Training & Competency Manager (Financial Planning) – Mass Affluent

City, Birmingham
Barclays

Join us as a Training & Competency Manager Financial Planning in our Mass Affluent team based in either Birmingham or Manchester.

You will be responsible for assisting with the supervision, coaching and development of Wealth Planners and Wealth Managers both pre and post competency, in the Mass Affluent business, leading key initiatives and providing SME expertise to support the business.

You will instil a strong risk and controls culture across the team, role modelling Barclays Mindset and Values, whilst formally supervising regulated activities and conducting observations based on our Training & Competence Scheme.

This is a core management support role within the Private Bank and Wealth Management, providing overall support to the business head with regards to sales and suitability framework. The individual will foster a culture of compliance, ensures regulations are observed, and embeds the relevant processes in place for employees to escalate problems.

Essential Skills/Basic Qualifications

• A recognised qualification in Financial Planning at Level 4 (RDR activity 4) or above is essential (e.g. CISI IAD, CII etc)
• Previous experience supervising and managing advisers, providing technical guidance as a subject matter expert, while ensuring teams meet regulated competency requirements across diverse markets
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders, coupled with a structured approach to planning, problem-solving, and organization, focused on delivering high standards
• In-depth knowledge of regulator guidance, the Training & Competence Scheme, and ensuring both personal and team CPD maintenance
• Extensive experience in financial services, particularly retail regulated products, with a proven ability to coach and manage teams effectively

Desirable Skills/Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant supervisory experience across the UK market
• Educated to degree level or above
• Proven ability to establish and sustain clear operational process for teams of people

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role may be located out of Birmingham or Manchester.

This role is deemed as a Certified role under the PRA & UK Financial Conduct Authority – Individual Accountabilities Regulations and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Purpose of the role

To assist relationship managers to effectively manage their client portfolios and optimise the client experience.

Accountabilities

• Maintenance of client information,management of contracts and agreements,and preparation of reports,presentations,and other materials.
• Coordination of schedules for relationship managers and clients,ensuring efficient time management and smooth communication.
• Processing of transactions,management of expense reports,and routine requests to free up the relationship manager’s time for strategic activities.
• Information gathering on relevant market trends,competitor offerings,and industry news to support the relationship manager in providing informed advice and tailored solutions.
• Analysis of client data,preparation of reports on portfolio performance,and provision of insights to inform portfolio adjustments and client recommendations.
• Management of inbound and outbound communication through phone,email,and other channels,relaying important information and response to client inquiries.
• Provision of support to relationship managers with planning, tracking and the execution of complex client projects bymanaging timelines andresources,identifying potential issues, summarising client portfolios and proactively communicating updates and opportunities to the relationship manager.
• Support to clients with everyday product and services tasks such as deposits,withdrawals,transfers,bill payments, mobile app support as well as updating personal information, contact details and account preferences.
• Guidance to new customers through account opening procedures,explanation of account terms and conditions,and setting up of online access and other services.
• Management and maintenance of client relations by resolving various customer concerns and inquiries, including account balances,statements,transactions,fees.
• Maintenance of confidentiality and security of client data by following strict data security protocols and ethical practices.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escape breaches of policies/procedures
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.