Model Validation Lead

Play a pivotal role in providing confidence in the models that shape key business decisions. As our Model Validation Lead, you'll be at the forefront of ensuring that critical models are robust, reliable, and fit for purpose. Combining technical expertise with strong commercial insight, you'll deliver independent validation and assurance across a diverse range of complex models and algorithms, influencing senior stakeholders through clear reporting, impactful presentations, and trusted recommendations. If you're passionate about model risk, analytics, and making a meaningful impact across the organisation, we'd love to hear from you. What You'll Do Your key responsibilities will include:

• Lead the independent validation of strategically important and highly material models, delivering robust challenge, testing and assurance.
• Assess model performance across the full model lifecycle, including data quality, design, implementation, monitoring and governance.
• Produce clear validation reports and present findings, recommendations and insights to senior stakeholders and governance committees.
• Build trusted relationships across the business, translating complex technical concepts into clear and actionable messages.
• Provide expert data science and model risk guidance to support analytical teams.
• Support regulatory compliance, audits and model governance activities, ensuring alignment with evolving industry standards and requirements.
  
  Strong understanding of the prudential regulatory environment, including Regulatory Capital frameworks (Standardised and IRB), IFRS 9, and most importantly Model Risk Regulation (SS1/23).
• Proven experience validating complex statistical models using a range of techniques, including independent review, performance testing and challenger model development.
• Advanced analytical skills with strong proficiency in Excel, SAS and SQL, alongside a passion for learning new tools and technologies.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, impactful messages for non-technical audiences.
• Deep expertise across the full data science lifecycle, with the ability to critically assess model design, performance and risk using a blend of statistical rigour, commercial awareness and regulatory knowledge.
• Degree level qualification in a mathematical, statistical, data science or other highly analytical discipline.
  
  At Skipton, we offer pay and benefits that really do make life better, together with a genuine thank you for making a difference.
• Annual discretionary bonus scheme
• 25 days standard annual leave + bank holidays + rising 1 day per year of service to a max of 30 days
• Matching employer pension contribution (up to 10% per annum)
• Colleague Mortgages and access to Skipton products and services at discounted rates
• Flexible working to help balance your commitments
• Private medical insurance, health and wellbeing app, volunteering opportunities, cycle-to-work scheme, discounted gym memberships
• Lifestyle perks such as a Home and Tech voucher, which can be used at John Lewis, Currys, and IKEA