Santander UK is to create 600 new jobs in its branches and call centres as it continues to win market share.
The giant Spanish bank says the additional roles "will support our ongoing business and future growth whilst enabling us to continue improving our service to customers. A key part of this initiative we will be to ensure customers get quick and efficient service during the busiest times."
The move comes as the bank's UK arm reported a profit of £449 million in the second quarter, up seven percent on the year.
Santander, which earlier this year completed the rebranding and integration of Abbey and Bradford & Bingley, says it expects to transfer A&L onto its proprietary Partenon IT platform and to rebrand the branch network, by the end of 2010.
This will bring the number of Santander-branded branches on the UK's high streets up to 1300. Their numbers will soon be swelled by an additional 318 branches acquired from RBS after the Spanish bank emerged as the sole bidder for the Scottish bank's surplus Williams & Glyn's branches with a £2 billion offer in April.