Head of Assurance & Control – Wealth Management

Director of Assurance and Control Hybrid from any of our UK offices. Succession Wealth, part of the Aviva Group, is one of the UK’s leading independent financial planning and wealth management organisations. With around 1,000 colleagues across the UK, supporting individuals, families and businesses in building long‑term confidence in their financial wellbeing. As an FCA‑regulated firm, we’re united by a shared commitment to integrity, collaboration and exceptional client service. Our people are central to everything we do – working together to deliver trusted advice, positive client outcomes and a supportive, high‑performing culture.

The role… We are looking for an experienced and credible individual to join our leadership team as Director of Assurance & Control. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this is a high‑impact role with responsibility for strengthening first line risk ownership, control effectiveness and assurance activity across the business. You will play a key role in helping us deliver strong client outcomes, embed a proactive risk culture, and ensure our operational controls remain robust, effective and aligned to regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing the Assurance & Control capability across the organisation.
• Embedding a consistent first line approach to risk ownership, control design, assurance activity and risk event management.
• Overseeing assurance activity across advice quality, suitability, client outcomes, operational controls and thematic reviews.
• Providing meaningful management information and assurance reporting to support executive and governance decision‑making.
• Partner closely with senior stakeholders across Operations, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, Transformation and Commercial functions.
• Support senior leaders and SMF holders in demonstrating reasonable steps and meeting regulatory expectations.
• Drive a strong, risk‑aware culture through coaching, challenge and continuous improvement.

What you’ll bring… You will bring deep experience from wealth management or private banking, with a strong background in operational risk, controls or assurance leadership. You will be confident operating at senior level, able to influence constructively, challenge effectively and build trusted relationships across a complex regulated environment.

Extensive experience in wealth management, private banking or a similarly regulated financial services environment. Strong understanding of FCA expectations, including Consumer Duty and SM&CR. Experience leading first line assurance, controls or risk activity within an enterprise framework. Excellent communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills. A collaborative leadership style with high integrity, sound judgement and a continuous improvement mindset. Experience in suitability or advice quality frameworks and relevant professional qualifications would be advantageous.

What you can expect from us… A competitive salary, annual pay reviews and performance linked increases as well as a fantastic range of benefits including:

• 25 days Annual leave rapidly increasing with service, plus bank holidays and additional days for Christmas closure.
• Excellent company pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance for yourself and partner.
• Agile and family friendly working arrangements to allow for a great work/life balance.
• Company sick pay.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Up to 40% discount on Aviva Insurance & Investment products.
• £465 towards the purchase of home office equipment.
• Group Life Assurance Scheme: 8 x salary.
• Access to the Benefit Hub; discounts on shopping, dining out, holidays and lots more!
• A range of health benefits including eye care vouchers, flu vaccinations, Annual Health Screening, Digital GP, Mental health and Nutrition Sessions and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Voluntary flexible benefits platform including Private Medical Insurance, Medical Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, Critical Illness and Health Screening.
• Support with cost of professional exams /study days.
• Charity Days.

Succession is committed to building and preserving a culture of inclusion and diversity. With a diverse team of employees we are able to grow, innovate and deliver excellent client care to help us reach our goals as a business. Our diverse teams help us reflect and understand the communities in which we operate and the subjects we cover in our everyday work. In recruiting for Succession, we welcome the unique contributions all candidates can bring regardless of their background and strive to ensure that every candidate is given the best chance of success through fair recruitment practice.