Executive Director, US Head of SCIB Transaction Management

Santander

1d•$280,000 - $370,000

About The Position

The US Head of SCIB Transaction Management is an Executive Director level role responsible for leading the US SCIB Transaction Management function within US SCIB COO Lending Solutions. The role reports directly to the US SCIB Chief Operating Officer and provides senior leadership over the approval-to-close and approval-to-book control framework for SCIB lending transactions in the United States. The function acts as a central first line execution and control point across the lending lifecycle, coordinating with Front Office, Advisory, Credit, Legal, Compliance, Agency, Capital Markets, Treasury, Finance, Operations, and Client Lifecycle Management teams to ensure transactions are executed, closed, booked, funded, settled, and handed off in a controlled and auditable manner. Objectives are to 1) strengthen execution discipline and control integrity across SCIB lending, 2) ensure transactions are consistent with credit approvals, documentation, KYC/AML requirements, regulatory expectations, and operational readiness standards, and 3) support the Business Lines and clients through timely, high-quality transaction execution. The role involves leading the US Transaction Management team, designing and embedding the Lending Solutions transaction management operating model, maintaining robust transaction controls, and driving process improvement across the front-to-back lending lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor degree or equivalent work experience.
Deep knowledge of CIB lending execution, credit approvals, loan documentation, KYC/AML, collateral, covenants, loan booking, funding, settlement, controls, and lifecycle servicing handoffs.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, execution management, and risk assessment abilities.
Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and senior-level communication skills.
Ability to challenge constructively while supporting timely client and business outcomes.
Proficiency with lending workflow, credit administration, loan booking, document tracking, and control reporting tools; Loan IQ or equivalent platform experience preferred.
Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple complex transactions and priorities under time pressure.
Sound judgment in transaction readiness, escalation, exception management, and control decisioning.
Ability to drive operating model design, process improvement, governance discipline, and sustainable remediation.
Credibility with senior Front Office, Credit, Legal, Compliance, Operations, Finance, and Risk stakeholders.
Prior people management and senior stakeholder management experience required.

Nice To Haves

Established work history or equivalent demonstrated through a combination of work experience, training, military service, or education.

Responsibilities

Execute the US SCIB Transaction Management strategy within US SCIB COO Lending Solutions, aligned to SCIB business priorities, control standards, and regulatory expectations.
Define the role of Transaction Management as the senior first line execution and control function from credit approval through closing, booking, funding, settlement, and lifecycle handoff.
Establish consistent standards across SCIB lending businesses, including bilateral, club, syndicated, leveraged finance, corporate, structured finance, real estate, fund finance, GTB-linked credit, participant, left lead, and agency transactions.
Present and participate in senior governance forums, including transaction execution, controls, operational risk, audit, remediation, and business management forums.
Lead, mentor, and manage the US Transaction Management team to ensure high performance, accountability, professional development, and appropriate coverage across SCIB lending activity.
Oversee team capacity, prioritization, resource allocation, role clarity, procedures, training, and quality standards to support business needs and control expectations.
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex, high-risk, time-sensitive, or cross-functional transaction execution issues.
Supervise end-to-end transaction management activities covering deal readiness, closing preparation, documentation tracking, conditions precedent, control evidence, booking instructions, funding readiness, settlement coordination, and handoff to monitoring and servicing.
Ensure all required approvals, KYC/AML diligence, legal documentation, compliance checks, operational requirements, collateral/security requirements, insurance requirements, UCC and lien perfection actions, flood diligence, covenant setup, risk system updates, deal capture, and booking data are completed or appropriately escalated before closing and funding.
Coordinate across Front Office, Advisory, Legal, Credit, Compliance, Agency, Capital Markets, Treasury, Finance, Operations, Client Service, Client Data, Middle Office, and Back Office to resolve execution issues and confirm transaction readiness.
Ensure booking instructions are accurate, complete, timely, and consistent with approved terms and executed documentation.
Maintain a robust first line transaction control framework to prevent unauthorized closings, unsupported fundings, booking defects, documentation gaps, and unresolved approval inconsistencies.
Ensure material changes to approved terms are identified, escalated, and re-approved where required, including amendments or waivers that trigger new approval requirements.
Oversee exception management, including formal tracking, risk assessment, approvals, aging, escalation, and remediation of transaction execution and post-close issues.
Act as a primary point of contact for audits, regulatory examinations, internal control reviews, credit risk reviews, and remediation activities related to lending execution, transaction management, closing controls, and booking readiness.
Lead the build-out and continuous improvement of the US SCIB Transaction Management target operating model, including lifecycle maps, RACI matrices, procedures, controls, closing checklists, KPIs, KRIs, issue logs, and management reporting.
Identify and implement process and technology solutions, in partnership with Technology and Operations, to improve workflow transparency, control evidence, document tracking, data quality, system updates, and post-close validation.
Drive harmonization across business lines while recognizing differences by product, client segment, booking model, agency role, syndication process, and participant-only transaction profile.
Monitor transaction execution performance, root causes of defects, cycle times, control breaks, and recurring issues; implement corrective actions and sustainable remediation.
Collaborate closely with SCIB Business Lines, Front Office, Advisory, Credit, Legal, Compliance, Capital Markets, Agency, Treasury, Finance, Technology, Operations, Client Service, Client Data, and Back Office to support a unified and controlled approach to lending execution.
Partner with Portfolio Management, Credit, Agency, Operations, and Servicing teams to ensure effective lifecycle handoffs for covenants, collateral, insurance, ratings, amendments, waivers, monitoring, servicing, and regulatory reporting impacts.
Engage with auditors, regulators, third-party vendors, and global SCIB partners as required.