Job Description

1 Dec 2025
London, LND, GB, EC2M 2AT
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.

The EMEA Data Office was established just over two years ago and sits in our Operations function. It is responsible for building out the Bank's data management capabilities across all EMEA entities (including Securities and Banking subsidiaries) and all datasets. The team is primarily based in London and also has a presence in Frankfurt, with the appointment of a Local Data Officer for our EU AG entity in 2024.

The Data Office initially concentrated on building foundational governance through improved data architecture, data management and data quality and has now grown to include a broader suite of capabilities including strategy & culture, analytics, data migration, and information governance. We are committed to exploiting data to drive new ways of working and improved business outcomes more effectively and innovatively across SMBC.

A Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer was appointed in 2024 and several key data management initiatives are now being addressed on a global basis, with a new 'Global Coordination Team' recently established to manage the book of work. BCBS239 is one of the priority global initiatives and is being led from London.
Role Summary

The

EMEA Programme Manager

will play an essential role in supporting the coordination and delivery of the EMEA initiatives and their outcomes. The role will be key in helping to ensure the management and execution of an integrated plan that will underpin EMEA programme delivery. You will support ensuring the transparency into the programme and its progress as well as identification and resolution of potential challenges.



BCBS239 is a set of principles for risk data aggregation and risk reporting, which has become the de facto standard for high quality data management and reporting. As part of our Data Management Global Coordination Team (GCT), EMEA are leading a programme of work to secure and maintain compliance with BCBS239 globally and this role will form part of a core EMEA team that will coordinate delivery of global initiatives led out of EMEA as well as helping EMEA to deliver against their regional compliance obligations.



We are looking for someone who combines data management, data governance, data & analytics subject knowledge with strong Programme and PMO process and governance capabilities. You should have experience in teams that coordinate programmes and lead projects in the Financial Services industry with a focus on regulatory engagements; ideally BCBS239.



You will be required to develop a good understanding of the Bank's business processes and interface with our Global stakeholders and across our regions and be sensitive to different cultural approaches.



Data Management and Governance is a key priority for SMBC globally and this is an exciting time to join the bank as we continue to drive change across our data environment. If you want to be a key part of our journey to be a leader in innovation and data driven capabilities, we would be keen to speak to you.
Business Area

The role will be part of the BCBS239 team in the EMEA Data Office, which includes a permanent team of approximately forty people with significant growth planned through 2025. This role will be attached to a core global coordination programme team of ten people and report to the Global Delivery Lead.

The overall BCBS239 programme covers fifty FTE globally including resources from SMBC's Data Management, Risk, Finance and IT teams. The programme is expected to grow substantially as it progresses into Global delivery and implementation.
Accountabilities and Responsibilities
Defining and managing the plan for EMEA Programme initiatives Lead and facilitate programme and project management governance / forums for global initiatives Run, and improvement, of effective status reporting, dashboards, and metrics Management, coordination, and resolution of risk and issues Facilitating and leading meetings, workshops, and sessions with business owners, SMEs, and stakeholders at all levels of the organisation to drive the programme plan and initiative outcomes Working closely with stakeholders to coordinate achievement of milestones and completion of deliverables Produce clear, version controlled, high quality reporting, status updates, and programme artefacts Collaborating with the wider data family, including analysts, engineers, and product managers Establish and maintain productive cross-functional relationships with a network of business stakeholders, technical delivery teams and external suppliers Ensure compliance with regulatory and Bank requirements Preparation and coordination of material for programme and BaU governance and committees
Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Essential:

Experience of working in the financial services industry Experience of working on a BCBS239 regulatory programme Experience across a range of data & analytics disciplines (e.g. data management & governance, data quality, business intelligence, data engineering, data analytics) Experience of working in a data team and collaborating cross-functionally to manage a programme plan and outcomes Highly experienced in applying project management principles and approaches across the project lifecycle Highly experienced at implementing and managing programme and project governance (e.g. charters, RACI, roadmap, scope management, plans and planning, risk and issue management) Highly experienced at managing and monitoring inter-initiative dependencies and requirements Highly experienced at setting up and managing programme, project, and initiative forums (e.g. working groups, huddles, related ToRs) Budget planning, forecasting, and tracking Development of business cases including expected benefits and ROI Documentation excellence; ability to produce high quality, version-controlled artefacts (e.g. reports, updates, plans, guidance material) Demonstrable experience as a Programme Manager, Senior Project Manager, or similar role Ability to operate independently, plan, define, and manage work and deliverables to meet challenging deadlines Excellent written and verbal communication skills: (i) comfortable presenting to business and technology stakeholders at all levels, (ii) ability to describe technical solutions to non-technical colleagues Advanced stakeholder management and ability to negotiate / resolve challenges; navigate ambiguity and align diverse stakeholders Proficiency in standard tooling; JIRA, Confluence, Visio, MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PPT, MSP)

Desirable:

Experience of working across multiple jurisdictions and cultures Experience of change management and business readiness activities Data management tooling experience (metadata/lineage, DQ platforms, reporting solutions)
Competencies
Customer Focus
Driving Change
Driving Results
Embraces Diversity
Enterprise Leadership
Judgement and Decision Making
Risk Management
Strategic and Visionary
Trust and Integrity
What we offer

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is a core member of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), a Tokyo-based bank holding company that is ranked among the largest 25 banks globally by assets under management operating in over 40 countries worldwide. SMBC Group has offices in 20 cities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) including its regional headquarters in London.

SMBC's competitive advantages include:

A strong client base with broad coverage of the Fortune 500 Worldwide operations that enable us to provide clients with global solutions and that make SMBC the leading choice for US businesses expanding in Asia A solid balance sheet and conservative approach

We prize energy, enthusiasm, excellence, and entrepreneurship and aim to attract the highest calibre of staff to join our existing talent and to contribute to the dynamic environment which we have established. With a focus on staff development and creating continual career opportunities, we are committed to our mission of providing a challenging and professionally rewarding work environment for our employees.

We operate a range of flexible benefits for our employees and are actively involved in Corporate Social Responsibility through a variety of workplace events and opportunities for staff to contribute to and be involved with the local community.

As an employer, SMBC is dedicated to equality and values diversity within our workforce. SMBC group is a proud signatory of the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter, and as equal opportunity employers, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We strongly encourage an inclusive environment that allows all our employees to be their true selves and fully thrive in their roles. Our culture is one of integrity and respect, where we welcome all input and accept it without judgment.

This is a greenfield opportunity where capability needs will be built from scratch

There is limited understanding of the opportunities from new data and analytics capabilities, and therefore good project and communication skills are required


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.




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.

about what we do and who we are at https://www.smbcgroup.com/emea/careers