Head of Risk & Internal Control

Scotch Whisky; Bellshill; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

William Grant & Sons is seeking a Head of Risk & Internal Control to lead the CARE programme and embed enterprise-wide risk management across the Group. You will collaborate with Finance, Internal Audit, and business units to strengthen controls and ensure regulatory/compliance alignment.

The role requires 4 days in Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill, and offers a strategic leadership position within Central Services Internal Audit.

Qualifications

• Project management and change management experience.
• Finance or risk qualification with understanding of finance functions.
• Familiarity with IT and financial systems and their impact on controls.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management with senior stakeholders.
• Proven people management across cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work collaboratively while forming independent views.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and communication of the CARE programme across people, process and technology.
• Govern governance framework and drive delivery of the programme.
• Collaborate with Finance and business to ensure coverage of key Group risks.
• Support Audit Committee requirements and embed their guidance.
• Develop conclusions and report outcomes to management.
• Raise awareness of policies and embed best practice to improve the control environment.
• Develop the WG&S control framework to align with best practices.
• Maintain the annual control assessment cycle aligned to priorities.
• Oversee local control assessments and ensure high-quality assurance.
• Report insights to management and committees.
• Build SME network across the Group to embed processes.

Skills

Project management

Finance/risk qualification

IT systems knowledge

Stakeholder management

People management

Collaborative mindset

Education

Finance/risk qualification

Tools

Optro usage

Job description

We are looking for a Head of Risk & Internal Control to join the Central Services Internal Audit team at William Grant & Sons. In this role you will lead the development and implementation of the WG&S group-wide controls programme, Controls Assurance & Risk Evaluation (CARE), maintaining compliance with the requirements of relevant legislation and other parameters established by the Executive Board and the Audit Committee to drive high-quality internal controls assurance.

You will also work with the business to improve and embed risk management practices at site, market and functional levels to drive better quality, consistent risk assessments in line with the requirements of the WG&S Group Enterprise Risk Management methodology, consistent with the Group's defined Corporate Objectives.

Please note, this role requires 4 days in the office per week in Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill.

Key responsibilities

Internal Control

• Direct the design, development and communication of the CARE programme with focus on people, process and technology.
• Coordinate, manage and drive delivery of the programme by establishing the appropriate governance framework across all areas, with appropriate prioritisation, issue management and communication.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across Finance and the wider business to ensure appropriate coverage of key Group risks.
• Understand and interpret the requirements of the Audit Committee while supporting the implementation and embedding of those requirements.
• Oversee the development of conclusions and findings to local management and apply previous experience and accepted Group practice to make corrective recommendations and other improvement suggestions. Agree action plans with management and support the reporting of the outcomes to management.
• Raise awareness of corporate policies, share knowledge, and engage actively with business stakeholders to instil best practice and improve the control environment across the Group.
• Continue the development of the WG&S internal control framework to align with best practice and to provide controls assurance over financial reporting risks and other risks that are relevant to the Group Corporate Objectives.
• Maintain and streamline the annual control assessment cycle, aligned to business priorities and consistent with the requirements of the corporate calendar.
• Oversee and scrutinise the results of local control assessments to drive accurate control assessment and high-quality assurance.
• Reporting to local management, Business Unit boards, the CFO, the Audit Committee and others, as required, to provide timely and meaningful insights.
• Build awareness and capability of control assessment and develop a network of subject matter experts across the Group such that local processes can be embedded and improved.

Risk Management

• Engage and advise management to improve risk management practices, leveraging experiences from other businesses to proactively support the identification of new and emerging risks and promote strategies to improve existing mitigations.
• Develop effective working relationships with key business stakeholders, building trust and becoming a valued source of support, challenge and guidance.
• Utilise external networks and industry specialists to keep up-to-date with relevant standards and best practice.
• Lead, motivate and develop others in the Internal Audit team and risk owners across the Group to build skills, knowledge and professional development through coaching and feedback.
• Drive the practical identification and ongoing assessment of mitigating actions across the Group and agitate for further action where required. This will support a clearer connection with the assessment of net risk and the agreed risk appetite.
• Maintain and embed the rhythm of risk reviews across the business and periodically refresh the Group risk register.Support the work of the Group Risk Committee and facilitate quarterly meetings to deep dive on specific risks to the business to deepen the Committee's understanding and drive specific interventions where necessary.
• Fully utilise Optro and establish its use to realise the expected efficiency benefits within the function and for stakeholders across the Group.

About you

You will bring:

• Sound knowledge of project management techniques and approaches to change management, alongside proven programme and/or project delivery experience.
• A relevant professional qualification in finance and/or risk assurance discipline with extensive experience and understanding of finance function operations, processes and services.
• Familiarity and awareness of IT and financial systems, particularly in the context of their impact on the control environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to quickly build credible relationships across the Group but particularly with senior stakeholders at a Business Unit Board level, the Executive Board, Risk Committee and Audit Committee.
• Proven people management skills, and the ability to work across and motivate cross-functional teams in the delivery of complex projects / programmes.
• Ability to work co-operatively alongside others while retaining the capacity to form and articulate independent views and opinions.

Reward and benefits

• We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
• Our employees enjoy a generous holiday entitlement and an opportunity to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ some holiday entitlement.
• Private Healthcare and Doctor@Hand (remote GP service).
• Our employees can join a defined contribution pension plan. Employees contribute either 4% or 5% of salary, the company contributes 8% or 10% depending on the employee contribution. Employee contributions can be made through salary sacrifice.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues.
• Our Life Assurance cover is a multiple of eight times your annual basic salary.
• Product allocation so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands.
• Our Cycle to Work scheme allows you to hire a bike for an agreed length of time, and then snap it up for a fraction of its original value. All while making savings (at least 25%) and spreading the cost.
• Every employee has the opportunity to claim up to £1,000 per year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
• Learning resources to help you be your best self.