Head of Risk and Compliance, AAUICL

The AA; Basingstoke; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave

Pension 7%

AA breakdown membership

GP access

Employee discounts

Job summary

The AA seeks a senior Risk & Compliance leader to steer AAUICL's risk, governance and regulatory agenda in Gibraltar-regulated operations. Based in the UK with hybrid flexibility, you will report to the CEO and work with the Group CRO and Board.

You will shape risk appetite, ORSA, capital management and conduct oversight across underwriting, claims and customer outcomes, building strong first-line ownership and regulatory relationships.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level risk and compliance experience within a general insurer or Solvency II-regulated environment.
• Strong practical Solvency II knowledge including ORSA and capital planning.
• Experience designing and improving risk, compliance monitoring and control frameworks.
• Proven ability to engage Boards, executives, auditors and regulators with credible challenge.
• Understanding of UK insurance conduct and customer-outcomes expectations.
• Experience working across group or outsourced operating models.

Responsibilities

• Own and improve AAUICL's enterprise risk framework supporting board decisions.
• Lead annual ORSA, capital planning and stress testing.
• Provide independent assurance on risks, controls and regulatory compliance.
• Manage Solvency II submissions and GFSC regulatory relationships.
• Oversee monitoring of conduct, complaints and customer outcomes.
• Develop the Risk & Compliance team and strengthen first-line ownership.

Skills

Senior risk experience

Compliance governance

Solvency II knowledge

Board engagement

Regulatory reporting

Communication

Education

Risk/Compliance qualification

Job description

Company Description/ Business Unit

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.

This is the job

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.

What will I be doing?

• 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.

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

We believe in rewarding our people. That's why we offer a comprehensive benefits package including;

• 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