Group Functions Business Partner - ex COO (12 Month FTC)

Legal & General; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK financial services group seeks a Group Functions Business Partner to act as a trusted risk management advisor. The role involves ensuring effective risk management practices, engaging with senior leadership, and promoting a positive risk culture. The ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills and a deep understanding of the financial services industry, alongside experience in risk frameworks.

Benefits

Annual performance bonus

Life assurance

Healthcare plan

At least 25 days holiday

Family leave policies

Electric car scheme

Discounts on products

Collaborative workspace

Qualifications

• Experience in implementing risk frameworks and practices.
• Knowledge of UK regulatory environment and expectations.

Responsibilities

• Ensure 1st line understands and embeds risk policies and frameworks.
• Build strong relationships with 2nd line teams for policy understanding.
• Stay informed on regulatory changes and ensure compliance.

Skills

Risk Management

Interpersonal Skills

Stakeholder Relationships

Adaptability

Job description

Group Functions Business Partner - ex COO (12 Month FTC)

• Full-time
• Permanent or Fixed Term Contract: Fixed Term Contract
• L&G Business Unit: Legal & General Group Functions
• L&G sub Business Unit: GROUP HEAD OFFICE BAU
• Primary Location: London, One Coleman Street
• Job Family: Risk & Regulatory Compliance

Legal & General (L&G) is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor.

We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, and strive to build a better society, while improving the lives of our customers and creating value for shareholders.

We are one of the world’s largest asset managers and provide powerful asset origination capabilities. These underpin our retirement and protection solutions: we are active in pension risk transfer, UK and US life insurance, and UK workplace pensions and retirement income.

Our Group Functions support all business areas with essential services, enabled by a talented and diverse team behind the scenes, helping everyone at L&G excel.

Joining us means contributing to our mission of improving lives and driving business success daily.

We’re recruiting a Group Functions (ex- COO) Business Partner to join us.

The role involves working directly within the business as a trusted risk management advisor and steward. You will frequently interact with senior leadership to ensure effective identification, assessment, management, and monitoring of risks.

You will also serve as a conduit between 1st line senior leadership and 2nd line functions, ensuring a unified risk voice, delivering high-quality services, coordinating activities requiring 1st line input, and providing independent risk opinions.

What you’ll be doing:

• Ensuring the 1st line understands and embeds L&G’s risk policies and frameworks, including risk appetite metrics, enterprise risk scoring, risk and control self-assessments, product lifecycle management, and proper use of risk management systems, in line with group requirements. Also, establishing and maintaining local policies aligned with group protocols.
• Providing or coordinating independent views to 1st line management on risk-related matters, including strategic risks, events, and issues, ensuring timely and appropriate responses.
• Building strong relationships with 2nd line teams to ensure understanding of policies, provide feedback, mediate outcomes, and share best practices across risk disciplines.
• Modeling risk governance by escalating material risk profile changes, participating in meetings, challenging constructively, and delivering high-quality risk reports to leadership and Boards.
• Staying informed on changes in law, regulation, policies, and business strategies; assessing impacts and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Leading employee management matters, ensuring consistent application of management discretion and adherence to policies, including the Partnership Agreement, to maximize performance.
• Promoting a positive risk culture that prioritizes fair treatment of all customers, including vulnerable or changing needs, supported by governance, processes, and systems.

Who we’re looking for:

• Experience in implementing risk frameworks and practices to enhance 1st line risk management.
• Understanding of the financial services industry, products, services, and distribution channels.
• Forward-thinking, adaptable, capable of driving innovation, and building stakeholder relationships.
• Knowledge of UK regulatory environment and expectations related to business products and services.
• Understanding of all non-financial risks.
• Technical compliance expertise, overseeing regulatory compliance across financial products.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, capable of engaging with all levels, including senior executives and board members.
• Experience in overseeing and coaching teams to deliver complex, technical outputs.

Benefits:

• Participation in annual performance bonus and share schemes
• Life assurance
• Healthcare plan (permanent employees)
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, increasing to 26 days after 2 years, with holiday buy/sell options
• Family leave policies
• Electric car scheme via salary sacrifice (permanent employees)
• Discounts on products and high street stores
• Modern, collaborative workspace designed for wellbeing

We aim to build a better society by investing in initiatives that make life better for everyone. Joining us means being part of an inclusive culture, with opportunities for collaboration, guided by leaders who care about your future and wellbeing. We support flexible working arrangements and encourage you to bring your strengths and potential to our purpose, even if you don’t meet all criteria listed.