Head of Risk

Simply Business; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

25 days annual leave

Parental leave

Life event leave

Sabbatical

Private medical insurance

Annual bonus

Learning platform

Pension match

Life assurance

Car salary sacrifice

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Simply Business in the United Kingdom is seeking a Head of Risk to safeguard our assets and reputation by proactively identifying and mitigating risks across the business. This role goes beyond traditional box-ticking, aiming to foster a risk-aware culture and provide senior leaders with strategic insights.

You’ll own the risk strategy, lead a high-performing team, and oversee enterprise-wide reporting, UK corporate insurance programmes, and negotiations with insurers, including E&O

Qualifications

• Expert in risk management frameworks and methodologies.
• Deep understanding of UK regulations and insurance principles.
• Eligible to hold an FCA Certified Manager role.
• Proven leadership with experience building risk strategy from the ground up.
• Analytical and data-literate with trend analysis.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of risk strategy and tailor to company needs.
• Identify and prioritise operational, financial, regulatory and strategic risks daily.
• Prepare and present risk reports to department heads, senior management and the Board.
• Lead and develop a high-performing risk management team.
• Lead the enterprise-wide risk reporting strategy for timely leadership actions.
• Independently manage UK corporate insurance programmes and insurer negotiations, including E&O.

Skills

Risk management

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Collaboration

Ethics

Job description

Who Are We?

We insure small businesses and enable big dreams – not just for our customers, but for our people and communities too. With over 1,000,000 active insurance policies, we protect builders, bakers, landlords and more than 1,200 other trades.

We’re a technology company as well as one that sells insurance. That means we build, we fail, we learn and we improve. Through our global social impact strategy, called ‘The Big Dreams Project’, we’re working to help 10,000 small businesses start or grow by 2030.

Why not check out our advert on YouTube: Simply Business TV advert 2024: ‘Simply the Best’.

Job Category

Risk Control

Position Type

Permanent

Target Openings

1

What Is the Opportunity?

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

You will play a leading role in safeguarding our assets and reputation by proactively identifying and mitigating risks across the whole business. This isn’t about traditional “box-ticking”; we want you to move beyond old-school approaches to foster a culture of excellence and innovation. You’ll become the trusted expert for an emerging risk environment, fostering a risk‑aware mindset throughout the entire organisation.

What makes this role different is the level of strategic influence you’ll hold. You aren’t just monitoring from the side-lines; you are a key partner and advisor providing critical insights to senior leaders on how risks impact our strategy. You’ll be responsible for the continuous improvement and evolution of our existing comprehensive risk management framework, ensuring a best‑fit approach that aligns perfectly with our long-term objectives.

As ur Head of Risk, you’ll:

• Take full ownership of proposing and implementing a risk strategy that is tailored to fit and operates effectively for our specific needs.

• Identify and prioritise operational and financial risks alongside regulatory and strategic challenges on a day‑to‑day basis. While maintaining a forward‑looking lens on emerging threats.

• Prepare and present detailed risk reports to department heads,senior management and the Board, providing the strategic clarity needed to drive informed decision‑making.

• Lead and develop a high‑performing risk management team, fostering a culture of professional excellence and continuous improvement, and providing the guidance and support they need to succeed.

• Lead the enterprise‑wide risk reporting strategy to ensure emerging issues are identified, triaged, and surfaced to leadership with the urgency required for decisive action

• Independently lead the placement and management of our UK corporate insurance programmes, ensuring comprehensive coverage across all business activities.

• Act as primary lead in negotiations with insurers to secure favorable terms and oversee the end‑to‑end claims process, with a specific focus on Errors & Omit­ions (E&O).

We’re looking for someone who is:

• An expert in risk management frameworks and methodologies with a deep understanding of industry best practices.

• Strong understanding of the business model and operations of a regulated financial services business (preferably within the insurance market).

• Deeply knowledgeable about UK regulations and insurance principles, and eligible to hold an FCA Certified Manager role.

• A proven leader with significant experience in motivating teams and implementing effective risk strategies from the ground up.

• A collaborative partner who can build strong relationships and influence stakeholders at the highest levels of the organisation.

• Highly analytical and technically literate, with the ability to use data and software to identify emerging trends.

• Resilient and ethical, staying calm under pressure and maintaining total objectivity when facing complex challenges.

This role may be subject to FCA regulations, which we’ll determine during the hiring process. If it is regulated, there will be specific responsibilities under FCA regulations, including enhanced checks and referencing. We’ll explain everything in more detail as part of the hiring process.

By embedding a forward‑thinking risk culture across Simply Business, you’ll give us the stability and confidence to keep innovating for our customers. Your expertise directly protects the foundations that allow us to continue enabling big dreams for small businesses.

What are the benefits of working at Simply Business:

• we offer a great work‑life balance where workloads are manageable and everyone has the flexibility to work hybrid

• on top of the 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), we offer the option to buy five more days of holiday with your flexible benefits

• our flexible parental leave allows you to approach an important time how you want - with six months full pay to the primary caregiver and four weeks full pay if you’re the secondary caregiver

• our life event leave is an extra days leave every two years for those big moments in your life like moving house or your birthday. And our long‑serving employees get a two week paid sabbatical after five years of service, then four weeks off after ten years of service

• private medical insurance through BUPA, that covers any pre‑existing condition is a core benefit. Plus a health cash plan that covers your everyday medical expenses

• we offer a competitive salary based on your experience and the current market. Plus the potential to earn an annual bonus based on performance

• access to tools to support your personal development on our dedicated learning platform. As well as support for your mental health with access to counselling

• we match what you put into your pension up to five per cent. And pass on a tax‑free sum that’s four times your basic salary with our life assurance policy , with the option to increase it to ten times through our flexible benefit scheme

• our salary sacrifice car scheme gives you the option to buy a brand new, fully insured, and maintained car for a convenient fixed monthly amount taken from your gross salary (after 6 months service)

• our flexible benefits scheme gives you an allocated amount to use each year on benefits like critical illness cover, dental insurance, travel insurance, or a gym membership

Ready to join us and drive our success as a high‑performing team?

Employment Practices

Simply Business is committed to providing equality and opportunities for all employees and candidates considering a career with us. We offer a workplace where colleagues are treated with respect and dignity. We don’t (and won’t) discriminate either directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, colour, religion, belief, political opinion, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation or relationship status at any stage of the hiring process or during the course of your employment.