Head of Operational Risk

Ageas Insurance Ltd; Eastleigh; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Health & wellbeing benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Pension & financial planning support

Job summary

Ageas Insurance Ltd in Eastleigh or London, hybrid, is seeking a Head of Operational Risk to lead and develop the Operational Risk function, embedding a positive risk culture and driving continuous improvement across the business.

You will provide independent challenge, oversee risk assessments, controls and action plans, deliver clear risk reporting to senior stakeholders, and work with auditors and regulators.

Qualifications

• Strong operational risk, enterprise risk or governance experience.
• Experience working within a regulated financial services environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Clear and confident communication skills.
• Strong leadership and people development skills.
• Comfortable providing constructive challenge and independent thinking.
• Strategic mindset with sound commercial judgement.
• Ability to interpret complex information and turn it into practical action.
• Collaborative approach with a focus on continuous improvement.
• High levels of integrity, accountability and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Operational Risk team and create a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Maintain and improve operational risk frameworks, policies, standards and guidance.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge of risk assessments, controls and action plans.
• Monitor emerging risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Deliver clear, accurate and insightful risk reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Support business leaders in strengthening ownership and accountability for risk.
• Promote a strong risk culture through coaching, training and awareness activities.
• Provide risk input on key projects, business change and transformation programmes.
• Work with auditors, regulators and other assurance partners as required.
• Influence strategic decisions through balanced, commercially focused risk advice.

Skills

Operational risk

Governance

Stakeholder mgmt

Leadership

Communication

Independent thinking

Regulatory oversight

Commercial judgement

Analytical skills

Job description

Location: Eastleigh or London, Hybrid

Head of Operational Risk

Lead and develop the Operational Risk function, ensuring effective oversight of operational risk across the business. You will drive continuous improvement, provide independent challenge, support strategic decision-making, and help embed a positive risk culture.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Operational Risk team and create a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Maintain and improve operational risk frameworks, policies, standards and guidance.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge of risk assessments, controls and action plans.
• Monitor emerging risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Deliver clear, accurate and insightful risk reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Support business leaders in strengthening ownership and accountability for risk.
• Promote a strong risk culture through coaching, training and awareness activities.
• Provide risk input on key projects, business change and transformation programmes.
• Work with auditors, regulators and other assurance partners as required.
• Influence strategic decisions through balanced, commercially focused risk advice.

Skills and experience you need

• Strong operational risk, enterprise risk or governance experience.
• Experience working within a regulated financial services environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Clear and confident communication skills.
• Strong leadership and people development skills.
• Comfortable providing constructive challenge and independent thinking.
• Strategic mindset with sound commercial judgement.
• Ability to interpret complex information and turn it into practical action.
• Collaborative approach with a focus on continuous improvement.
• High levels of integrity, accountability and professionalism.

At Ageas we offer a wide range of benefits to support you and your family inside and outside of work, which helped us achieve, Top Employer status in the UK.

Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy at Ageas

• Flexible Working- Smart Working @ Ageas gives employees flexibility around location (as long as it's within the UK) and, for many of our roles, flexibility within the working day to manage other commitments, such as school drop offs etc. We also offer all our vacancies part-time/job-shares. We also offer a minimum of 35 days holiday (inc. bank holidays) and you can buy and sell days.
• Supporting your Health- Dental Insurance Health Cash Plan, Health Screening, Will Writing, Voluntary Critical Illness, Mental Health First Aiders, Well Being Activities - Mindfulness.
• Supporting your Wealth- 50% off esure and Sheilas' Wheels motor and home insurance, Annual Bonus Schemes, Annual Salary Reviews, Competitive Pension, Employee Savings, Employee Loans.
• Supporting you at Work- Well-being activities, mindfulness sessions, Sports and Social Club events and more.
• Supporting you and your Family- Maternity/pregnant parent/primary adopter entitlement of 16 weeks at full pay and paternity/non-pregnant parent/co-adopter at 8 weeks' full pay.
• Benefits for Them- Partner Life Assurance and Critical Illness cover.
• Get some Tech- Deals on various gadgets including Wearables, Tablets and Laptops.
• Getting around- Car Salary Exchange, Cycle Scheme, Vehicle Breakdown Cover.
• Supporting you back to work- Return to work programme after maternity leave