At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead governance and strategy for the UK finance team, ensuring accountability and oversight.
- Company: Join a leading financial services firm focused on robust governance and strategic excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and opportunities to work with senior executives.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while enhancing your governance skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in governance or finance operations, with strong project management skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
The Governance Manager will support the UK CFO in ensuring robust governance, oversight, and control across the UK finance organisation. This role includes leading coordination of governance forums, maintaining oversight of key finance risks and actions, supporting ICARA and wind-down planning activities (including associated governance and project management), and driving high standards of accountability, decision-making, and documentation across the function.
The role requires a highly organised and commercially aware individual who can operate effectively across senior stakeholder groups, bring structure to complex topics, and ensure the UK finance team maintains strong governance in a fast-paced and regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities- Governance and Committee Management
- Lead the planning, coordination, and smooth running of UK finance governance forums, committees, and working groups chaired or attended by the UK CFO.
- Prepare high-quality meeting materials including agendas, papers, action logs, decision logs, and minutes.
- Ensure governance forums have clear terms of reference, objectives, participants, and escalation routes.
- Track actions and decisions to completion, ensuring accountability and timely follow-up with stakeholders.
- Drive consistency in governance standards, templates, and documentation across the finance organisation.
- Executive and Board Support
- Support the UK CFO in preparing materials for Executive Committees, Board meetings, Audit Committees, and other senior governance forums.
- Coordinate inputs across Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, and the wider business.
- Review papers for quality, clarity, and completeness before circulation.
- Prepare briefing points, summaries, and key messages for senior leadership meetings.
- Risk, Control, and Oversight
- Maintain oversight of governance actions, finance risks, control issues, remediation plans, and audit or regulatory commitments.
- Support governance and delivery of ICARA (tracking assumptions, risks, scenarios, outputs).
- Oversee wind-down planning governance, including ownership, timelines, and milestone delivery.
- Support governance of the annual external audit, including deliverables, requests, findings, and remediation tracking.
- Ensure appropriate escalation and accountability for actions.
- Collaborate with Risk, Internal Audit, Compliance, and Financial Control to maintain a strong control environment.
- ICARA, Wind-Down, and Regulatory Governance
- Support governance processes linked to ICARA and wind-down planning (inputs, documentation, approvals).
- Manage ICARA and wind-down as structured programmes (deliverables, dependencies, timelines).
- Support governance of the annual audit process, including tracking timelines and cross-functional inputs.
- Coordinate responses to audit findings and ensure remediation is owned and delivered.
- Coordinate responses to regulators, auditors, and internal control functions.
- Maintain governance artefacts (committee calendars, ICARA docs, wind-down plans, policy logs, decision records).
- Promote adherence to internal governance policies and continuous improvement.
- Planning and Coordination
- Build and manage an annual governance calendar aligned to Board, committee, audit, ICARA, and reporting cycles.
- Coordinate ICARA, wind-down, and audit timelines alongside broader finance deliverables.
- Apply strong project management discipline across ICARA, wind-down, and audit activities.
- Identify opportunities to improve governance processes and reporting quality.
- Support strategic and ad hoc projects for the UK CFO and finance leadership team.
- UK CFO
- Head of Regulatory Finance
- UK Finance Leadership Team
- Global Financial Controller
- Risk and Compliance
- Wider UK business stakeholders
- Experience in governance, COO, finance operations, business management, or chief of staff roles in financial services or a regulated environment.
- Experience supporting senior executives and governance / Board / ExCo processes.
- Experience with ICARA, wind-down planning, or similar regulatory programmes (highly desirable).
- Strong track record of managing complex, cross-functional regulatory or finance projects.
- Experience supporting or coordinating external audits, including managing timelines, requests, and stakeholder engagement.
UK CFO Governance & Strategy Lead employer: FNZ Group
As a leading employer in the financial services sector, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of excellence and accountability. Our UK CFO Governance & Strategy Lead role offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic environment where you will collaborate with senior stakeholders and drive governance standards across the finance organisation. We are committed to employee growth, providing comprehensive training and development programmes, and ensuring our team members thrive in their careers while contributing to meaningful projects that shape the future of our business.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land UK CFO Governance & Strategy Lead
✨Tap into Campus Networks
If you're still in uni, don’t forget to engage with your campus's career services and attend finance-related events. Banks often do presentations and recruitment drives on campus, so put yourself out there and make use of these opportunities to show off your passion for the field.
✨Get Certified
Consider pursuing relevant certifications like the CFA or ACCA while you’re job hunting. They not only beef up your CV but also connect you with professional bodies which can lead to networking opportunities and even job openings in banking and financial services.
✨Connect on Professional Platforms
Join finance-focused groups on platforms like LinkedIn and engage in discussions. This can really help you stand out from the crowd, allowing potential employers to see your knowledge and interest in industry trends. Plus, you might stumble upon job postings shared exclusively within the group.
✨Apply Directly and Be Proactive
Don’t shy away from reaching out directly to firms like FNZ Group. Use their websites and apply through them, but also consider following up with a polite email to express your enthusiasm. Being proactive can make a huge difference in getting noticed in the competitive financial services sector.
We think you need these skills to ace UK CFO Governance & Strategy Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to FNZ Group.
Include Relevant Financial Software Experience:If you've worked with financial modelling tools or software like Excel, SAP, or specific analytical tools during your studies or internships, bring that up! Highlighting your proficiency can really make your application pop and show you're ready to hit the ground running in a full-time role.
Research and Reflect:Before hitting that 'apply' button on FNZ Group's website, do a little digging. Look up their recent projects, values, and culture. Reflecting their ethos in your application can make a huge difference and show you’re genuinely interested in being part of the team!
How to prepare for a job interview at FNZ Group
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with FNZ Group.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to tackle case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-world banking scenarios. Familiarise yourself with the types of problems you might face—think risk assessments or investment evaluations—and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly.
✨Show Your Passion for Finance
Since this is a full-time position, employers at FNZ Group will be keen to see your genuine interest in finance. Be prepared to discuss recent industry trends or news articles that excite you, showcasing your enthusiasm and engagement with the field.
✨Network with Industry Professionals
Before your interview, reach out to current or former FNZ Group employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.
