Head of Operational Risk

Ageas; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 88,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Working

Dental Insurance

Health Screening

Will Writing

Mental Health Support

Annual Bonus

Pension

Job summary

Ageas is seeking a Head of Operational Risk in the UK, based in London or Eastleigh, with hybrid working. The role leads the Operational Risk function, driving improvement, independent challenge, and embedding a positive risk culture across the business.

You will engage with senior leaders and external assurance partners to ensure effective risk oversight. The position requires extensive experience in operational/enterprise risk within financial services, strong leadership, and strategic

Qualifications

• Strong operational risk, enterprise risk, or governance experience.
• Experience in a regulated financial services environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Clear and confident communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Operational Risk team and create a high-performing environment.
• Maintain and improve risk frameworks, policies, standards and guidance.
• Provide independent oversight of risk assessments, controls and actions.
• Monitor emerging risks and propose practical solutions.
• Deliver clear risk reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Support business leaders in strengthening risk ownership and accountability.
• Promote a strong risk culture through coaching and awareness.
• Provide risk input on major projects and transformations.
• Collaborate with auditors, regulators and assurance partners.
• Influence strategic decisions with balanced risk advice.

Skills

Operational risk

Enterprise risk

Regulated financial services

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Independent thinking

Commercial judgement

Analytical thinking

Risk reporting

Job description

Job Title: Head of Operational Risk

Target Start Date: 2nd November

Contract Type: 2 year Fixed Term Contract

Salary Range: £88,000 - £132,000

Location: Eastleigh or London, Hybrid

Closing Date for applications: 30th October

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.

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.

About Ageas

We are one of the largest car and home insurers in the UK. Our People help Ageas to be a thriving, creative and innovative place to work. We show this in the service we provide to over four million customers.

As an inclusive employer, we encourage anyone to apply. We’re a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and Women in Finance Charter, member of iCAN and GAIN. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are fully inclusive. That means if you are applying for a job with us, you will have fair access to support and adjustments throughout your recruitment experience. If the list does not cover the support you need, please contact our Recruitment Team to discuss how they can help. We also guarantee an interview for applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role. For more information, please see Ageas Everyone.

We have a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of harassment during the recruitment process, ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and professionalism.

Our aim is to have great people everywhere in our business and we’re always looking for outstanding people to join us. Most roles across Ageas allow a proportion of your time to be spent working from home and we’re open to discussing flexible working, including full-time, part-time or job share arrangements. To find out more about Ageas, see About Us.