Head of COO Strategy & Portfolio Governance

AXA UK; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Head of COO Strategy and Portfolio Governance to shape change initiatives across the UK and Ireland. This pivotal role involves managing a significant change portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment with corporate objectives, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. With a focus on governance and delivery assurance, you will lead multidisciplinary teams and influence stakeholders at all levels. The company promotes a flexible working environment, allowing you to balance work and home life effectively. If you are passionate about driving impactful change, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Competitive Annual Salary

Annual Company & Performance-Based Bonus

Contributory Pension Scheme

Life Assurance

28 Days Annual Leave Plus Bank Holidays

Opportunity to Buy or Sell Extra Days Leave

Employee Discounts

Gym Benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in project/programme 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 organisation.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Change Management

Financial Services Knowledge

Organizational Skills

Education

Professional Qualifications in Project Management

Job description

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 attending 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:

1. Lead the governance and reporting for a sizeable investment change and transversal change portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy.
2. 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.
3. Define and implement governance processes for the UK&I organisation, reporting up to senior management and ensuring compliance with corporate delegated authorities.
4. Collate and optimise the investment profile for upcoming years, assessing progress toward strategic goals and aligning with corporate strategy.
5. Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team, ensuring governance and oversight solutions meet the evolving needs of AXA UK&I.
6. Develop and maintain a project/program assurance capability, overseeing peer reviews and quality checks while promoting best practices across the organisation.
7. 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.
8. Define and manage a delivery assurance function that offers insights into key programs, ensuring confidence in outcome delivery and organisational standards.
9. Operate and enhance relevant control frameworks, proactively identifying areas for improvement to mitigate risks and improve outcomes.
10. 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 for this role, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to ensure we’re able to effectively manage interest. Therefore, if you’re interested in joining us at AXA, please don’t hesitate to apply.

We know that some candidates may be discouraged from applying if they don't meet every requirement. If you’re excited by this job and the prospect of working at AXA but you’re not sure you tick every box, we’d still encourage you to apply.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in project/programme 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 for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, we’re appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary
• Annual company & 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
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• AXA employee discounts
• Gym benefits

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, then log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we’re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For support, please email [e-mail].

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Who we are:

AXA UK Support Functions power AXA’s three customer-facing business units, providing infrastructure, support, and expertise to ensure our customers can always count on us. Whether you’ve got heaps of experience and qualifications behind you or you’re just starting out, we’ll give you the support and opportunities to grow and develop with confidence.