Director - Product Control - Banking/Financial Services

Strategy:

• Define and lead the WRB Capital Markets Products Controllership strategy across derivatives, structured products, FX, equities and fixed income, ensuring alignment with WRB Finance, Group Finance and business priorities.
• Set enterprise-level standards for product accounting, revenue recognition, fair value accounting, P&L reporting, balance sheet integrity and control governance across Capital Markets Products.
• Act as the senior finance control authority for complex product accounting, booking model, reserve, reporting and control matters, providing decisive independent challenge and escalation where required.
• Influence senior Business Finance, Product, Markets, Risk and Group Finance stakeholders to support commercially sound growth while preserving strong financial control, governance and reporting discipline.
• Sponsor simplification, standardisation, automation and sustainable control uplift across Capital Markets Products reporting and controllership processes.

Key Responsibilities:

Business:

• Provide senior leadership over the financial control agenda for derivatives, structured products, FX, equities and fixed income, including payoff profiles, lifecycle events, hedging relationships, booking models and market risk sensitivities.
• Apply authoritative commercial and accounting judgement to ensure product financials reflect underlying economics, risk profile, governance expectations and external reporting requirements.
• Shape business decision-making by providing independent, forward-looking challenge on product performance, growth initiatives, change priorities and control implications.

Processes:

• Provide strategic front-to-back oversight of Capital Markets Products accounting and reporting processes, from trade origination, product setup and booking models through sub-ledgers, general ledger, management information, disclosures and senior governance reporting.
• Oversee key controllership activities across derivatives, structured products, FX, equities and fixed income, including:

• 1. P&L recognition, fair value movements, day-one P&L, amortisation, hedge-related impacts and product close-out accounting
• 2. Balance sheet substantiation, reconciliations, exception management, manual journals, reserves, attestations and control evidence
• 3. Booking model governance, product accounting treatments, sub-ledger to general ledger controls, reporting controls and senior issue escalation
• 4. Period-end close governance, disclosures, audit and regulatory responses, transformation impacts and product change readiness across Capital Markets Products

• Ensure compliance with Group accounting policies, IFRS requirements, financial control standards, substantiation requirements and relevant governance expectations.
• Approve and challenge the adequacy of financial control design when new products, booking approaches, system changes or process changes are introduced, ensuring senior-level readiness before go-live.

Risk Management:

• Set risk appetite and escalation expectations for financial, model, operational, market data, conduct and reporting risks relating to derivatives, structured products, FX, equities and fixed income products.
• Hold teams and stakeholders accountable for timely remediation of control, substantiation and reporting issues, supporting sustainable reductions in audit, regulatory and Group findings.
• Support CFO declarations, attestations and senior governance reporting through evidence-based ownership of Capital Markets Products balances, P&L, disclosures and control outcomes.

Governance:

• Set and oversee governance across Capital Markets Products accounting, reporting, transformation and change initiatives.
• Represent WRB Capital Markets Products Controllership in executive-level governance, risk and change forums, providing clear evidence-based insight, challenge and decision support.
• Ensure material accounting, P&L, balance sheet, reporting and control impacts are assessed before product, process, system or operating model changes are implemented.
• Maintain clear ownership, documentation, escalation discipline and closure accountability for significant judgements, risks, issues and remediation actions.

Regulatory & Business Conduct:

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group's Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.
• Lead the team to achieve the outcomes set out in the Bank's Conduct Principles.
• Exercise authorities delegated by the Board of Directors and act in accordance with Articles of Association (or equivalent).

Key stakeholders:

• WRB Finance leadership, Wealth Product leadership, Business Finance, Country Finance, Operations, Technology, Risk, Product Governance, Treasury/Market Risk partners, Change teams, Group/central Controllers, external audit and senior governance forum members.

Other Responsibilities:

• Embed Here for good and the Group's brand and values across the function; perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Country, Business or Functional policies and procedures; sponsor transformation, control simplification and capability-building priorities across WRB Controllership.

Skills and Experience:

• Accountable for enterprise-level financial integrity of WRB Capital Markets Products, including P&L, balance sheet, MI, disclosures, attestations and senior governance outcomes.
• Set the front-to-back controllership strategy across transaction origination, booking models, sub-ledgers, GL, reporting and disclosures.
• Own and strengthen the control environment for Capital Markets Products, including balance sheet substantiation, manual journals, reconciliations, reserves and booking model controls.
• Approve, challenge and escalate accounting treatments, booking models and control design for new products, product changes and system implementations prior to go-live.
• Identify, assess and escalate financial, operational, reporting and conduct risks to executive stakeholders and governance forums, with clear remediation ownership.
• Support CFO declarations, attestations and external reporting outcomes through robust control ownership and defensible financial judgements.
• Partner with senior Business Finance, Product, Markets and Risk stakeholders to provide independent, commercially informed challenge on product performance, pricing decisions and strategic growth initiatives.
• Represent WRB Capital Markets Products Controllership in executive governance, risk and change forums, providing evidence-based insight and decision support.
• Sponsor standardisation, simplification, automation and control uplift across Capital Markets Products processes, supporting improved audit, regulatory and reporting outcomes.
• Lead leaders and reinforce a culture of ownership, integrity, informed challenge, accountability and decision quality across WRB Finance.

Qualifications:

• Qualified accountant or equivalent finance qualification preferred (e.g. CA, CFA, ACCA, CIMA or CPA).
• Significant senior leadership experience in financial control, product control, controllership, accounting policy application and governance within banking or financial services is essential.
• Deep experience across Capital Markets products, including derivatives, structured products, FX, equities and fixed income, is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to lead leaders, influence executive stakeholders, set control strategy, manage complex audit and regulatory matters, sponsor transformation and deliver sustainable improvements in a complex matrix environment is expected.