Head of Risk Operating Office

Head of Risk Operating Office

Edinburgh Full-Time 72000 - 84000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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Phoenix Group Holdings

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead risk strategy and transformation, ensuring effective governance and operational efficiency.
  • Company: Join Phoenix Group, the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with a commitment to sustainability.
  • Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, up to £120,000 salary, 38 days leave, private medical cover, and more.
  • Why this job: Make a significant impact on risk governance while collaborating with top-tier professionals in a supportive environment.
  • Qualifications: Proven leadership in risk management, finance, and strategic transformation, ideally in financial services.
  • Other info: Open to diverse backgrounds; we value your unique experience and encourage you to apply.

The predicted salary is between 72000 - 84000 £ per year.

Social network you want to login/join with: Head of Risk Operating Office, Edinburgh col-narrow-left Client: Phoenix Group Holdings Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom Job Category: Other – EU work permit required: Yes col-narrow-right Job Reference: 5125e77a153b Job Views: 3 Posted: 02.06.2025 Expiry Date: 17.07.2025 col-wide Job Description: Job Type :Permanent Location: This role could be based in either our London, Birmingham, Telford or Edinburgh offices with time spent working in the office and at home. Flexible working :All of our roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. Closing Date: 12.6.25 Salary and benefits : Up to £120,000 plus indicative bonus potential of 30-60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more. What are we looking for? The role As Head of Operating Office – Risk Strategy & Transformation, you will be the right hand to the Risk Strategy & Transformation Director, accountable for turning vision into action, insight into decision, and ambition into sustainable progress. Key Responsibilities Own and evolve the Group’s SMCR ‘reasonable steps’ framework, ensuring a robust structure around the CRO’s personal regulatory accountabilities. Set the standards for executive and Board-level risk reporting, interrogating and shaping content that reflects true insight, not just information. Lead the coordination and delivery of enterprise-wide MI and KRI dashboards, partnering with Finance and functional leads to embed high-quality data and analysis across the business. Drive development and adoption of a modern, digitised Risk Operating Model, aligned to our wider enterprise transformation — ensuring relevance, agility, and capability at every level. Facilitate deep-dive performance and capability reviews with the Risk Leadership Team to assess delivery against operating plan commitments, including cost efficiency and transformation objectives. Act as the risk function’s strategic finance lead, owning forecasting, cost allocation and expense performance – partnering closely with Finance and the commercial business. Champion the use of technology and AI to improve operational efficiency, challenge outdated ways of working, and surface risk insight with less manual effort and greater impact. Break silos and drive alignment — ensuring consistent standards, connected workflows, and shared accountability across risk teams and their stakeholders. You are an experienced leader with a proven ability to operate at the top table. You combine operational grip with strategic foresight and can confidently take ownership of cross-cutting challenges with senior stakeholders. You bring credibility in complex, regulated environments — ideally within financial services — and understand the expectations on senior managers under SMCR. You’re skilled in translating complex data and risk insight into strategic narrative, ready for Executive and Board-level consumption. You’re experienced in leading change — from digitising risk and control processes to modernising functional operating models. You know how to interrogate assumptions, challenge constructively, and drive meaningful progress on both financial performance and functional effectiveness. You’re comfortable at the intersection of risk, finance, operations and transformation — a natural connector, problem-solver and facilitator. Why This Role? This is your chance to leave a lasting mark on one of the UK’s most influential Risk Functions — helping us move faster, think sharper, and operate smarter. You’ll work alongside a supportive and ambitious CRO, a high-calibre Risk Leadership Team, and senior partners across Finance, Strategy and Transformation. Together, we’ll raise the bar for what excellent risk governance looks like. Who are we? We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked. We’re the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet. We want to hire the whole version of you. We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best. Please note that we reserve the right to remove adverts earlier than the advertised closing date. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Head of Risk Operating Office employer: Phoenix Group Holdings

Phoenix Group Holdings is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Edinburgh that prioritises flexibility and employee well-being. With competitive salaries, generous benefits including up to 38 days of annual leave, private medical cover, and a strong commitment to professional development, we empower our employees to thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in shaping the future of risk management while being part of a supportive team dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the financial services sector.
Phoenix Group Holdings

Contact Detail:

Phoenix Group Holdings Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Risk Operating Office

✨Tip Number 1

Network with professionals in the financial services sector, especially those involved in risk management. Attend industry events or webinars to connect with potential colleagues and learn about the latest trends in risk strategy and transformation.

✨Tip Number 2

Familiarise yourself with the SMCR framework and its implications for senior managers. Understanding this will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to compliance and governance in risk management.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare to discuss your experience in leading change initiatives, particularly in digitising processes and improving operational efficiency. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully implemented such changes in previous roles.

✨Tip Number 4

Showcase your ability to translate complex data into strategic insights. Practice explaining technical concepts in a way that is accessible to non-experts, as this skill is crucial for communicating with executive and board-level stakeholders.

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Risk Operating Office

Leadership Skills
Strategic Thinking
Risk Management
Financial Acumen
Data Analysis
Regulatory Knowledge (SMCR)
Change Management
Operational Efficiency
Stakeholder Engagement
Communication Skills
Technology Adoption
Performance Measurement
Collaboration and Teamwork
Problem-Solving Skills
Agility in Decision-Making

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience and skills that align with the responsibilities of the Head of Risk Operating Office. Focus on your leadership roles, experience in risk management, and any achievements in financial services.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should clearly express your motivation for applying to Phoenix Group Holdings. Discuss how your background and expertise make you a perfect fit for the role, particularly in areas like risk strategy and transformation.

Highlight Relevant Achievements: In both your CV and cover letter, include specific examples of past successes that demonstrate your ability to lead change, manage risk, and drive operational efficiency. Use metrics where possible to quantify your impact.

Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your application, thoroughly proofread your documents for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail and professionalism, which are crucial for a senior role.

How to prepare for a job interview at Phoenix Group Holdings

✨Understand the SMCR Framework

Familiarise yourself with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) as it is crucial for this role. Be prepared to discuss how you would ensure compliance and what 'reasonable steps' mean in practice.

✨Showcase Your Strategic Insight

Prepare examples of how you've translated complex data into strategic narratives. This role requires you to present insights at the executive level, so practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently.

✨Demonstrate Leadership Experience

Highlight your experience in leading change and transformation within risk functions. Be ready to discuss specific instances where you've driven operational efficiency or modernised processes.

✨Emphasise Collaboration Skills

This position involves breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across teams. Prepare to share examples of how you've successfully worked with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.

Head of Risk Operating Office
Phoenix Group Holdings
Location: Edinburgh
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