We are seeking a Head of Operational Risk Oversight – Payments, Process, and Central Functions to join our Second Line of Defence. This role is responsible for overseeing multiple areas of risk, ensuring that Nationwide effectively manages its non-financial risks across these key parts of the business. Strong and effective risk oversight will help maintain the safety, resilience, and trust our members place in Nationwide for their everyday financial transactions.
This is a high-profile opportunity to shape our risk oversight strategy, influence executive stakeholders, develop talent across the Operational Risk team, and directly support the Director of Operational Risk in delivering strong risk management and safe outcomes for both our members and the Society.
In this senior role, you will lead a significant part of Nationwide’s Second Line Operational Risk Oversight function—the independent team responsible for safeguarding the Society by overseeing key operational risks. As Head of Operational Risk Oversight – Payments, Process, and Central Functions, you will have broad responsibility for ensuring that oversight across payments, core business processes, and central corporate functions is integrated, effective, and aligned with our risk framework.
You will lead teams of skilled Risk Managers and Senior Risk Managers, setting the strategic direction for these oversight areas and ensuring consistency and high quality in their delivery. In doing so, you will support Nationwide in managing non-financial risks across both member-facing and central functions, maintaining operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and a high standard of service for our members.
A key aspect of this role is leadership and influence. You will work closely with executive stakeholders—from leaders in Payment Operations to heads of corporate functions such as Finance and People—to provide expert advice and constructive challenge on risk and control matters. You will oversee your teams as they deliver a range of assurance activities, from continuous control monitoring to deep-dive reviews of critical processes, ensuring their insights are translated into clear and actionable recommendations.
Given the highly regulated nature of payments, you will also ensure effective horizon scanning, managing the distribution and interpretation of regulatory consultations and change requirements across the Society. You will represent Operational Risk in senior risk committees and, where appropriate, external forums, bringing in industry best practices to continuously enhance our approach.
Through your leadership, you will foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, empowering your teams to deliver meaningful and impactful outcomes. Ultimately, your work will directly support the Director of Operational Risk’s objectives, ensuring that Nationwide maintains a strong and effective risk management framework while protecting our members’ interests as the Society evolves.
We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.
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, based at either our London or Swindon office. If you are aligned to our Glasgow hub (as this is your nearest location), there will be a need to regularly connect and collaborate with colleagues. This is anticipated to be weekly in Glasgow. 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.
Responsibilities
What you’ll be doing
You will lead multiple teams of risk professionals, providing comprehensive oversight across key non-financial risk domains at Nationwide, with a focus on payments, operational processes, and central corporate functions. You will set the strategic direction and guide your teams’ activities to ensure that oversight is focused on the areas of greatest risk and opportunity.
On a typical day, you may review findings from a major assurance review of a payment system, meet with a Finance Director to provide challenge and advice on risk controls, and represent Operational Risk in a Society-wide leadership forum.
You will continuously enhance our oversight approach by driving improvements, encouraging innovation, and incorporating industry best practices. By mentoring and developing your teams, you will build a high-performing function that consistently delivers clear, insightful assessments of the Society’s risk profile to senior management and governance committees.
In all aspects of the role, you will act as a key partner to the Director of Operational Risk, helping to ensure that Nationwide’s operations remain safe, resilient, and aligned to our members’ interests as the Society continues to evolve.
About you
You will have:
- Significant leadership experience in operational risk management or a closely related field, with a strong track record of leading multi-disciplinary risk teams within a large and complex organisation (experience in financial services is desirable)
- Extensive knowledge of non-financial risk domains, including payments, operational processes, and corporate functions, with the ability to integrate and oversee risk frameworks across diverse areas
- Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with proven experience engaging and constructively challenging executive-level leaders, as well as representing risk perspectives in senior governance forums
- Strong strategic and innovative thinking, with the ability to shape the direction of risk oversight activities, anticipate emerging risks, and embed industry best practices to continuously strengthen approaches
- Passion for developing people and fostering a strong risk culture, demonstrated through building high-performing teams and guiding them to deliver impactful and high-quality outcomes
Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:
- Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind
- Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand
- Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development
- Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes
You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.
Qualifications
The extras you’ll get
There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:
30 days holiday, pro rata
Access to private medical insurance
A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement
Access to an annual performance-related bonus
Training and development to help you progress your career
A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death
Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year
Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society
We forge our own path at Nationwide.
As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.
If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.
At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.
We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.
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.
Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be Head of Oversight Group Operational Risk.
Contact Details:
Nationwide Building Society Recruitment Team
