Head Of Risk Governance

Are you an experienced risk and governance professional? Could you put your skills and knowledge into practice in our Retail Risk function, helping keep Nationwide and our customers safe? If yes, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join the team!

We’re looking for a Head of Risk & Governance to join Retail Risk. This role is responsible for driving a broad risk, regulatory, conduct and control improvement agenda across Nationwide’s branch, telephony and operational areas (including complaints). The successful candidate will lead a combination of direct and matrix reports as part of Retail Risk and will be a member of the Retail Risk Leadership Team. 

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, at our Swindon or London office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here.
If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead, on behalf of the Director of Retail Risk, 1st line risk input and challenge to both Function and Society-level strategy and the Society strategic risk profile, in each case ensuring the identification and mitigation of conduct risk through comprehensive risk assessments.
• Support the Retail Services’ and Customer Resolutions’ Senior Leadership Teams in discharging their responsibilities for E2E process ownership.
• Provide regulatory expertise and support across the functions, helping to ensure we remain compliant at all times.
• Lead, execute and report the Retail Services and Customer Resolutions approach to assessing conduct risk maturity. 
• Support the design and execution of effective and insightful Executive reporting / conduct MI frameworks. Responsible for the definition, oversight and reporting of Risk appetite measures for Retail Services and Customer Resolution.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Risk professionals, with an appetite to continue to grow their skills.

About you

• A strong understanding of retail distribution and customer resolutions activity, how they work, and the inherent risks.
• Broad and extensive experience in the design and delivery of comprehensive risk and control frameworks, policies, and tools across a complex financial service organisation.
• Detailed understanding of governance, risk management principles and methodologies, coupled with practical experience of implementing risk and control management processes.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant regulation (and codes).  Knowledge of how regulatory, political, reputational, and legal risk or governance issues impact a complex financial services business (focused on distribution and customer resolutions) with the ability to comprehend and assimilate information rapidly whilst working in diverse complex business areas.  Proven ability to work with business management to agree pragmatic and innovative solutions to issues.
• Significant experience of having worked in a regulated environment within Financial Services, either in a compliance or business risk function or similar.
• The successful role holder should have a recognised qualification (such as the IRM Diploma or ICA qualifications) within a relevant Risk or Compliance activity or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and expertise gained in a relevant industry / profession.

Our Customer First behaviours are all about putting customers and members at the heart of how we work together. You can strengthen your application by showing the behaviours that resonate with you, and how you might have already demonstrated these.

• Say it straight - This is about being honest and direct with good intent and saying what needs to be said in the room. It’s also about being clear, precise, and using language that we and, importantly, our customers and members can understand.
• Push for better - This is about aiming high and constantly looking for better in how we work together and serve our customers and members.
• Get it done - This is about prioritising what will have the greatest impact, being decisive and taking accountability for delivering on the end-to-end outcome.

We know applying for jobs can sometimes feel like you’re sending an application into a black hole. We review each application individually. So, it’s a good idea to call out your most relevant experience on your application to give yourself the best chance.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• A personal pension – if you put in 7% of your salary, we’ll top up by a further 16%
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year
• Life assurance worth 8x your salary
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Gympass – Access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness.
• Access to an annual performance related bonus
• Access to training to help you develop and progress your career
• 30 days holiday , pro rata

What makes us different

Nationwide is the world’s largest building society. With over 15 million customers, we have a relationship with almost a quarter of the UK’s population. We’ve got the scale to compete with the big banks, but we’re not a bank.

As a building society, we’re owned by our members – that’s our customers who have their current account, mortgage or savings with us. It means we can do things differently to deliver our Purpose – Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society.

When you work at Nationwide, you can experience that difference for yourself. You’ll be part of a high-performing, purpose-driven organisation that offers rewarding career experiences and a highly competitive range of benefits to match. You’ll also be joining us at an important time as we seek to reach more and more people in the UK. We want everyone in the UK to know that they don’t have to bank with a bank. They can choose a modern mutual instead.  

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us.

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

#LI-Post