Product Lead – Lending

23/05/2025

20/06/2025

Permanent - Full Time

VIC - Melbourne

Marketing, communications, corporate affairs, and product

About us.

A unique life requires a unique bank.

Defence Bank is a member-owned bank that has been proudly serving the Defence Community for 50 years. With 26 branches across Australia and our award-winning app, Defence Bank is where our members need us – anywhere, anytime.

The bank provides financial products and services to the Australian Defence Force and its unique community, reinvesting profits for the benefit of our members. We are a leader in our sector and our people led, technology enabled environment, celebrates the individual talents, personalities, interests and needs of our people.

Winner of the Best Reward & Recognition program 2024 and a finalist for Employer of Choice 2024, it is not only our employees who think our bank is truly one of the best places to work.

The opportunity.

Be our new Lead in a very exciting journey

Are you a dynamic, forward-thinking individual ready to make a real impact? We're on the lookout for a Product Lead (Lending & Cards) to help take our newly formed division (Experience & Product) to the next level.

Reporting directly to the Head of Product Development & Management, this is more than just an average role – it's a unique opportunity to help the bank design its products to stand out for those in the Defence community and help them navigate the financial complexities of their unique life. In addition, the role is responsible for managing g the ongoing lending product portfolio; including associated product processes, product related compliance and regulatory obligations to underpin the growth of market share in our key markets.

In this pivotal role, you'll work alongside another Product Lead as well as Product Managers to understand the financial needs of those in Defence, in particular home buying, and adapt our proposition as needs and preferences evolve.

Our business has a strong growth strategy, and we're proud of the strong, collaborative culture that drives our success. We're a team that supports each other, celebrates wins, and is passionate about delivering exceptional experiences to our members.

If you're energised by challenge, excited by growth, and motivated to help the bank step into its next chapter, we'd love to hear from you.

Your key responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Monitor the lending and cards product portfolios against strategic performance targets to achieve revenue and asset growth.
• Manage the compliance of lending and card products, including oversight for our Australian Credit Licence (ACL) and Design Distribution Obligations (DDO).
• Oversight of all processes to support the delivery of product and services to Members
• Manage third-party partnerships to ensure effective delivery of products to members within agreed service levels.
• Develop business cases to support product initiatives and pricing recommendations to the Pricing Committee for new products and/or product extensions and to respond to movements in the cash rate.
• Project manage completion of product reviews/audits (e.g. fit for purpose, post implementation reviews, annual operating check (including pricing).
• Support new product development including the establishment of concept papers, business cases, and project management plans.
• Design and implement new processes, controls and monitoring to support the delivery of new products or product enhancements to customers as well as changes brought about because of a new policy or an enhancement to existing policy.
• Act as SME for projects across the bank providing guidance and advice where appropriate
• Support the delivery of the functional strategy and Bank wide strategic initiatives through subject matter expertise and change advocacy.

The successful candidate will have:

• Minimum 10 years' experience in banking product management including experience with lending products such as home loans, personal loans and credit cards
• An understanding of the requirements of responsible lending and the ASIC ACL requirements
• Experience in a Lending Operations role is highly regarded
• A collaborative work style to achieve shared outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain strategic relationships
• A flair for innovation, process improvements and leading change for the betterment of the member experience
• Thrive on taking accountability for problem solving and the delivery of strategic initiatives

We count on you. And you can count on us.

We have a great range of employee benefits including:

• Savings and discounts across our range of products and services.
• Innovative Work-Life fit program including additional paid leave.
• A generous annual corporate wardrobe allowance.
• Birthday leave
• Access to our internal "reward and recognition" platform - vouchers, discounts, e-cards and much more

Interested? We'd like to hear from you. Click to apply.

Defence Bank is committed to providing equal opportunities for employment and seek to have a team that reflects our diverse community. We encourage anyone interested in our role and a career at Defence Bank to apply.

All successful candidates will be required to complete employment checks prior to an offer of employment.

Whilst we value and appreciate the time and effort you made to apply for this position, only short-listed applicants with Australian Working Rights will be contacted to discuss their application.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position may close at any time once a suitable candidate is identified. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications promptly.

Please also note that applications sent directly to our recruitment inbox will not be reviewed or responded to. Only applications submitted via our job advertisement will be considered.