Project Manager - S&T - Vice President

SMBC: A trusted partner for the long term

Here at SMBC Group, we want to help you find the next step in your career so read on to discover if this opportunity is the one for you. We like to recognise potential in our people, so we welcome your application even when your experience doesn't perfectly align with the job description. Whilst we'll always strive to be better, we're proud of our inclusive culture, and encourage our applicants and colleagues to be their authentic, unique selves.

Who we are

United by a sense of purpose towards our customers - to be a trusted partner for the long-term - and our universal banking platform in EMEA, SMBC Group has an international growth agenda and award-winning products, meaning we provide exciting opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects and initiatives. We deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers as well as investment banking and advisory services, and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets. Read on to find out how you could enhance your skills and gain valuable experience, by joining us to support our clients transition to a sustainable future.

Purpose of Job

• Lead the delivery of Sales & Trading (S&T) projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives and regulatory requirements
• Manage complex cross-functional projects that enhance trading capabilities, operational efficiency, client experience, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Act as the primary interface between Front Office, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and external vendors and lead co-ordination to drive successful project outcomes.
• Provide strong governance, stakeholder management, communication and delivery oversight across S&T projects.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards while managing risks, dependencies, and change impacts.

Background

• SMBC EMEA is currently expanding S&T business to align with industry standards, best practices, regulatory expectations, and evolving customer needs. This includes governance, controls, regulatory compliance, technology / infrastructure enhancements and definition of the target operating model.
• To support this initiative, we are strengthening our internal change and transformation capabilities with a focus on S&T, governance / controls enhancement, regulatory compliance and technology implementations. Our Transformation and Change Management Group (TCMG) plays a critical role in driving and coordinating these strategic efforts.
• TCMG provides the SMBC enterprise professional programme management resource and expertise to the organisation. It operates at a strategic level to provide enterprise-wide oversight and execution of change.
• The function is composed of highly qualified programme and project managers with deep expertise in regulatory change, business transformation, and banking operations
• The successful candidate will join this established team to lead the delivery of complex, cross functional S&T projects in line with business strategy.

Facts and Scale

This level of project management involves the following:

• Accountable for annual project budgets
• Project length can range from c.6months - 2 years in duration
• Range of number of reports - circa 0-3 resources, including PMO / BAs
• May operate across EMEA offices, these may have differing requirements, resources and regulation nuances
• Interfaces with C-level project sponsors and manages SteerCos compromised of multiple GMs.
• Frequently responsible for more than 1 project that have different drivers and deliverables with associated deadlines and priorities.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Responsible for managing end-to-end project delivery from initiation through to closure, delivering complex projects medium-term in length, impact multiple departments or offices.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, milestones, budgets, resource requirements, and delivery roadmaps.
• Partner closely with Sales, Trading, Operations, Risk, Compliance, and Technology teams to define requirements and deliver business outcomes.
• Establish effective governance structures, steering committees, and reporting processes to provide transparency to senior management and key stakeholders.
• Manage project financials, risks, issues, assumptions, and dependencies, ensuring timely escalation and mitigation actions.
• Drive business analysis, solution design, testing, implementation, and change management activities across multiple workstreams.
• Coordinate internal teams and third-party vendors to ensure successful delivery of technology and business change initiatives.
• Produce high-quality management information, status reports, executive updates, and decision papers for governance forums and senior stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, risk frameworks, market regulations, and audit requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and communication plans to drive adoption and minimise operational disruption.
• Promote best practices in project management, delivery governance, and continuous improvement across the change portfolio.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Education & Qualifications

• The role requires the candidate to be educated to degree level or have significant specialist knowledge
• Industry recognised modern project management qualification such as PMP or APM preferred

Experience & Knowledge

• 5-10 years' experience of project / programme delivery within financial services, preferably within Sales & Trading.
• Strong knowledge of financial services including front-to-back processes and the regulatory environment preferably within the Sales & Trading business,.
• Proven track record of delivering regulatory and business change impacting systems, processes, and operating models.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to build consensus and resolve conflict.
• Highly organised, resilient, and able to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Able to operate effectively between strategic "big picture" thinking and detailed analysis.
• Degree educated; professional Business Analysis qualifications desirable.
• Self-motivated and proactive, while able to work effectively under the direction of Portfolio Manager

Challenges

• This role is required to motivate individuals from within an organisation that is highly focussed on business as usual
• Gaining project resources is frequently a challenge and often requires tenacity and creative problem solving.
• The organisation has a culture of long-standing tradition and can be change adverse

What we offer

For all the expertise and experience you bring to help us make a difference, it's only sustainable if we support you to build your career and be your best self so we offer competitive company benefits, centred around promoting positive well-bring and work-life balance. We also believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where all team members perspectives and contributions are valued. Initiatives in place which promote a diverse and inclusive culture and healthy work life balance include hybrid working, Sport & Social Clubs and Diversity and Inclusion networks.

As an employee of SMBC you have access to a host of both useful and exciting benefit offerings. See below some of the benefits on offer to you:

• Hybrid and flexible working
• Competitive paid leave days
• Benefits to support your physical wellbeing, including private medical insurance and life and invalidity insurance
• Various policies to support your mental wellbeing, including a robust behavioural health network with counselling and coaching services
• Access a wide range of learning and development opportunities and career progression opportunities
• Ambitious remuneration package

So, if you like a challenge and want to continuously grow and develop in a role where you will be supported along the way by a dynamic and diverse team, apply today!!

We recognise our role as a bank to support social change and welcome all applications, including those from groups often under-represented in financial services. We value the uniqueness of professional and personal, backgrounds and perspectives as they play a vital role in continuing the sustainable growth of our organisation. We'll ensure reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process are offered due to a disability or long-term condition whenever requested.

We are committed to transparent and equitable pay practices. Compensation is determined using objective criteria, including skills, experience, and role responsibilities, and applied consistently throughout our recruitment processes. We do not request candidates' pay history and are committed to preventing unjustified pay disparities.

About SMBC

A trusted partner for the long term
United by a sense of purpose towards our customers - to be a trusted partner for the long-term - and our universal banking platform in EMEA, we deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers, including corporate, structured and trade finance, leveraged finance, loan market and treasury products. We can also provide investment banking and advisory services and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets.
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