Head of Finance – Chief Control Office

We’re on an exciting journey to strengthen the way Finance manages risk, ensures control excellence, and delivers trusted outcomes for the Group. Within the Finance Chief Operating Office (FCOO), the Chief Control Office (CCO) plays a critical role. It safeguards Finance through effective risk management, operational resilience, and strong first line accountability.

We’re looking for a Head of Finance, Chief Control Office to lead, develop and elevate the control environment for Non-Financial Risk within Finance. As Head of Finance, you’ll deliver the ongoing embedding of the Group Risk Management framework for Non-Financial Risk management across several Operational Risk types including, but not limited to, Information & Cyber Security, Supplier Management, Data, People, Model and Operational Resilience (note this role excludes the management of Financial, Reporting & Tax and Regulatory risk). You’ll deliver a robust and effective control environment for Finance and own the control improvement plan and resulting risk reduction pathway for these risk types.

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of the Finance community, connecting teams, influencing senior partners and driving continuous improvement across a broad and evolving agenda. You’ll connect closely with the CFO’s office and the Finance Extended Leadership team, to support management of the Operational Risk profile across GEC-1 as accountable executives. This includes Committee level accountability and support and reporting on risk-based outcomes, at both Group and Finance Executive Risk Committee level.

As a key member of the FCOO leadership team, the role provides thought leadership, strategic clarity and clear direction across risk, controls and resilience. The postholder will play a central role in embedding a strong first line risk culture, enabling Finance to operate safely, efficiently and confidently as the transformation journey continues.

What you’ll be doing:

• Set the vision and lead the Finance control agenda, ensuring risk and control frameworks are robust, well embedded and aligned to the Group’s strategic ambitions.
• Champion a culture of proactive and transparent risk management, supporting leaders across Finance to embed strong behaviours, clear ownership and consistent control maturity.
• Strengthen connectivity across Finance, Risk and the wider Group, ensuring completeness of risk, issue and assurance activity and representing Finance in key governance forums.
• Drive excellence in regulatory and control delivery, overseeing responsibilities across SOX, OpenPages, operational resilience and security risk.
• Lead a high performing, expert team, providing clear direction, setting expectations and fostering a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement.
• Shape and coordinate strategic assurance activity, ensuring high quality insights, narratives and materials for senior committees including Audit Committee, regulatory interactions and Group Risk governance.
• Provide authoritative challenge and insight, using deep control expertise to guide decision making, strengthen outcomes and anticipate emerging risks.
• Lead the evolution of Finance’s control environment, shaping the transition towards more automated, data led and technology enabled control capabilities, and ensuring Finance is well positioned for future AI enabled control developments.
• Role model purpose led leadership and personal integrity, living the Group’s values and setting clear expectations for behaviour, accountability and decision making across Finance.

What we’re looking for:

• A strong finance background, with significant experience in risk, controls or financial governance.
• Proven experience of leading governance and oversight environments within large, complex organisations, ideally within financial services.
• Strong technical understanding of Sarbanes Oxley compliance, OpenPages tooling, operational risk approaches and regulatory expectations.
• A track record of leading large, distributed teams, embedding high performance and successfully driving cultural and capability change.
• Deep experience of influencing at senior level, operating credibly with executives, risk partners, internal and external auditors, and regulators.
• The ability to translate complex risk and control concepts into clear, actionable guidance for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrates curiosity, uses data and insight to inform decisions, and looks ahead to anticipate issues and shape practical solutions.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives and deliver effective, values led challenge.

And any of these would be great:

• A professional finance qualification is desirable but not essential.

We know that great talent comes from many backgrounds. Whilst this job advert may reference specific years of experience, we recognise that skills are developed in many ways, so if you have relevant, transferable experience, we encourage you to apply.

What you’ll get in return:

This role offers outstanding visibility, influence and breadth, shaping the risk management, control and assurance agenda for a critical part of the Group. You’ll work in a dynamic and progressive environment where control maturity continues to evolve, and where your leadership and expertise will make a tangible difference. You’ll have access to senior exposure, significant development opportunities and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the long term strength and performance of Finance. We’re building an inclusive, values led culture where colleagues feel recognised for their contribution and supported to thrive. Some travel may be required.

This is a place for you. We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including flexibility in office attendance, location and working patterns. And, as a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a fair and proportionate number of applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role with a disability, long-term health or neurodivergent condition through the Disability Confident Scheme. We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%
• An annual performance-related bonus
• Share schemes including free shares
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top
• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies

Like what you hear? Join us!