Portfolio Planning - Assistant Vice President
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.
Role Summary
Is the next step in your career at SMBC Group EMEA? We’re looking for a Portfolio Planning AVP to join our Portfolio Planning team within Transformation & Change Management Group (TCMG)
We are seeking a strategic and detail-oriented candidate to drive financials and transformation planning across our change portfolio. This role will be pivotal in supporting portfolio and team budgets management, headcount planning, executive-level reporting, and overseeing the intake and prioritization of change initiatives. The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical acumen, stakeholder management skills, and a deep understanding of business planning
As a key member of the team, you will:
- Support annual and multi-year strategic planning cycles, aligning portfolio investments with business objectives.
- Manage the end-to-end portfolio budget, including forecasting, tracking, and variance analysis
- Support the intake, triage, and prioritization process for change initiatives across the business
- Provide portfolio governance support including executive reporting on portfolio performance, change agenda progress, and strategic alignment
You will bring with you:
- Previous proven experience in Transformation, Strategy, Business Management within Financial Services (5+ years)
- Strong understanding of change management, project governance, and business case development.
- Strong analytical skillset – able to derive management insight from complex data
- Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and portfolio management tooling (e.g., Clarity, JIRA, or similar).
- Strong organisational skills including ability to set and communicate operating cadence/timelines and efficiently multitask
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement
Business Area
- TCMG provides the SMBC EMEA enterprise professional project, programme and portfolio management resource and expertise to the organisation.
- Successful design and delivery of the Change Portfolio is a business-critical activity and key to delivering the strategic objectives of SMBC EMEA.
- The scale of the Change Portfolio will vary over time, however it is expected to require a budget of greater than USD 150 million per annum
- The Transformation & Change Management Group consists of c.70 FTE, of which 4 FTE Portfolio Planning
- Portfolio Planning provide holistic oversight and visibility across the EMEA change portfolio to enable informed decision making, prioritisation, and optimisation of key initiatives, ensuring effective budget / resource allocation and risk management
Position Description
Strategic Business Planning
• Support annual and multi-year strategic planning cycles, aligning portfolio investments with business objectives.
• Provide insights and analysis to inform scenario planning, trade-off decisions, and investment strategies.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on portfolio health and optimization opportunities.
Budget & Resource Management
• Manage the end-to-end portfolio budget, including forecasting, tracking, and variance analysis.
• Oversee team-level expense management and headcount planning in alignment with demand
• Partner with Finance and Planning to ensure accurate and timely reporting of financials and resource
Change Demand & Portfolio Oversight
• Support the intake, triage, and prioritization process for change initiatives across the business.
• Maintain a clear view of demand vs. capacity and ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with delivery leads to monitor progress, risks, and interdependencies across the portfolio.
Executive Reporting & Governance
• Support delivery of high quality executive reporting on portfolio performance and strategic alignment.
• Support governance forums with insights, and recommendations to inform decision-making.
• Ensure transparency and traceability of investment decisions and benefits realization.
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.