Controls and Assurance Specialist

Vanguard; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking a Controls Management Specialist to strengthen our control environment, ensuring regulatory expectations are met and customer outcomes are protected. You will work with operational, risk and compliance teams to assess, test and enhance key controls across critical processes, with a focus on design effectiveness, risk identification and remediation tracking.

This hybrid role requires in-office presence three days a week in Manchester.

Qualifications

• Experience within a regulated financial services environment.
• Experience in controls, operational risk, internal audit, compliance, governance, or financial services operations.
• Knowledge of FCA regulatory requirements and operational risk frameworks.
• Experience supporting governance forums and risk reporting activities.
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate findings clearly and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Conducting control design assessments and testing the operating effectiveness of key controls.
• Supporting the identification, assessment, and documentation of operational risks and controls.
• Performing process walkthroughs and control reviews to evaluate whether controls are appropriately designed and operating effectively.
• Identifying control weaknesses, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement, clearly documenting findings and recommendations.
• Maintaining control inventories, risk assessments, and assurance documentation.
• Monitoring remediation activities to ensure identified issues are effectively managed and resolved.
• Supporting thematic reviews and assurance activities across a range of operational areas.
• Partnering with business teams to strengthen risk management practices and embed sustainable controls.
• Contributing to governance reporting through clear, evidence-based insights and assessments.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, automation, and overall control effectiveness.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Continuous improvement

Job description

At Vanguard, we're committed to doing what's right for our clients. As a Controls Management Specialist, you'll play a vital role in strengthening our control environment, helping ensure risks are effectively managed, regulatory expectations are met, and customer outcomes remain protected. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in controls, risk, audit, compliance, or financial services operations who is looking to develop their career within a globally recognised investment management organisation.

What You'll Be Doing

Working closely with operational, risk, and compliance teams, you'll help assess, test, and enhance key operational controls across critical business processes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Conducting control design assessments and testing the operating effectiveness of key controls.
• Supporting the identification, assessment, and documentation of operational risks and controls.
• Performing process walkthroughs and control reviews to evaluate whether controls are appropriately designed and operating effectively.
• Identifying control weaknesses, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement, clearly documenting findings and recommendations.
• Maintaining control inventories, risk assessments, and assurance documentation.
• Monitoring remediation activities to ensure identified issues are effectively managed and resolved.
• Supporting thematic reviews and assurance activities across a range of operational areas.
• Partnering with business teams to strengthen risk management practices and embed sustainable controls.
• Contributing to governance reporting through clear, evidence-based insights and assessments.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, automation, and overall control effectiveness.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in candidates who can bring analytical thinking, strong stakeholder management skills, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Experience within a regulated financial services environment.
• Experience in controls, operational risk, internal audit, compliance, governance, or financial services operations.
• Knowledge of FCA regulatory requirements and operational risk frameworks.
• Experience supporting governance forums and risk reporting activities.
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate findings clearly and effectively.

Preferred

• Previous experience in audit, risk management, or a controls-related role.
• Experience conducting control testing, assurance reviews, or operational risk assessments.

Special Factors

• Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position
• This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday).

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.

It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.