Job Description

Birchlake Recruitment is delighted to be partnering with a leading UK financial services organisation in Buckinghamshire to appoint a Chief Risk Officer.

 

What you'll bring to the role:

 

In this role, you will lead and direct the Risk & Compliance function, providing independent second-line oversight of the firm's Non-Financial Risk, Regulatory Compliance and Financial Crime frameworks. You will ensure the business meets its regulatory, legal and ethical obligations, while supporting strategic objectives, operational resilience and good customer outcomes.

 

Main Accountabilities:

 

Leadership:

• Lead and direct the Risk & Compliance function, overseeing risk, regulatory compliance and financial crime professionals.
• Motivate and develop the team through clear objectives, performance management and succession planning.
• Build a strong risk and compliance culture across the organisation, aligned to the firm's values and regulatory expectations.

 

Non-Financial Risk Framework, Governance & Culture:

• Establish, implement and continuously enhance the firm's Non-Financial Risk Management Framework, ensuring risks are effectively identified, assessed, monitored, reported and managed in line with the firm's risk appetite.
• Lead the development and embedding of risk governance, policies, risk methodologies, reporting and Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), providing independent challenge and oversight of operational, conduct, regulatory, reputational, outsourcing and operational resilience risks.
• Promote a strong risk culture across the organisation, ensuring risk ownership, accountability and informed decision-making are embedded within business activities and strategic initiatives.

 

Regulatory Compliance Framework:

• Maintain and oversee an effective Compliance Framework that supports compliance with applicable regulatory and legal obligations, including FCA requirements, Consumer Duty, Consumer Credit legislation, Insurance Distribution requirements, SM&CR and other applicable regulatory standards.
• Provide strategic advice and challenge to the Board, Executive Management and Senior Managers regarding regulatory obligations, conduct risk and compliance matters.
• Ensure compliance risks associated with new products, business initiatives, customer journeys, outsourcing arrangements and strategic change programmes are appropriately identified, assessed and managed.
• Maintain effective compliance policies, standards and governance arrangements.

 

Financial Crime Framework & MLRO Responsibilities:

• Fulfil the role of Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and maintain responsibility for the firm's Financial Crime Framework.
• Oversee the management of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF), sanctions compliance, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud risk oversight and financial crime prevention arrangements.
• Ensure financial crime risk assessments, controls, training, monitoring and reporting programmes remain effective and proportionate to the firm's risk profile.
• Oversee suspicious activity reporting, financial crime investigations and regulatory notifications where required.

 

Monitoring, Assurance & Testing:

• Develop and maintain integrated Risk and Compliance Monitoring Plans using a risk-based methodology.
• Ensure sufficient monitoring, thematic reviews, assurance activity and testing is undertaken to assess the effectiveness of risk management, compliance and financial crime controls.
• Report findings, control weaknesses, breaches, incidents, emerging risks and thematic trends to appropriate governance forums.
• Ensure management actions are tracked through to satisfactory closure.

 

Corporate Compliance & Data Protection:

• Maintain and oversee the Corporate Compliance and Data Protection Frameworks, ensuring compliance with applicable legal, regulatory and ethical requirements.
• Lead oversight of Anti-Bribery & Corruption, Conflicts of Interest, Gifts & Hospitality, Whistleblowing, Competition Law, Policy Governance and Data Protection obligations, ensuring appropriate controls, governance, monitoring and reporting arrangements are maintained.
• Promote a culture of integrity, ethical behaviour and accountability through effective training, awareness and employee engagement programmes.

 

Horizon Scanning, Governance, Reporting & Regulatory Engagement:

• Maintain an effective horizon-scanning process to identify emerging regulatory, legislative, industry and risk developments and assess their potential impact on the business.
• Develop and maintain robust risk and compliance management information, key risk indicators and governance arrangements to support effective oversight and decision-making.
• Provide regular reporting to Executive Management, Risk Committees, Audit Committees and the Board, including annual Compliance, Risk and MLRO reports.
• Act as the primary liaison with the FCA and other relevant regulatory bodies, managing regulatory interactions, submissions, supervisory engagement, investigations, information requests and regulatory inspections.

 

About you:

 

Vital:

• Significant senior leadership experience within an FCA-regulated financial services organisation.
• Proven experience leading Non-Financial Risk, Compliance and/or Financial Crime functions.
• Experience operating under the Senior Managers & Certification Regime.
• Strong working knowledge of:
• Risk Management Frameworks and Governance
• FCA Handbook
• Consumer Duty
• SM&CR
• Fraud risk management
• Operational Resilience requirements
• Experience engaging directly with the FCA and other regulators.
• Strong influencing, communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Proven ability to provide independent challenge at Executive and Board level.

 

Desirable:

• Motor Finance industry experience.
• Professional qualifications such as ICA, ACAMS, FCII, ACII, IRM or equivalent.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide risk and compliance transformation programmes.

 

What you'll get in return:

 

You'll recieve a competitive salary and highly competitive discretionary bonus structure. You'll also have access to their colleague car schemes as well as a generous pension scheme and flexible benefit pot that can be used to find the benefits that are right for you.

 

You'll also have access to colleague wellbeing resources, including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and the Inclusion Advocates as well as flexible opportunities to support work life balance.

 

f you're an experienced Risk & Compliance leader looking for an opportunity to make a genuine impact at a senior level, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today or contact Birchlake Recruitment for a confidential discussion about the role.