Regional Lead - Direct Relationship Management, Allica Bank

About Allica Bank

Allica is the UK’s fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm, specializing in serving established SMEs—a major underserved opportunity in the industry. Established SMEs represent over a third of the UK economy but have been neglected by both traditional banks and modern fintech providers.

Role Description

The Regional Lead will oversee the strategy, leadership, performance, and risk outcomes of a defined Direct Relationship Management region. This senior leadership role combines commercial accountability with performance management, local go-to-market strategy, risk oversight, and cross-team collaboration. The candidate will use data, market insights, and local knowledge to identify opportunities and performance issues, ensuring the region consistently delivers strong outcomes in customer service, commercial success, colleague engagement, and risk management.

The Regional Lead will also play an active role in shaping the wider Direct-to-Customer (D2C) channel, collaborating with the Head of Relationship Management and other stakeholders to develop the channel, recommend improvements, and support bank-wide initiatives.

Principal Accountabilities

• Lead, develop, and performance-manage a high-performing regional team of Relationship Managers, fostering a culture of accountability, pace, and continuous improvement.
• Own delivery of the region’s commercial plan, ensuring all agreed targets are met.
• Prepare and present performance updates, regional plans, and recommendations to senior stakeholders, demonstrating data-led decision-making and ownership of outcomes.
• Use regional performance data, CRM activity, and local market knowledge to drive timely actions for maximizing regional performance.
• Provide hands-on leadership, coaching, and support to colleagues, including regular one-to-ones, pipeline reviews, and performance interventions.
• Lead the development and execution of the region’s local business development strategy, ensuring strong local networks with SMEs, accountants, solicitors, and professional advisers.
• Drive Allica’s ambition to become the Most Recommended Bank for SMEs in the region, focusing on customer, prospect, and adviser relationships.
• Ensure accountability for risk performance within the region, adhering to Allica’s risk appetite and policies.
• Support the continued development of the D2C operating model, identifying scalable ways of working as the channel grows.
• Role-model Allica’s culture and values, ensuring they are consistently reflected in team operations.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless customer and colleague experiences.

Personal Attributes & Experience

• Proven senior commercial leadership experience in leading, developing, and performance-managing high-performing teams in a regional leadership environment.
• Strong understanding of SME banking and commercial lending, including relationship-led origination, credit assessment, facility structuring, portfolio management, and risk management.
• Demonstrable track record of exceeding commercial objectives while maintaining high standards of customer service, risk management, and colleague engagement.
• Evidence of career progression and outperformance, with a history of improving teams, processes, customer outcomes, or business performance.
• Practical, hands-on, and resilient leadership with the ability to operate at pace, solve problems, and take ownership of outcomes.
• Ability to design and execute local business development strategies aligned with commercial goals, customer needs, and Allica’s risk appetite.
• Excellent forecasting, CRM, and reporting skills, translating MI into focused action, coaching priorities, and practical improvements.
• Strong people leadership capabilities, including hiring, coaching, developing, challenging, and retaining talented colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills, with credibility to represent Allica across all stakeholders.
• Strong external market perspective, including understanding of local SME communities, professional adviser networks, competitor activity, and macro issues impacting SMEs.
• Alignment with Allica’s values, demonstrating integrity, energy, and commitment to leading by example.