Head of Risk and Compliance

The AA; Basingstoke; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Up to 7% employer pension contribution

Free AA breakdown membership from Day

24/7 GP access and wellbeing support

Employee discounts including car and家

Job summary

The AA is recruiting a senior Risk & Compliance leader for its Gibraltar-regulated insurance arm (AAUICL). You will shape risk appetite, ORSA, capital management and regulatory reporting, reporting to the CEO with a dotted line to Group CRO.

You will work with the AAUICL Board, executives and outsourcing partners to ensure robust risk controls and compliant customer outcomes. You’ll lead a small team, drive second-line challenge, and build strong first-line ownership of risk and controls across

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level risk and compliance experience within a general insurer or Solvency II-regulated environment.
• Strong practical Solvency II knowledge, including systems of governance, ORSA, SCR and own funds, risk appetite, capital planning and regulatory reporting.
• Experience designing, operating and improving enterprise risk, compliance monitoring and control assurance frameworks.
• Credible experience engaging Boards, executives, auditors, actuaries and regulators, with the ability to provide constructive independent challenge.
• A sound understanding of UK insurance conduct and customer-outcomes expectations, including experience working across a group or outsourced operating model.
• Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgement and the ability to translate complex technical analysis into concise Board-level advice.

Responsibilities

• Own and continually improve enterprise risk management framework for AAUICL to support Board decisions.
• Lead the annual ORSA, integrating planning, capital management, stress testing and management actions.
• Provide independent second-line challenge and assurance to the Board and committees on material risks and regulatory compliance.
• Act as Risk Function Holder and Compliance Function Holder, subject to GFSC approval, maintaining regulatory relationships.
• Oversee compliance monitoring, regulatory change and conduct risks across AAUICL’s business model.
• Challenge risk and compliance across outsourcing and intra-group arrangements, strengthening oversight.
• Lead and develop the Risk and Compliance team and ensure timely remediation of issues.

Skills

Senior risk experience

Solvency II knowledge

Governance frameworks

Regulatory reporting

Board engagement

UK insurance conduct

Job description

Company Description

Location: Basingstoke, (Hybrid working, 3 office days per week)

Employment Type: Permanent

Why Join Us?

• Annual bonus, car allowance and private medical insurance
• Lead the Risk and Compliance function for The AA’s Gibraltar-regulated insurance company, with direct exposure to the AAUICL Board and senior leadership.
• Shape risk, capital and regulatory decision-making across the end-to-end insurance value chain, including underwriting, claims and customer outcomes.
• Build broad senior stakeholder and regulatory exposure across AAUICL, AA Group functions, the GFSC and key outsourcing partners.

Company Description / Business Unit

For over a century, The AA has been keeping Britain moving. Today, millions of drivers trust us to be there when it matters most, and we're equally committed to supporting the people who make that possible. With a 4.5-star Glassdoor rating, we've built a culture where colleagues are empowered to grow, collaborate and make a real impact for our customers on every journey. Which has been recognised by Sunday Times “Best Places to Work” for the last two years.

Job Description

If you enjoy turning complex risk and regulatory matters into clear decisions, this is a role where your judgement and influence will have real impact.

Reporting to the CEO of AAUICL, with a functional reporting line to the Group Chief Risk Officer, you’ll lead the identification, assessment, management and oversight of risk across The AA’s Gibraltar-regulated insurance company. You’ll help ensure AAUICL maintains effective risk management and compliance frameworks, meets its Gibraltar regulatory obligations and supports relevant UK requirements across its business and distribution model.

As an independent second-line leader, you’ll shape risk appetite, ORSA, capital management, operational resilience, compliance monitoring and oversight of material business change. Working with the AAUICL Board, senior leadership, Group Risk and Compliance colleagues and outsourcing partners, you’ll provide clear challenge and advice across underwriting, claims, conduct and customer outcomes.

You’ll lead a small Risk and Compliance team and build strong first-line ownership of risk, controls and good customer outcomes. You’ll thrive here if you can combine technical depth with sound judgement, constructive challenge and the ability to make complex issues clear for senior stakeholders and regulators.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and continually improve AAUICL’s enterprise risk management framework so risk appetite, policies, controls, key risk indicators and reporting support effective Board and management decisions.
• Lead the annual ORSA, integrating business planning, capital management, stress and scenario testing and credible management actions to give a forward‑looking view of AAUICL’s risk and capital position.
• Provide independent second‑line challenge and evidence‑based assurance to the Board, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and executive management on material risks, controls, regulatory compliance, capital decisions and material business change.
• Act as Risk Function Holder and Compliance Function Holder, subject to GFSC approval, and maintain constructive regulatory relationships while coordinating notifications, returns and relevant Solvency II submissions.
• Oversee compliance monitoring, regulatory change and conduct and customer‑outcome risks across AAUICL’s business model, helping ensure issues such as fair‑value, complaints, vulnerable customers and claims outcomes are understood and acted on.
• Challenge risk and compliance across outsourcing and intra‑group arrangements, including due diligence, performance monitoring, continuity planning and operational resilience, to strengthen oversight across the end-to-end insurance value chain.
• Lead and develop the Risk and Compliance team while ensuring incidents, control weaknesses, breaches and regulatory actions are identified, escalated and remediated effectively, strengthening first‑line ownership and the control environment.

Qualifications

You’ll Bring

• Significant senior‑level risk and compliance experience within a general insurer or an equivalent Solvency II‑regulated financial services environment.
• Strong practical Solvency II knowledge, including systems of governance, ORSA, SCR and own funds, risk appetite, capital planning and regulatory reporting.
• Experience designing, operating and improving enterprise risk, compliance monitoring and control assurance frameworks.
• Credible experience engaging Boards, executives, auditors, actuaries and regulators, with the ability to provide constructive independent challenge.
• A sound understanding of UK insurance conduct and customer‑outcomes expectations, including experience working across a group or outsourced operating model.
• Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgement and the ability to translate complex technical analysis into concise Board‑level advice.

Nice to Have

• Knowledge of Gibraltar insurance regulation and GFSC expectations.
• Experience as an approved key function holder.
• A recognised risk, compliance, insurance or accountancy qualification.

Additional Information

Belonging at The AA

At The AA, we value the unique perspectives, experiences and ideas that our people bring. We've nurtured a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to do their best work.

Through our employee communities and inclusion initiatives, we’ve created opportunities for people to connect, share experiences and influence positive change across the business. This is a place where your voice matters and where you can belong, grow and succeed.

Driven By People, Rewarded By Benefits

• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, the option to buy additional holiday
• Up to 7% employer pension contribution
• Free AA breakdown membership from Day One with 50% discount for family and friends, discounts on AA products including car and home insurance
• 24/7 GP access and wellbeing support for you and your family
• A wide range of employee discounts, including our popular car salary sacrifice scheme