Head of COO Strategy & Portfolio Governance

AXA UK; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as the Head of COO Strategy and Portfolio Governance, where you will shape change initiatives and lead a substantial change portfolio. This role offers the chance to drive strategic objectives while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. With flexible working arrangements and a competitive rewards package, this position is perfect for someone passionate about making a significant impact in the Financial Services sector. If you have a strong background in project management and stakeholder engagement, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss!

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Annual performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave

AXA employee discounts

Gym benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in project/program management in complex business settings.
• Strong understanding of the insurance industry and regulatory environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance and reporting for a sizeable investment change portfolio.
• Define and implement governance processes for the UK&I organization.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Change Management

Financial Services Knowledge

Planning and Organizing

Education

Professional Qualifications in Project Management

Tools

Change Tools

Job description

Job Description

Join us as the Head of COO Strategy and Portfolio Governance for AXA UK and Ireland (UK&I), where you'll play a crucial role in shaping the future of our change initiatives. This key position within the Change Leadership team involves managing a substantial UK&I Change portfolio, ensuring effective governance, delivery assurance, and strategic alignment with AXA Group objectives. Take this opportunity to lead impactful change and drive our strategic objectives forward!

At AXA, we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team, and our customers. You'll work at least 40% of your week away from home, moving to the majority of your working week from September 2025. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients, or attending industry events. We’re also happy to consider flexible working arrangements, which you can discuss with Talent Acquisition.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead governance and reporting for a sizeable investment change and transversal change portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy.
• Develop, report, and communicate COO Strategy at all levels of the organization, ensuring the strategy meets both the Group ambitions in the Technology, Data, and Operational Excellence space and the COO function drives its agenda in support of UK&I business strategies.
• Define and implement governance processes for the UK&I organisation, reporting up to senior management and ensuring compliance with corporate delegated authorities.
• Collate and optimise the investment profile for upcoming years, assessing progress toward strategic goals and aligning with corporate strategy.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team, ensuring governance and oversight solutions meet the evolving needs of AXA UK&I.
• Develop and maintain a project/program assurance capability, overseeing peer reviews and quality checks while promoting best practices across the organisation.
• Act as the Business Application Owner for change tools, supporting roll-out, training, and day-to-day operations, while focusing on automation and streamlined processes.
• Define and manage a delivery assurance function that offers insights into key programs, ensuring confidence in outcome delivery and organisational standards.
• Operate and enhance relevant control frameworks, proactively identifying areas for improvement to mitigate risks and improve outcomes.
• Own the UK&I Portfolio Risk framework and reporting, collaborating with risk functions to plan and implement necessary activities.

Due to the number of applications we expect to receive, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to manage interest effectively. If you’re interested in joining AXA, please don’t hesitate to apply.

We know some candidates may be discouraged if they don't meet every requirement. If you’re excited about this role and working at AXA, we encourage you to apply regardless of whether you meet all criteria.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in project/program management in complex business settings, preferably within Financial Services.
• Professional qualifications in project or programme management are preferred.
• Strong understanding of the insurance industry, including regulatory and control environments.
• Proven ability to manage complex change and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Track record of successful business-wide programme delivery beyond just technical or IT contexts.
• Relevant experience in Financial Services across different organisations is advantageous.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, influencing relationships at the highest levels.
• Advanced planning and organising capabilities.
• Demonstrated commitment to exemplifying AXA values and behaviours.

As a precondition of employment, you must be eligible and authorized to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, we value our employees, and our rewards package is regularly reviewed. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary
• Annual performance-based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave
• AXA employee discounts
• Gym benefits

To apply, click the ‘apply for this job’ button, log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and support applicants with disabilities through our AXA Accessibility Concierge. For assistance, email [e-mail].

#LI-Hybrid

Who we are:

AXA UK Support Functions provide infrastructure, support, and expertise to AXA’s customer-facing units, ensuring reliable service for our customers. Whether experienced or just starting out, we offer support and development opportunities to help you grow with confidence.

Salary

Dependent on experience