Head of Governance, Risk and Controls

Legal & General looks after around 700,000 institutional customers who have their retirement benefits secured with us. Operating continuously in the UK market from our entrance in 1987, we are the UK’s longest-running insurer.

Our Institutional Retirement division provides pension risk transfer (PRT) solutions for UK and US defined benefit (DB) schemes, and reinsurance solutions from our global hub in Bermuda. We work with companies, DB pension schemes and their advisors to help them secure and protect scheme members’ retirement benefits.

Joining us means you’ll support customers’ financial security in retirement; help companies to settle their pension liabilities and focus on growing their businesses; and enable investment for the long term to back our pension promises.

We’re looking for a Head of Governance, Risk and Controls in either Hove or London!

You’ll be responsible for the strategy, planning, and management of daily operations, monitoring, and reporting on the systems and processes that demonstrate assurance for operational resilience, data privacy, 1st Line of Defence / 1.5 risk and governance controls across Institutional Retirement (IR).

You’ll also partner with the Chief Operating Officer and the Senior Leadership team within the COO Function to achieve the division’s strategic and corporate goals, by ensuring the team remains focussed on key priorities, driving robust business-led governance and oversight mechanisms supporting the Institutional Retirement strategy.

What you'll be doing:

• Providing strategic leadership to develop, implement, and monitor reporting mechanisms for operational resilience, data privacy, risk management, and governance practices to support and demonstrate divisional compliance while identifying and addressing areas of exposure
• Driving operational excellence through robust data privacy, End-User-Computing (EUC) and model oversight, risk management, and governance controls across Institutional Retirement to achieve optimal business outcomes, including planning, leading, and managing the division’s third-party vendor capabilities, and overseeing the performance of the third-party vendors
• Championing and driving objectives and value outcomes to formulate an emerging strategy for COO Function Governance, Risk and 1.5 Line of Defence controls, utilising these elements to define priorities for capability development, delivering and embedding a best practice service proposition across Institutional Retirement to safeguard our business and customers
• Monitoring, reviewing, documenting, and reporting on compliance with risk management strategies and practices to ensure that activities within the COO Function fully meet established standards
• Defining, communicating, leading, and exemplifying the cultural and behavioural changes needed to prioritise operational resilience, data privacy, risk management and standards across the division, including relevant End-User-Computing (EUC) and model oversight
• Establishing a robust and connected internal network by engaging key executive stakeholders to secure their support and commitment for embedding operational resilience, data privacy, risk management, and controls from the top down, providing advice and guidance to stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities to enhance their knowledge and understanding
• Establishing appropriate governance, reporting, and escalation mechanisms for customer-impacting changes to ensure alignment with stakeholder and business requirements, meeting all key checkpoints

Who we're looking for:

• Knowledge in developing business strategies with a comprehensive perspective and a proven, practical approach to support the business in achieving its vision and targeted outcomes
• Expertise in sponsoring projects and programmes of change within the complex financial and regulated service sectors, utilising principles, methods, techniques, and tools for operational excellence and defining value outcomes
• Skilled in ensuring comprehensive adherence to regulatory and governance frameworks, with a deep understanding of technical delivery aspects, including continuous delivery, non-functional requirements, operational resilience, data privacy, and risk by design
• Demonstrated ability in establishing strongly connected working relationships, networks, and team dynamics to achieve collaborative outcomes with track record of influencing executive stakeholders and developing solutions that challenge original thinking
• Extensive experience in spearheading emerging functions, developing new capabilities, and driving cultural change
• Effective communication skills and an ability to instil confidence at executive level with both technical and non-technical audiences, demonstrating a proven track record of fostering connected relationships in complex environments
• Strategic thinking and innovation, with the ability to develop and execute strategies that secure buy-in across both division and Group level, leveraging exceptional organisational and action planning skills

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer: 

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance-related bonus plan and valuable share schemes  
• Generous pension contribution  
• Life assurance   
• Private medical insurance (permanent employees only) 
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday 
• Competitive family leave 
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand-new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice 
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online   
• In 2023, some of our workspaces were redesigned. Our offices are great spaces to connect and collaborate and have your wellbeing at the heart 

Legal & General is a leading financial services group and major global investor, named Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2023, for the second year running. Rated top in our sector and top for inspirational leadership, we have a strong heritage and an exciting future.

We aim to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone.

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We strive to be open, mindful and inclusive, so are always willing to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs.

If you’re open to find out more, we'd love to hear from you.