Master & Reference Data (MRD) Products SME
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.
Business Area
The EMEA Data Office was established 4 years ago within the Operations, Planning and Data Department and is responsible for building out the Bank’s data management capabilities across all EMEA entities (including Securities and Banking subsidiaries) and all datasets.The EMEA Data Office is scaling foundational data capabilities (Data Architecture, Data Governance, Data Quality, Data Platform) and is adopting a product-led model across MRD. Master and Reference Data are foundational to Client Lifecycle Management (CLM/Fen‑X), risk, finance, regulatory reporting, and analytics use‑cases, and are delivered through a global‑regional operating model.The MRD Products SME provides the domain depth and requirements expertise that turns strategy into build‑ready product change.The Data Office has been formed to really drive data-led transformation through the bank, and this is a great opportunity to join this exciting journey.
Since inception, the EMEA Data Office has grown to a team with permanent headcount of approximately 40 permanent staff and a total team size of c150 people including contractors and consultants engaged on project work. There is an ambition to grow further over the next 1-2 years.The Data Strategy & Advice team within the EMEA Data Office is leading the definition of the EMEA data strategy, while also establishing systems and processes for effective demand and delivery management. The direct team includes business analysts, delivery management, business implementation and data culture staff while our virtual team also includes project managers responsible for key change initiatives. MRD delivery operates across EMEA, Americas (AD MRD team), APAC, East Asia and Tokyo (HO). Multiple consuming domains including CLM/Fen‑X, Risk, Finance, Compliance and Front Office.
Role Summary
The MRD Products SME is a critical role as we execute the Data Strategy for EMEA.
The Data Strategy & Advice team define and coordinate the execution of the organisation’s data strategy and provide a front office for receipt and acknowledgement of all business data demand. Master and Reference Data team in EMEA is part of the Data Strategy function and lead by the MRD Product Owner. The Master & Reference Data (MRD) Products SME is responsible for providing deep domain expertise across Master and Reference Data products, spanning across multiple domains (Party, Reference, Products, Securities, Coverage) that will continue to evolve. He will support the MRD Product Owner in shaping and evolving the MRD product portfolio.
As the role holder, you will elicit, analyse and translate business and regulatory needs into high‑quality epics, features, user stories and acceptance criteria, ensuring MRD products are enhanced in line with strategic priorities and are fit for consumption across EMEA. The SME will work closely with the MRD Product Owner, MRD Delivery Lead, and MRD Adoption Lead to ensure smooth progression from discovery through delivery and into business adoption, across a complex global and regional delivery landscape.
This role treats Master and Reference Data platforms and capabilities as products, focusing on product behaviour, usability, data content, controls, and operating characteristics, rather than building end‑user analytics or downstream data products.
It is an exciting time to join the bank and a real recognition of the need to use our data better. If you want to help us drive the change, we would love to speak to you.
Position Description
A. Master & Reference Data Domain Expertise
- Act as SME across MRD domains (Party, Reference, Products, Coverage, Securities), advising on models, hierarchies, controls and usage.
- Maintain end-to-end view of MRD lifecycle; inform Product Owner on impacts and evolution.
B. Requirements Elicitation & Product Discovery
- Elicit and refine MRD requirements aligned to prioritised business and regulatory use cases.
- Translate into high-quality epics and stories aligned to governance and global standards.
C. Supporting Product Strategy & Roadmap Development
- Provide domain input and impact analysis into Product Owner-led roadmap and backlog discussions.
- Ensure enhancements align with global MRD strategy and EMEA implementation constraints.
D. Delivery & Adoption Interlock
- Support Delivery Lead during build cycles; clarify requirements and validate delivery outcomes.
- Enable Adoption Lead through clear definitions, UAT readiness and business-facing documentation.
E. Cross‑Functional & Cross‑Regional Collaboration
- Collaborate across global MRD teams, EMEA data functions and engineering to ensure alignment.
- Act as link between business, product and delivery, ensuring consistent understanding of MRD capability.
F. Governance, Quality & Controls
- Embed data ownership, stewardship, quality and control requirements within MRD design.
- Align with Data Governance on standards, metadata and lineage ensuring right-first-time delivery.
Experience
Essential:
- Strong experience working with Master and/or Reference Data in a financial services context (preferably matrixed environments).
- Proven ability to translate business needs into detailed, high‑quality requirements (epics, features, user stories).
- Solid understanding of data governance, data quality and enterprise data architecture concepts.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, able to work across business, technology and data functions.
- Familiar with Agile methodology, backlog management and working iteratively to support the delivery business priorities.
Desirable:
- Experience working alongside Product Owners and Delivery Leads in product‑led data organisations.
- Familiarity with MDM/RDM platforms and reference data operating models.
- Experience in master and reference data domains (Party, Reference, Securities, Products, Coverage and similar) for corporate & investment banking.
- Experience supporting regulatory or client lifecycle data initiatives.
- Hands-on familiarity with MDM platforms (Informatica IDMC or Similar) and data governance tooling (Collibra).
- Ability to use JIRA in an Agile set-up as Project Management tool.
Challenges:
- Operating across global and regional priorities with multiple stakeholders.
- Balancing detailed domain depth with pace of agile delivery.
- Ensuring requirements are robust enough to enable smooth delivery and adoption without over‑specification.
- Global vs regional: balancing global standards/templates with EMEA regulatory/operational realities; managing time-zone and vendor dependencies.
- Data controls first-time-right: embedding governance & quality at speed without slowing delivery.
Competencies
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.