Controls Testing Lead

Capital One (Europe) plc; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site gym

Restaurant

Learning Loft

Rooftop running track

Job summary

Capital One UK in Nottingham is seeking an experienced Controls Testing Lead to own the UK testing programme, lead a team of control experts, and partner with the lines of defence to strengthen the control environment.

You will drive strategic optimisation, engage senior stakeholders with clear, data-driven risk storytelling, and advance methodologies with best practices and automation. The role is hybrid, based in Nottingham, with opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• A technical Subject Matter Expert with significant risk and control experience in a highly regulated corporate environment.
• Strong organisational skills with the agility to adapt in a changing environment and make smart trade-off calls.
• Experience developing or embedding AI tools and governance within testing or operational processes, with knowledge of automation in control execution.
• Proactive mindset with a track record of identifying and delivering process efficiencies.
• Exceptional communication skills to influence, collaborate, and partner with diverse cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
• Data-driven approach to identifying opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the UK controls testing programme across departments.
• Coach and develop the testing team; model excellence and innovation across risk and non-risk communities.
• Simplify workloads, remove inefficiencies and lead initiatives aligned to strategic goals of Risk Office and the business.
• Connect data points to tell a compelling risk story to drive clear action from senior stakeholders.
• Enhance and refine testing methodologies by integrating industry best practices and modern frameworks.
• Partner with Enterprise to ensure compliant and cohesive risk management across lines of defence.
• Guide the team on AI tools, providing tools, guidance and training to advance the AI agenda in control frameworks.

Skills

Risk & Control Expertise

Judgment & Adaptability

Tech & AI Integration

Process Optimisation

Influence & Stakeholder Management

Continuous Improvement Mindset

Job description

Nottingham Trent House (95002), United Kingdom, Nottingham, NottinghamshireControls Testing Lead

Our Mission

We’re on a mission to be a force for good in lending. Throughout our almost 30-year history, we’ve consistently been recognised as a great place to work; in 2026, Capital One was officially ranked 9th in the UK’s Best Workplaces™ list. Hear from our team about what it’s like working at Capital One UK.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic professional to act as a Subject Matter Expert and lead our UK controls testing programme. As the Controls Testing Lead, you will take ownership of your portfolio of work, collaborating with senior stakeholders and the lines of defence to elevate our control environment leading our team of control experts.

What you’ll do

• Programme Ownership: Take ownership of the UK controls testing programme, ensuring an effective, efficient, and risk-aligned approach to testing controls across various departments.

• Team Leadership:Coach and develop the testing team, acting as a visible role model for positive behaviours across the wider risk and non-risk communities. Foster an environment of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Strategic Optimisation:Simplify workloads, clear out inefficiencies and utilise newly found capacity to pitch and lead initiatives which align to the strategic goals of both the Risk Office and the business

• Stakeholder Engagement:Connect different data points to tell a compelling story, explaining complex risk information simply to drive clear action from senior stakeholders.

• Methodology & Innovation:Enhance and refine testing methodologies by integrating industry best practices, modern frameworks, and innovative approaches.

• Enterprise Alignment:Confidently step into conversations across all lines of defence and partner with Enterprise to ensure compliant and cohesive risk management

• Business Enablement and AI Agenda:Actively support and guide team members by developing tools, guidance and training which drive our AI agenda forward, helping the business take well managed risks when embedding AI into their control framework

What we’re looking for

• Risk & Control Expertise:A technical Subject Matter Expert with significant risk and control experience in a highly regulated corporate environment.

• Judgment & Adaptability:Strong organisational skills with the agility to remain focused in a changing environment. The ability to make smart trade‑off calls to maximise value, keeping immediate areas of responsibility well-managed while delivering results at pace.

• Tech & AI Integration:Experience developing or embedding AI tools and the appropriate governance of these tools into testing or operational processes along with knowledge of automation within control execution.

• Process Optimisation:A proactive mindset with a track record of self‑identifying process efficiencies and successfully executing them.

• Influence & Stakeholder Management:Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence, collaborate, and partner effectively with diverse cross‑functional teams and senior leadership.

• Continuous Improvement Mindset:Use data, insight and experience to identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and outcome.

Where and how you'll work

This is a permanent position based in our Nottingham office.

We embrace a hybrid approach to work. You'll spend three days a week in the office (Tuesday-Thursday), with Monday and Friday being dedicated work-from-home days.

Our offices are designed to inspire and support you. At our Nottingham head office, you'll find an on-site gym, restaurant and dedicated Learning Loft. Our London office boasts a rooftop running track and coffee bar.

What’s in it for you

We invest in the growth of our people alongside our business. You will have extensive opportunities to learn and develop your career, including access to up to £5,000 in funding for external qualifications.

In addition to career development, our comprehensive benefits package is designed to grow with you, ensuring your wellbeing is prioritised at every stage of your career:

• Wealth & Future: Competitive pension and performance-based bonus schemes

• Holidays:Start with 25 days of annual leave, increasing with tenure. Need more? You have the option to buy 5 additional days.

• Health:Access premium care through our private medical insurance.

• Family Support:We champion your milestones with enhanced parental leave.

A full list of our benefits is available here.

What you should know about how we recruit

We pride ourselves on hiring the best people, not the same people. Building diverse and inclusive teams is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. We want to work with top talent: whoever you are, whatever you look like, wherever you come from. We know it’s about what you do, not just what you say. That’s why we make our recruitment process fair and accessible.

We value diversity, inclusion and belonging at our core. We empower our associates to do great work by creating an inclusive culture—one that values diverse perspectives, fosters collaboration and encourages innovative ideas—and a place where associates of all backgrounds can thrive by bringing their most authentic selves to work. We call this our Culture of Belonging, and it rests at the heart of our business.

Our associate-led Business Resource Groups were created to help support our diverse population and include over 10 groups across our offices. Because each Business Resource Group is as unique as the population it serves, they offer a range of activities, networking opportunities, special events and learning programmes to associates.

Capital One is committed to diversity in the workplace.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact [e-mail] All information will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purpose of applying a reasonable adjustment.

For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to [e-mail]

Who We Are

At Capital One, we're building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder‑led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We are succeeding because they are succeeding. Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we are on a quest to change banking for good.