Head of SME Lending, Centre of Excellence

If you’re looking for a career that will help you stand out, join HSBC, and fulfil your potential - whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or an exciting new direction, we offer opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

We’re one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, with a network that covers more than 50 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions.

We are currently seeking an experienced professional to join our team in the role of Head of SME Lending, Centre of Excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a high-impact leadership role combining portfolio performance, credit excellence and growth innovation. You’ll help maintain and grow profitable long-term client relationships, while also shaping how HSBC wins in SME lending—expanding market share through new channels, partnerships and propositions. You’ll lead a dedicated team, work closely with senior stakeholders across the bank, and build a strong risk-aware culture. Crucially, you’ll help create a Lending Centre of Excellence that enables more SMEs with fast, flexible access to finance, using data, technology and continuous improvement to raise the bar on customer experience and outcomes.

As an HSBC employee in the UK, you’ll have access to tailored professional development opportunities and a competitive pay and benefits package. This includes private healthcare for all UK-based employees, enhanced maternity and adoption pay and support when you return to work, and a contributory pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.

In this role you’ll:

• Lead and manage a dedicated team to deliver client performance against plan, balancing growth, customer outcomes and risk discipline
• Maintain strong relationships and access at key decision-maker level for assigned clients
• Co-ordinate origination and execution across the full spectrum of HSBC products and services
• Combine relationship management with robust credit and risk assessment to ensure appropriate credit quality and returns on risk
• Grow revenues across an allocated portfolio by deepening existing relationships and originating new revenue streams
• Identify and execute opportunities to grow HSBC’s SME lending market share, including through new distribution channels, strategic partners, and new products, services or capabilities
• Drive innovation in SME lending, including exploring and adopting AI and other technologies to improve speed, decisioning, customer experience and operational efficiency
• Build and embed a Lending Centre of Excellence, setting best practice for credit, underwriting, portfolio management, proposition development and delivery—supporting the business ambition to enable more SMEs with fast, flexible access to finance

To be successful in this role you should meet the following requirements:

• In-depth knowledge and experience of credit, lending and risk, with strong judgement and a track record of delivering sustainable growth
• Strong knowledge of the UK SME market, including how geopolitics and macroeconomic conditions influence commercial outcomes; able to engage credibly with customers, regulators and colleagues
• Proven experience driving team and individual performance to achieve customer and financial targets
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and communication skills, with the ability to inspire, influence and negotiate
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and pace—able to make prompt, practical decisions and take accountability for outcomes
• Strong commercial acumen: able to understand customers’ businesses and priorities and engage at all levels
• A change mindset: experience improving processes, customer journeys or operating models; familiarity with data/AI-enabled decisioning is an advantage

Opening up a world of opportunity

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk via [email protected] .