Head of Commercial Performance

Who we are

At Vanquis, we have a simple purpose: to deliver caring banking so our customers can make the most of life’s opportunities. Established in 1880, we’re now a FTSE All Share company and leading specialist bank. We lend responsibly, providing tailored products and services to over 1.69 million UK customers. We see ourselves as the bank that’s got your back.

Vanquis has been named one of the Financial Times UK’s Best Employers 2025, ranking in the top 50 nationwide and seventh in Banking and Financial Services. This recognition is based on independent employee feedback, reflecting our strong workplace culture, career growth opportunities, and commitment to our people.

The Head of Commercial Performance acts as a strategic partner to the Head of Cards, playing a pivotal role in driving operational performance, governance discipline, and strategic delivery across the Credit Card function.

In addition to managing the business rhythms and priorities of the Cards leadership team, the postholder will lead the bank-wide Pricing Modelling Centre of Excellence. This team is responsible for the development, governance and ongoing optimisation of pricing models across all products.

This is a unique opportunity for a commercially-minded operator with strong leadership, credit card expertise and modelling acumen to shape pricing strategy and performance across the Group.

Responsibilities:

Business Management & Performance Delivery:

• Partner with the Head of Cards to deliver the business plan, ensuring aligned priorities, milestone tracking and performance management.
• Lead the design and delivery of the operating cadence for the Credit Card Leadership Team – including meeting planning, decision tracking, and forward agendas.
• Manage key performance MI, helping to drive accountability and insight-led decision-making.

Pricing Modelling Centre of Excellence (CoE) Lifecycle Management:

• Lead the Pricing Modelling CoE team, setting direction, priorities and standards for pricing model development across Cards, Loans, Savings, and any future product lines.
• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of pricing models, ensuring models are commercially robust, transparent, and meet governance and compliance requirements.
• Act as the business lead for pricing modelling strategy – working with Product, Finance, Risk and Data teams to align on assumptions, methodologies, and model outcomes.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in pricing capabilities, including adoption of new data sources, technologies, and modelling techniques.

Strategic Programme Support:

• Coordinate and support major strategic programmes such as pricing optimisation, digital transformation, and customer experience enhancements.
• Identify interdependencies, track delivery milestones, and support senior sponsors in resolving risks and issues.

Experience required:

• Proven leadership of cross-functional teams and delivery through others.

• Strong understanding of pricing and financial modelling methodologies.

• Adept at operating at both strategic and detail levels, with high analytical literacy.

• Highly structured, organised and methodical, with excellent planning skills.

• Capable of handling sensitive issues discreetly and operating with resilience in high-pressure environments.

• Strong data fluency, including the ability to interpret model logic, assess data pipelines, and engage confidently with technical colleagues.

• Demonstrated ability to drive financial performance and achieve business targets

• Significant experience in UK consumer credit, ideally in a credit card, loans or pricing-related role.

• Demonstrable experience in business management, strategic programme leadership, or senior support to executive leadership.

• Proven background in pricing, financial modelling or commercial analytics within a regulated financial services environment.

• Experience leading cross-functional teams and working across product, finance, risk and data domains.

• Experience leading a pricing function or Centre of Excellence in a product-led business.

• Experience delivering or overseeing cloud-based modelling or analytics solutions, ideally using Snowflake & Python, or similar modern data platforms.

• Familiarity with model governance, performance monitoring, and regulatory expectations (e.g., model risk management).

• Degree-level qualification (or equivalent experience) in a quantitative or business discipline (e.g., Mathematics, Economics, Finance, Business, Data Science).