Group Risk Manager

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role?

We are looking for a Group Risk Manager to join Howden’s Group Risk Team, supporting implementation of the Risk Framework across the Group, driving transparency and consistency in risk reporting across this high-growth international Group at a really exciting time for the organisation.

The Group Risk team is a 2LOD risk team within Howden and is highly visible, requiring interaction with senior stakeholders across all business divisions globally in both 1st line roles (e.g., Division CEOs / COOs) and 2nd line roles (e.g., Division CROs). Responsible for Enterprise Risk, we work closely with colleagues in Internal Controls, Compliance, and Internal Audit.

The individual must be an independent, self-starter who is able to lead initiatives and collaborate with senior management constructively and effectively with a strong foundation in enterprise risk management practices and knowledge. The individual will support the Group Risk team, divisional Chief Risk Officers, and local Risk and Compliance teams globally to develop and embed the Group risk management framework and methodologies for identifying, assessing, and reporting risks.

Please note that this is a full-time, permanent role based in our Central London office.

What will you be doing?

• Support the development and embedding of the risk management framework across the Group, including the firm's risk statements, tolerance, etc.
• Facilitate and lead risk and control assessments across the Group engaging appropriately with senior management.
• Lead analysis of current mitigation to key risks and emerging risks, ensuring adherence to entity risk appetite statements / tolerance.
• Lead and contribute to reviews of risk management framework, leveraging expertise in practical risk management implementation in financial services / insurance intermediaries / insurance carriers.
• Lead and contribute to risk reporting for Group and Division risk committees as required.
• Lead and contribute to risk analysis providing second line challenge to reported risk positions, working closely with Risk Owners and Group Risk colleagues.
• Lead the processes for monitoring risk events and root cause analysis for any control failures / control weaknesses identified.
• Knowledge of strategic and regulatory environments relevant to insurance intermediaries, in particular UK and US regulatory frameworks (e.g., US SOx Compliance, DORA, Operational Resilience, Third Party Risk Management, Financial Crime, etc.).
• Promote a strong risk culture throughout the organisation by fostering awareness and understanding of risk management principles.
• Work collaboratively with the business to challenge and improve processes, including representing Group Risk on relevant working groups tasked with delivering solutions where gaps are identified.
• Attend Divisional risk committees as required and represent Group Risk.
• Evidence people and line management expertise to develop team members.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced organisation and respond to ad hoc tasks from the Group CRO as required.

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience in enterprise risk management within the insurance industry (preferred) or financial services sector. In-depth knowledge and experience of enterprise risk and control frameworks and practical implementation within growth businesses.
• A strong record of academic or business achievement that evidences depth and variety of learning and development (e.g., University degree), with relevant experience in Risk Management training preferred (e.g., IRM certificate in financial services risk management).
• Strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships with other risk managers and key stakeholders across all functions, providing valuable second-line risk input and challenge. A high degree of professionalism required.
• Strong analytical, written communication, and presentation skills to identify risk trends, root causes, and mitigations with attention to detail and communicate effectively with different stakeholders across the Group.
• An inquisitive personality, keen to learn and develop both professionally and personally, contributing to their own success and to the success of the team and organisation (e.g., through continued professional development).
• The candidate should be able to evidence experience managing people, projects, and budgets successfully.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share our values:

• Our successes come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in everyday moments and bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure our positions align well with your needs. Besides adjustments like software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited about this role but have doubts about fit, send us your application – if your profile matches the role’s criteria, we will contact you to discuss any necessary reasonable adjustments.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner for more information.