Head of FS Product & Communications

Internal use only - Grade C

About us.

We are The Very Group  and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on Very.co.uk to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the team.

Our Financial Services (FS) team are striving to help families get more out of life through convenience, flexibility, and value. We are building an exciting future for our financial services offering and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us on this journey. We need people with strong backgrounds in Financial Services delivery to help us define, design, build and run initiatives that set The Very Group apart from other online retailers to be a household brand that stands with families on a budget. 

Now is the perfect time to join FS as we are embarking on an exciting multi-year change plan building, enhancing key consumer financial products and services, while ensuring our FS Product portfolio is managed in an appropriate way to deliver value for our customers and sustainable value to FS and TVG. You will play a critical role in defining the appropriate ways of working, communicating, leading across the Senior Leadership Team and executing plans to make this ambition become a reality. 

About the role.

As Head of Product & Communications, you are responsible to optimise our Product performance in line with the FS business plan, while supporting retail sales, to contribute to the delivery of the FS P&L, specifically, key income lines.  

You will directly inspire and lead a team of Product Management & Commercial and Marketing Managers. They are responsible for driving a strong performance culture, focusing on ethical behaviour, clear accountability, good conduct, and good customer outcomes to drive the delivery of annual P&L targets across a range of FS Products 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Identify and deliver continual and incremental ‘win win’ (commercial and customer) initiatives that serve families on a budget well and ensure profitable and sustainable growth. 

• ‘Own’ the running and performance of new strategic initiatives relating to FS product once they have been handed over by TVG FS Tribes / tech Teams 

• Ensure retail sales are supported through provision of correct payment options, in line with agreed parameters. 

• Provide regular updates on product delivery, performance and strategy to the FS Commercial Director, FS Board, and ExCo. 

• Chair required Governance and Commercial Committees. 

• Generate and implement product ideas that align with the company's strategy and commercial targets, considering customer needs, market dynamics, and competition. 

• Conduct customer research and develop appropriate targeting and selection strategies for the intended target market. 

• Design and optimise the customer journey, ensuring effective communication and engagement to enable informed decision-making about credit, insurance and partner products. 

• Manage communication and resolution of customers in persistent debt, ensuring clear and effective communication that does not lead to foreseeable customer harm. 
• Responsible for regulatory communications such as Notice of variation, Insurance Terms and Conditions etc. 
• Responsible for adherence to regulatory requirements around Financial Promotions and management of the approval process. 

• Monitor and regularly review outcomes customers are experiencing to ensure that products and services and the operational running of the credit account repayment methods are delivering outcomes consistent with the Consumer Duty. 

• Collaborate with Governance, Compliance, Risk, and Legal teams to ensure compliance with FCA regulations and other relevant legislation. 

SMCR Captured Role - This role will undertake activity on behalf of the financial services businesses, who are part of The Very Group, and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime requires the individual who performs this role to be approved. We will tell you more about this during the interview process. 

About you

• Demonstrable experience within a regulated consumer finance business leading all aspects of product development and commercial management.  

• Self-starting individual with a proven track record of taking initiative and driving projects forward. 

• Demonstrates a strong ability to generate and execute innovative ideas that contribute to the growth and success of the product. 

• Possesses exceptional commercial acumen and a deep understanding of market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive landscape. 

• Proven experience in developing and implementing product strategies that drive revenue growth and increase market share. 

• Be a ‘down to earth’ leader who personifies The Very Group’s values and who can inspire and motivate cross-functional teams to achieve product goals. 

• Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies that enables informed decision-making about credit and insurance products.  

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of effectively conveying complex ideas and concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

• An ability to clearly evidence the delivery of great customer outcomes alongside commercial success. 

• Proactive problem solver who can identify and address challenges and obstacles in a timely manner. 

• Collaborative team player who can work effectively with colleagues at all levels of the organisation to achieve shared objectives. 

Some of our benefits

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews

• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Udemy learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role which is captured under SMCR you will be required to undertake enhanced pre-employment checks including; a credit, CIFAS and standard DBS check.  Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.

You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position:

1st stage - A 1 hour video call with the hiring team to discuss your skills and relevant experience. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the role and to ask any questions you may have.

2nd Stage –A one-hour Task based Interview which is relevant to the BAU of the role followed by a Q&A.

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.