactful support across the Group.
4. Setting the Right Risk Appetite Design and oversee appropriate risk limits across each business line, ensuring portfolios remain well‑controlled and fully aligned with Board‑approved risk appetite.
5. Insight That Drives Decisions Deliver high‑quality insights into portfolio quality, performance, and concentrations across all segments, products, and markets. You will own the development of robust, industry‑standard MI that enables senior stakeholders to make confident, informed decisions.
6. Advanced Risk Measurement Oversee the Group’s impairment calculations and forecasting, stress testing, and the management of Credit Risk‑Weighted Assets. You’ll also be accountable for internal capital assessments under Pillar 2A and stress testing under Pillar 2B as part of the ICAAP.
7. Systems Ownership Own the production systems that power the Group’s ECL and RWA calculation engines, ensuring they are accurate, effective, and future‑ready.
8. Model Risk Leadership Lead the Group Model Development function and serve as Model Owner for all IFRS 9 credit models - driving strong governance and continuous enhancement of model performance and reliability.
9. External Influence & Representation Represent the Group with regulators, credit rating agencies, and reference agencies, articulating Aldermore’s credit performance, strategy, and risk profile with authority and credibility.
10. Governance & Executive Leadership Serve as a member and Deputy Chair of the Executive Credit Committee and as a member of the Model Governance Forum. You will also deputise for the Chief Credit Officer as required - playing a key leadership role across the broader risk function.
About You
11. Proven Credit Risk leadership experience within banking
12. Strong grounding in consumer & commercial credit risk, impairment/IFRS 9, ECL and RWA.
13. Experience with ICAAP, Pillar 2A/2B and stress testing.
14. Experience with credit risk model development and model oversight.
15. Proven leader of multi‑disciplinary hybrid working credit risk teams (c. 20–30 people), ability to develop and guide a seasoned team.
16. Hands‑on approach, able to step in and support technical work when required.
17. Able to produce clear, high‑quality MI and portfolio insight to support decisions.
18. Sound digital literacy, with a good understanding of Tech/AI developments
19. Confident, diplomatic communicator who is able to influence appropriately.
20. Resilient, secure and comfortable in a challenging senior stakeholder environment.
21. Pragmatic, commercially aware, and proportionate in risk judgement.
22. Adaptable and collaborative, with strong problem‑solving instincts.
What can you expect from us?
23. A hybrid working policy, 3 days per week onsite in one of our offices
24. A friendly and flexible culture, the same as how we work with our customers
25. A growing organisation that means there’s lots of opportunities to progress
26. A drive for continuous improvement, which you will be empowered to get behind from day one
27. And of course, you will be rewarded competitively, with a good range of core benefits and bonus potential
Please note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes criminal record checks.
Behaviour Framework
Our behavioural framework underpins our purpose and strategic drivers, as it outlines the behaviours we need to demonstrate in order to succeed. Where our strategic drivers (Stay Ahead Propositions, Relationships That Last and Progressive Platform) outline what we need to do to succeed, our behaviours guide us in how. In your second interview, we’ll ask you to talk through some examples where you’ve demonstrated these behaviours in your previous roles.
The Benefits
As you would expect, we offer a competitive basic salary and reward package, and you’ll also benefit from our commitment to investing in your professional development throughout your journey with us.
Benefits vary across the business depending on the role you do, but these will give you an idea of what to expect:
28. Discretionary bonus scheme
29. Aviva Digital GP
30. Bus And Tram Benefit
31. Employee Assistance Programme
32. Eyecare Voucher & Display Screens/Desk Set-Up
33. Flu Jab Vouchers
34. Group Income Protection
35. Life Assurance
36. Metrolink Annual Pass & Clipper Ticket
37. Microsoft Discounts
38. Private Medical Insurance Shopping Discounts
39. Toothfairy
40. Your Workplace Pension
41. Hybrid Working
42. Critical Illness
43. Cycle To Work
44. Dental Insurance
45. Give As You Earn
46. Government Tax-Free Childcare Scheme
47. Octopus Electric Vehicles
48. Save Our Planet
49. Season Ticket Loan
50. Spouse Or Partner Life Assurance
51. Technology
52. Wearable Technology
53. Wellbeing App
54. Will Writing
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