Governance & Assurance Manager

Serco USA; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Private healthcare

Bonus scheme of 5% on target

Pension - 6%

Job summary

Serco is seeking a Governance & Assurance Manager to strengthen privacy governance, assurance and controls across the UK business. You will report to the DPO and lead governance forums, assurance activity, risk reporting and compliance monitoring to ensure ongoing privacy compliance.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams from Legal, Risk, HR, Procurement, IT and Information Security to improve control maturity and provide senior leaders with clear visibility of risk and progress.

Qualifications

• Experience in governance, compliance, risk, internal audit, assurance or data protection within a complex organisation.
• Good understanding of UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, controls, risk management and compliance monitoring.
• Ability to produce concise senior-level management information, dashboards and governance papers.

Responsibilities

• Manage Privacy Steering Committee meetings and governance forums, including papers, actions and decision records.
• Deliver the annual Privacy Assurance Programme, coordinating control reviews, assessments and assurance activity.
• Maintain privacy risk, issue and control action tracking, escalating material concerns.
• Develop KPIs, KRIs, dashboards and executive reporting across governance, assurance, training, RoPA, DPIAs, DS rights and breach management.
• Coordinate audit evidence, attestations and closure of assurance actions, ensuring a clear audit trail.
• Define and monitor performance measures for Data Privacy Leads and Data Protection Champions.
• Own privacy training standards and competency frameworks with HR and L&D to strengthen organisational capability.
• Provide objective oversight and practical challenge without taking over first-line accountability.

Skills

Governance

Privacy

Risk management

Data protection

Communication

Job description

Governance & Assurance Manager

Hybrid - London, SW1E 5JL

Full Time, Permanent

Band 3 / £70,000 - £80,000 (dependent on experience)

Here at Serco, we're looking for a Governance & Assurance Manager to help strengthen privacy governance, assurance and controls across Serco UK.

This is a high-impact opportunity to create the structure, evidence and management information needed to demonstrate effective privacy oversight across a complex, multi-business organisation. Reporting to the Data Protection Officer, you'll lead the delivery of governance forums, assurance activity, risk reporting and compliance monitoring, while helping the business retain clear ownership of day-to-day privacy compliance.

You'll bring together stakeholders across Legal, Risk, HR, Procurement, IT, Information Security and operations, using insight and constructive challenge to improve control maturity and give senior leaders clear visibility of risk, progress and decisions required.

As part of this you'll:

• Manage Privacy Steering Committee meetings and other governance forums, including papers, actions and decision records.
• Deliver the annual Privacy Assurance Programme, coordinating control reviews, compliance assessments and thematic assurance activity.
• Maintain privacy risk, issue and control action tracking, escalating material concerns through agreed routes.
• Develop clear KPIs, KRIs, dashboards and executive reporting across governance, assurance, training, RoPA, DPIAs, Data Subject Rights and breach management.
• Coordinate audit evidence, attestations and closure of assurance actions, ensuring a clear and accessible audit trail.
• Define and monitor performance measures for Data Privacy Leads and Data Protection Champions, including network coverage and capability.
• Own privacy training standards and competency frameworks, working with HR and Learning & Development to strengthen organisational capability.
• Provide objective oversight and practical challenge without taking over first-line operational accountability.

What you'll need to do the role:

• Experience in governance, compliance, risk, internal audit, assurance or data protection within a complex organisation.
• A good understanding of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, controls, risk management and compliance monitoring.
• Experience coordinating assurance reviews, control testing, audit evidence and action closure.
• Strong capability in producing concise senior-level management information, dashboards and governance papers.
• The credibility to influence and constructively challenge stakeholders across multiple functions without direct authority.
• A practical, evidence-led approach with strong judgement, organisation and delivery discipline.

Why Serco:

Meaningful and vital work: Your work will help Serco manage information responsibly, strengthen compliance and support better decisions across the organisation.

A world of opportunity: Join a globally operating business delivering essential services across five vital sectors, with opportunities to learn, grow and develop your career.

Great people: You'll work in a supportive, collaborative environment with experienced colleagues who strive for excellence and practical impact.

What we offer:

• Company car
• Private healthcare
• Bonus scheme of 5% on target
• Flexible working considered
• Pension - 6%
• Chance to contribute to innovation in the public services
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
• A safe and supportive culture.

A little bit about us:

At Serco, everyone plays a vital part in delivering essential public services that make a real difference. As a global team of 50,000 people across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare, Leisure and Citizen Services, we're united by a shared purpose: to improve the services that communities rely on. Guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, our people make meaningful impact, every single day.

Our inclusive recruitment commitment:

We prioritise your skills and potential. As a Disability Confident Leader, the Top Great British Employer of Veterans 2026, and a Gold Inclusive Employer Standard holder, we champion equal opportunities for all. We offer flexible and hybrid working where possible and make reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment.

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme: Applicants with disabilities, veterans and people with convictions, who meet the minimum job criteria, are guaranteed an interview. Simply opt into the relevant scheme on the application form.
• Ban The Box: We also support fair access for those with unspent criminal convictions through our 'Ban the Box' pledge (some roles may have security exemptions).