Head of Risk

Sanderson; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanderson is seeking an experienced Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance to provide oversight of governance, risk, compliance, quality assurance and legal controls across the business.

Reporting into the executive leadership team, this role leads GRC framework, company secretary duties, risk management, business continuity, data protection, ISO standards and AI governance to support growth and resilience.

Qualifications

• Experience building and improving governance, risk and control frameworks.
• Reporting to senior leadership and Boards with assurance and oversight.
• Experience in internal audit, compliance monitoring or risk management.
• Managing policies, procedures and internal controls across an organisation.
• Governance of commercial contracts, supplier agreements and third-party risk.
• Operational resilience, business continuity and disaster recovery planning.
• Data protection and regulatory compliance programmes.
• ISO9001/ISO27001 or similar quality frameworks.
• Technology governance, SDLC oversight or IT risk management.
• Quality assurance, testing governance or process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's GRC framework across governance, risk, compliance and quality assurance.
• Act as Company Secretary and support Board governance activities.
• Oversee internal audit, compliance and quality assurance across functions.
• Manage corporate legal & contractual governance including supplier agreements and due diligence.
• Own enterprise risk management, business continuity and disaster recovery programmes.
• Support operational resilience, data protection and regulatory requirements.
• Provide oversight of ISO9001 and ISO27001 compliance and improvement activities.
• Establish governance reporting, KPIs, dashboards for senior leadership and Board.
• Monitor AI governance and related controls as new risk areas emerge.
• Review SDLC governance, testing standards and quality practices, driving improvements.

Skills

GRC frameworks

Board reporting

Internal audit

Policy management

Contract governance

Operational resilience

Data protection

ISO 9001/27001

IT risk management

AI governance

Job description

We're supporting a growing insurance organisation seeking an experienced Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance to provide oversight of governance, compliance, risk, quality assurance and legal controls across the business.

Reporting into the executive leadership team, this role will be responsible for ensuring that governance frameworks, internal controls, risk management processes and quality standards are operating effectively while supporting the organisation's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) framework.
• Act as Company Secretary and support Board governance activities.
• Oversee internal audit, compliance and quality assurance processes across all business functions.
• Manage corporate legal and contractual governance, including customer and supplier agreements, due diligence and commercial risk.
• Own the enterprise risk management framework, business continuity and disaster recovery programmes.
• Support operational resilience initiatives, including data protection and DORA-related requirements.
• Provide oversight of ISO9001 and ISO27001 compliance and continuous improvement activities.
• Establish governance reporting, KPIs, risk dashboards and management information for senior leadership and the Board.
• Monitor and govern emerging areas including AI development, AI risk management and related controls.
• Review and enhance software delivery lifecycle (SDLC) governance, testing standards and quality assurance practices.
• Identify control weaknesses, recommend improvements and drive implementation across the business.

Experience Required

• Building and improving governance, risk and control frameworks.
• Working with senior leadership and Boards to provide reporting, oversight and assurance.
• Internal audit, compliance monitoring or risk management.
• Managing policies, procedures and internal controls across an organisation.
• Reviewing and governing commercial contracts, supplier agreements and third-party risk.
• Operational resilience, business continuity and disaster recovery planning.
• Data protection, information security and regulatory compliance programmes.
• ISO9001, ISO27001 or similar quality and control frameworks.
• Technology governance, software delivery life cycle (SDLC) oversight or IT risk management.
• Quality assurance, testing governance or process improvement initiatives.
• Emerging areas such as AI governance, AI risk management and responsible technology controls.