Payments & Financial Crime

What our people say

• I have worked at the Society for many years, during which I have seen an incredible amount of change both from a broader Society perspective and also from an IT point of view. It’s that change that has kept me engaged and motivated to keep progressing my career here.

  I actually started in a trainee Cashier in one of our Branches and my journey with the Coventry has seen me play a pivotal part in developing the IT analysis team within the IT Architecture function. Every day in IT we have the opportunity to make a difference, as we play a key role in helping our colleagues across the whole of the organisation. I work with great people and I love the ‘techy’ side of IT and seeing how doing the right things in the IT function can have a positive impact on our members and our people.

  I genuinely feel as if exactly the right challenges have come at the exactly the right time for me. Whether that be pushing my IT career to the next level to agreeing a flexible working arrangement, doing a job I love, whilst having my children. The Society has provided support in those defining moments. The Society’s values are carried through not just in the way we treat our members but in the way we work with each other.

  I am now lucky enough to be on the senior leadership team for IT, really driving our transformation agenda. There is never a dull moment here and I am looking forward to what the future holds!

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  Sarah - IT

• I started working for the Society as a Saturday Customer Service Assistant, in one of our Coventry branches, and I continued this role on a part-time basis while I studied law at Durham University.

  After completing my degree, I did some work experience in the Legal team and was then lucky enough to secure a permanent Paralegal role.

  I always knew I wanted to continue with my legal career, so I asked if the Society would support me through my Legal Practice Course and they agreed. I spent a year going to London twice a week for evening lectures – it was hard work, but I qualified in July 2016.

  I now work on the lending and property side of the Legal team, looking after mortgage-related queries, policy changes and project work, as well as helping to review the lease renewals for the Society’s properties. I am also involved in reviewing our mortgage conditions and legal documentation, in conjunction with external solicitors and barristers. These documents protect both the Society and its members so it’s important that they are accurate and are clearly communicated.

  I also love being able to get involved with the Society’s community work, I’m one of our Reading Partners and help the children at a local Primary School improve their reading and spelling. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my week.

  It’s a great place to work and I really feel the Society looks after us.

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  Amy - Legal

• I’d heard from friends and family (who didn’t even work for the Society!) that Coventry Building Society was a great place to work and when I saw the graduate programme advertised I was excited to apply.

  I successfully gained a place on the Technology graduate programme and having studied Business and Computer Science I was excited about the exposure that this would give me to the IT function as a whole. So far I have not been disappointed; I have been given exposure to PMO, IT Analysis, Technical Solutions and IT Architecture. With Development, Test and Project Management to come, I know that I will be able to gain a great understanding of how technology supports and empowers our business as well as being able to develop a diverse skill set.

  I don’t spend my time shadowing team members; I am given real responsibility and I am required to work closely with my colleagues in order to deliver meaningful work that has an impact on the Society as a whole. I’m always impressed by the support I get from my managers and colleagues, they’re always welcoming when I embark on a new placement and they encourage me to ask questions, making it easy for me to quickly get up to speed and start adding value straight away.

  As well as the learning I get from my rotations, the Society’s development days give me the chance to develop other valuable skills such as relationship building and holding influential conversations. These are attended by graduates from other programmes and as a result of this we’re able to share our specialist knowledge and learn from each other in order to deliver on a range of projects for the Society and our local community.

  I’m really enjoying the programme and know that my learning won’t stop when I take my next step!

  Kurt - IT

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• I joined the Society as a Resourcing Advisor on a six-month contract, three days after finishing my degree in Management Sciences at Loughborough University.

  After a couple of months, I was offered a permanent role and I was supported to complete my Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) qualification. It was hard balancing work with study, but well worth it in order to progress my career in HR.

  I then moved into the HR Business Partnering team, as a HR Advisor dedicated to supporting a specific area of the Society. The HR Advisor role is really varied and touches lots of areas. We get involved with everything from developing new polices to organisational design.

  I have recently progressed into a role focussing on Employee Experience – we’re the team who drive forward key strategic initiatives for the Society such as Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement and Wellbeing.

  It’s a very supportive culture with a focus on communication and encouragement. It’s a great environment to work in.

  Clare - HR Advisor

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• I’ve worked in a number of different departments including the Branch Network, Intermediary Development, Financial Crime and I’m now in our Compliance team.

  Regulatory changes can have a big impact on the business. It’s part of my job to track those changes and keep the business informed.

  I get to work with lots of different teams – Product Design, Marketing, Customer Experience, Legal and Business Change to name a few. Every day really is different!

  There are numerous opportunities for development and progression if you choose to take them. Ultimately, you drive your own future.

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  This kind of culture doesn’t just happen overnight – it comes from the top and it’s been a pivotal part of the organisation for many years.

  Emma - Compliance

• I started working at the Coventry as a Saturday Customer Service Assistant, I’m now a Customer Service Specialist and I’ve just started on the Management Development Programme, which is designed to help enhance my leadership skills.

  Every day is different. I come to work smiling and I leave smiling. Making a difference to our members motivates me to come to work each morning. I’m helping people and I get so much satisfaction out of it, whether I’m opening an account for a customer or supporting them with a complex transaction, our members really appreciate us.

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  We are so invested in community work too. In our branch alone, we’ve raised almost £20,000 for our community partner. We have the most amazing customer base. They’re so generous – they’re as passionate about the charity as we are.

  Jess - Branch Network

• Starting out in our Savings Operations team, I quickly progressed in to our Quality Assurance team, then into Customer Relations.

  I studied Accountancy at University and always wanted to work in Finance, so when a role came up I knew I wanted to apply…now I’m a Cost and Management Accountant.

  My job is so varied. If I was talking to someone about a career here, I’d say... "you'll definitely find an area you enjoy".

  I was offered study support so I could gain my professional finance qualification. It was hard work, it was worth it though! They’re really supportive of people studying, training and going through exams. I came joint tenth overall in the world and now I’m qualified. Not only that, I’ve got brilliant experience from the ground up so I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  What excites me about my role is that we’re so engaged with the whole Society and we’re looking to the future, rather than just dealing with historical numbers. I love asking questions like... Will this project benefit our members? What will the business benefits be? Will it make us more cost-efficient?

  Karan - Finance

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• I’ve been with Coventry Building Society for most of my career, my background is actually in Finance and whilst in this team, I was intrigued by the part that Change payed in shaping the Society and I felt that it would be an interesting career move. After completing a secondment in Change, I took on a Trainee Business Analyst role and now I’m training to be a Project Manager.

  The Coventry makes a big investment in delivering a fantastic customer experience and understanding the wider impact each project has is critical. Getting things right for our members is the most important thing.

  Working in Change has taught me so much and helped me develop transferrable skills, such as analysis and decision making, project management, report writing and managing stakeholders. These are all qualities I feel I could take to any part of our business.

  I know I still have a lot to learn but I’m focussed on becoming a fully-fledged Project Manager and I know Coventry Building Society will support me to get there.

  Scott - Change

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