1st Line Controls Testing Manager

Mastercard; Harrogate; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in the United Kingdom is looking for a 1st Line Controls Testing Manager to lead control testing activities within a regulated environment. This role will involve supervision of junior members, conducting key controls testing, and ensuring compliance with standards. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, a Bachelor's degree, and experience in a risk management setting. A proactive approach to continuous improvement is essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Experience in control testing, assurance, and risk management within a regulated environment.
• Strong investigative and analytical experience, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Understanding of control frameworks and standards such as NIST, CRI, ITIL, ISO.

Responsibilities

• Conduct periodic testing of key controls and evaluate compliance with standards.
• Prepare control testing documentation and escalate deficiencies.
• Supervise and mentor junior team members on testing execution.

Skills

Investigative skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Decision-making

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

Tools

Data analytics tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

1st Line Controls Testing Manager Overview

The newly established Vocalink Control Office function is seeking Manager within the 1st Line Control Testing team to support the delivery of control testing activities, within Vocalink Limited (VLL). VLL is a Bank of England regulated, Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) company that enables the payments of 90% of salaries, 70% of utility bills, most ATM transactions and every cheque cleared in the UK.

This role plays a key part in embedding a strong control environment by executing control testing, identifying control gaps, and supporting continuous improvement in risk management practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Control Testing Execution – Conduct periodic testing of key and non-key controls in line with the Control Testing Methodology including IT general controls (ITGCs), application controls, financial, and operational controls, ensuring comprehensive coverage across all relevant business processes.
• Evaluate compliance with internal policies, standards, regulatory requirements, and customer obligations.
• Prepare and review control testing documentation, including test procedures, results, and identified gaps.
• Ensure timely escalation of control deficiencies and support remediation tracking.
• Team Leadership, Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement – Supervise and mentor junior team members (Senior Analysts), providing guidance on testing execution and quality assurance.
• Support the Director of Control Testing in delivering the annual testing plan, contributing to team development.
• Engage with 1st Line teams while coordinating closely with 2nd Line partners and maintaining effective liaison with Internal Audit.
• Contribute to reporting for governance forums, including dashboards, thematic reviews, and trend analysis.
• Partner with control owners, providing guidance on control effectiveness and remediation.
• Governance & Continuous Improvement – Support the development and refinement of control testing standards, tools, and methodologies.
• Contribute to the maturity of the 3 Lines of Defence model and promote a culture of proactive risk management.
• Stay informed on emerging risks, regulatory changes, and industry best practices relevant to operational, financial, and general business controls, and reflect these considerations in control testing activities.

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in control testing, assurance, and risk management within a regulated environment.
• Strong investigative and analytical experience (e.g. enquiry, analysis, interviewing, testing), problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Understanding of control frameworks and standards (e.g., NIST, CRI, ITIL, ISO and PCI-DSS).
• Ability to assess control design and operating effectiveness in complex environments and to identify control gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Professional certifications such as IIA, CIA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CISA, CRISC or equivalent is desirable.

Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Information Technology, Risk Management).
• Good knowledge of controls (operational, financial, and IT general controls) across platforms and business processes.
• Proficiency in data analytics tools or similar control testing tools.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access and MS PowerPoint).
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks.
• Self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset and a collaborative approach.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.