Complaints Governance - Risk and Controls Manager

St. James's Place; Cirencester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave plus bank hols

Private Medical Insurance

Generous Pension Scheme

Enhanced Parental Leave

Protection Benefits

EV salary sacrifice scheme

Job summary

St. James's Place in Cirencester is seeking a mid-senior Risk & Controls Manager to strengthen our Client Liaison Division's risk governance. You will oversee risk and control activities, support Consumer Duty and regulatory requirements, and help ensure compliant, high-quality client outcomes.

You'll map procedures, monitor regulatory changes, run the end-to-end RCSA process, and report metrics to governance forums, partnering with senior leaders to embed a proactive control culture.

Qualifications

• Experience in Risk, Controls, Governance, Compliance or Operational Risk in financial services.
• Experience with RCSA, risk logs, risk assessments and controls testing.
• Familiarity with FCA regulations and Consumer Duty; regulatory environment knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Drive and embed a strong risk and control culture across the Client Liaison Division.
• Identify and document procedures, workflows and controls; oversee breaches and remediation.
• Monitor regulatory developments; ensure documentation, decision records and audit trails.
• Lead end-to-end RCSA process; set timetable, facilitate assessments, and report progress.
• Support development of Risk Management Framework and related attestations.
• Assess risk in change initiatives; ensure governance and controls in new processes.
• Maintain business continuity arrangements aligned with Group standards.
• Produce regular reporting on compliance, risk exposure and control effectiveness.

Skills

Risk & Controls

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Regulatory compliance

Education

Degree in Finance/ Risk

Job description

Are you ready tochart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we're building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success. This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance:

Location: Cirencester Office

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: Permanent

Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

About the role:

The Client Liaison Division is responsible for SJP Wealth Management complaints, Partner Claims and supporting wider remediation activity across St. James's Place. Working at the intersection of client experience, regulation and risk, the Division manages complaint resolution, Financial Ombudsman Service escalations, root cause analysis, Partner Claims and undertaking critical complaints oversight, regulatory and governance activities. The Division ensures regulatory compliance, the delivery of fair client outcomes and the use of complaints insight to drive improvements across the wider SJP business.

The Complaints Governance - Risk and Controls Manager plays a key role in strengthening the risk, governance and control environment across the Client Liaison Division. Working closely with senior leaders and key stakeholders, you'll oversee risk and control activities, support Consumer Duty and regulatory requirements, and help ensure the Division operates effectively, compliantly and with strong client outcomes at its core.

You'll identify opportunities to enhance controls, mitigate risk and improve processes, while embedding a strong risk-aware culture and supporting the Division through ongoing business and regulatory change.

What you'll be doing:

• Working within the Client Liaison Division to drive, maintain and embed a strong risk and control culture across all teams.
• Leading the identification and documentation of departmental procedures, workflows and key controls, and overseeing the investigation and remediation of breaches, incidents and significant control or governance issues.
• Monitoring and interpreting regulatory and legislative developments to ensure divisional activities remain compliant, with appropriate documentation, decision records and audit trails maintained.
• Leading and coordinating the end-to-end RCSA process across the Division, including setting the timetable and approach, facilitating assessments, challenging outcomes, overseeing resulting action plans and reporting progress through the appropriate governance forums.
• Supporting the development and ongoing enhancement of the divisional and Group Risk Management Framework, including control identification and documentation, control-effectiveness testing, contributing to relevant Risk Appetite Statement development and annual risk attestations.
• Supporting business and technology change initiatives by assessing risk, reviewing control design and ensuring appropriate governance and controls are embedded in new or changed processes and systems.
• Reviewing and maintaining divisional business continuity arrangements in alignment with Group initiatives and standards, supporting operational resilience against potential disruption.
• Developing and maintaining regular reporting on compliance, risk exposure, control effectiveness and mitigation activity, monitoring relevant KPIs and presenting insights to appropriate governance forums.
• Ensuring consistency and effectiveness in the operation of Client Liaison committees, including the quality of papers and minutes, oversight of actions, and periodic reviews of compliance with Terms of Reference and delegated authority.
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, controls, operational efficiency and client outcomes through process reviews, employee feedback, and analysis of complaints, appeals, Financial Ombudsman Service decisions and quality assurance activity.

Who we're looking for:

We're looking for a risk and controls professional who thrives in a regulated environment and enjoys improving processes, strengthening control frameworks and influencing positive change. You'll be confident working with senior stakeholders, analysing complex information and translating risk findings into practical solutions that improve client outcomes.

Essential skills

• Experience working within a Risk, Controls, Governance, Compliance or Operational Risk role in a Financial Services environment.
• Experience of Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), risk log management, risk assessments, controls testing and risk incident reporting.
• Strong understanding of risk management frameworks, controls, governance processes and regulatory requirements.
• Knowledge of FCA regulations and Consumer Duty, with experience operating in a regulated environment.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and assess risk exposure.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and engage senior stakeholders.
• Proven problem-solving ability, with experience identifying control weaknesses and implementing practical solutions and improvements.

Desirable skills

• Knowledge and experience of working in complaints, remediation, Consumer Duty and Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) environments.
• Professional risk, governance or compliance qualifications (e.g. IRM, FRM, ISO Risk Management) or equivalent experience.
• Experience of governance reporting and business continuity planning.

What's in it for you?

Whatever stage of life you're in, our benefits are designed to provide the support, flexibility, and peace of mind you need to thrive both at work and beyond.

In addition to our discretionary annual bonus scheme, which reflects both individual and company performance, you'll benefit from a market-leading benefits package tailored to support your wellbeing, financial security, and family life.

Our benefits include:

• 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.

• Private Medical Insurance - company-funded cover for you and your immediate family
• Generous Pension Scheme - a non-contributory employer contribution of 10%, increasing with length of service up to 15%, plus the opportunity to increase this through salary sacrifice
• Enhanced Parental Leave - up to 26 weeks' full pay to support growing families.
• Protection Benefits - company-funded critical illness cover, income protection, and life assurance
• EV salary sacrifice scheme through Tusker

Reasonable Adjustments

We're an equalopportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessibleand inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stageplease let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]

Research tells usthat applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put offfrom applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been onan extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience.

As a businessregulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.