Nottingham Trent House (95002), United Kingdom, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Head of UK Card Compliance

About the role

We issued our very first credit card way back in 1996, and have since grown to become one of the UK's top ten card providers. From day one, our business has been about helping people succeed with credit. From innovative tools like our QuickCheck eligibility checker, to the way we're driving positive change across the finance industry. Throughout our almost 30-year history, we’ve consistently been recognised as a great place to work; in 2025, Capital One was officially ranked 15th in the UK’s Best Workplaces™ list. 

We’re seeking a forward thinking and progressive Compliance Director to shape and lead delivery of our UK Card Compliance strategy. The Compliance Director will be our SMF16, leading the UK Compliance function, consisting of both business advisory and testing, monitoring and assurance teams. They will partner closely with other leaders across all three lines of defence within the UK Card business to provide risk based compliance advice and assurance activity to enable the business to deliver its strategy, whilst remaining within its risk appetite.  The Compliance Director will  also work closely with our Enterprise Compliance, Risk and Regulatory teams. Depending on the successful candidate, there is also scope for the role to have oversight of UK Card’s Financial Crime Compliance team.. 

The successful candidate will be a strong compliance risk professional with experience in financial services.  This role is suited to someone with strong leadership skills, who is capable of developing a high performing team and driving transformational change.  An exceptional problem solver, with a focus on commercially focused risk management who can confidently communicate with senior executives across the company,  as well Capital One’s UK and US regulators.    

What you’ll do

• Lead the UK Card Compliance function, including (depending on the successful candidate) oversight of or close partnership with the UK Financial Crime Compliance team 

• Develop a team of talented compliance risk professionals and industry experts who can deliver risk based and commercially focused compliance advice and assurance to the UK Card business, including leaning in and helping the business solve problems

• Look for ways to enhance and evolve the compliance risk management framework and function to ensure it is set up to effectively support Capital One deliver its strategy

• Actively promote a culture of proportionate and effective compliance risk management and balanced risk taking

• Act as a strategic compliance advisor to the UK Card Leadership Team and the UK Board on complex compliance matters, including relating to new products, planned changes in policies and process and issues and events

• Be an active participant in key management and Board risk forums

• Stay abreast of external legal and regulatory developments and expectations that could impact the environment in which Capital One UK operates, understanding its impact on Capital One's inherent compliance risk

• Provide awareness and training on compliance risk and related matters, including regulatory expectations

• Uphold and advocate the values and customer focused culture of the organisation 

• Recognised enterprise compliance leader that develops and maintains strong relationships with enterprise counterparts and ensures that the UK Card business is effectively represented

• Build strong working partnerships with other risk leaders across Capital One UK, and the wider enterprise, including the Head of first line Business Risk Office, Head of Legal and External Affairs, Head of second line Cyber and Technology Risk, Head of Operational Risk,  and Head of Internal Audit

• Represent Capital One UK in compliance related discussions with external third parties, including UK and US regulators

• Develop a strong external network to support forward thinking strategic compliance risk management and benchmarking

What you’ll bring

• Significant experience in a compliance leadership role, preferably with extensive experience in regulated lending 

• Strategic leadership with a demonstrated ability to formulate a strategic vision for compliance risk management 

• Strong business judgement and analytical skills

• Excellent communication skills, with an ability to clearly communicate compliance risk to stakeholders at all levels across the business and to external stakeholders, including regulators

• A willingness and ability to influence and effectively challenge stakeholders with credibility at all levels business, as well as external stakeholders, including regulators

• Being comfortable balancing trade-offs between risk and returns in order to achieve our business objectives and to support us in effectively managing all compliance legal risks associated with the Capital One UKs operation

• A demonstrated ability to inspire, empower and develop a diverse team of high performing compliance risk professionals

• An ability to build and leverage relevant networks inside and outside the organisation

Where and how you'll work

This is a permanent position based in our Nottingham or London offices.  

We have a hybrid working model which gives you flexibility to work from our offices and from home. 

We’re big on collaboration and connection, so you’ll be based in one of our offices 3 days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you’re London based, then there will be an expectation that frequent travel to Nottingham will be required.

What’s in it for you

• Bring us all this - and you’ll be well rewarded with a role contributing to the roadmap of an organisation committed to transformation

• We offer high performers strong and diverse career progression, investing heavily in developing great people through our Capital One University training programmes (and appropriate external providers)

• Immediate access to our core benefits including pension scheme, bonus, generous holiday entitlement and private medical insurance – with flexible benefits available including season-ticket loans, cycle to work scheme and enhanced parental leave

• Open-plan workspaces and accessible facilities designed to inspire and support you. Our Nottingham head-office has a fully-serviced gym, subsidised restaurant, mindfulness and music rooms.

• Year after year we’ve been recognised as a great place to work. In 2025, Capital One was ranked 15th in the UK’s Best Workplaces™ list

What you should know about how we recruit

We pride ourselves on hiring the best people, not the same people. Building diverse and inclusive teams is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. We want to work with top talent: whoever you are, whatever you look like, wherever you come from. We know it’s about what you do, not just what you say. That’s why we make our recruitment process fair and accessible. And we offer benefits that attract people at all ages and stages.

We also partner with organisations including the Women in Finance and Race At Work Charters, Stonewall and upReach to find people from every walk of life and help them thrive with us. We have a whole host of internal networks and support groups you could be involved in, to name a few:

• REACH – Race Equality and Culture Heritage group focuses on representation, retention and engagement for associates from minority ethnic groups and allies

• OutFront – to provide LGBTQ+ support for all associates

• Mind Your Mind – signposting support and promoting positive mental wellbeing for all

• Women in Tech – promoting an inclusive environment in tech

• EmpowHER - network of female associates and allies focusing on developing future leaders, particularly for female talent in our industry

Capital One is committed to diversity in the workplace.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact ukrecruitment@capitalone.com  All information will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purpose of applying a reasonable adjustment.

Who We Are

At Capital One, we're building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We are succeeding because they are succeeding.

Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we are on a quest to change banking for good.