Lead Assurance & Standards Officer

4695 Broadford; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Holiday allowance

Pension contributions

Onsite gym discount

Product discounts

Early access to pay (Stream)

Virtual healthcare

Support service

Training & progression

Cycle-to-work

Job summary

Co‑op in Manchester is seeking a Lead Assurance and Standards Officer to help deliver effective project and programme assurance across the organisation's Digital Technology & Data (DT&D) function. You'll coordinate assurance activities across our delivery portfolio, guiding reviews, stage gates and governance with data‑driven insight.

This role focuses on reducing bureaucracy while ensuring teams have the support and governance they need to succeed, modernising assurance practices and scaling

Qualifications

• Experience supporting project, programme or portfolio assurance activities within a delivery environment.
• Good understanding of project delivery frameworks, governance processes and assurance principles.
• Strong planning, organisation and coordination skills for multiple activities.
• Experience using assurance data to identify themes, trends and improvement areas.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management across teams.
• Interest in modernising assurance practices (e.g., AI).

Responsibilities

• Support project and programme assurance activities across DT&D.
• Coordinate assurance reviews, stage gates, expert panels and governance activities.
• Prepare, collate and manage assurance evidence, documentation and reporting.
• Analyse assurance data, findings and trends to identify themes, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain consistent, proportionate and effective assurance processes across the delivery portfolio.
• Work with assurance and delivery colleagues to support learning and best practice.
• Contribute to evolving assurance standards, frameworks and approaches.
• Communicate assurance outcomes and insights to stakeholders across DT&D.

Skills

Project governance

Stakeholder management

Planning & coordination

Data analysis

Continuous improvement

AI in assurance

Job description

Lead Assurance and Standards Officer

£40,000 to £50,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 6A)
Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office as required for team days, meetings, and events (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy) .

We’re open to applications from people who may require flexible working arrangements. There’ll be an opportunity to discuss your flexible working requirements during the interview process, and at offer stage.

We’re reshaping our Digital, Technology and Data function for the future, creating new opportunities, strengthening our capability, and building clearer, more resilient ways of working so we can deliver even better services for our Co-op, our colleagues, members and customers.

We're looking for a Lead Assurance and Standards Officer to join our Digital Technology & Data (DT&D) team and help us deliver effective project and programme assurance across the organisation. You'll coordinate assurance activities across our delivery portfolio, helping to coordinate reviews, stage gates and governance processes while using data and insight to identify trends, improve consistency and help teams deliver successfully with the right level of governance and support.

Why this role matters

As DT&D continues to evolve, we're looking for someone who can help modernise and improve our assurance approach, making it effective, scalable and proportionate. This is an opportunity to contribute to how assurance is delivered across a large and complex technology function, helping reduce unnecessary bureaucracy while ensuring teams have the support, governance and guidance they need to succeed.

What you’ll do

• Support project and programme assurance activities across DT&D
• Coordinate assurance reviews, stage gates, expert panels and governance activities
• Prepare, collate and manage assurance evidence, documentation and reporting
• Analyse assurance data, findings and trends to identify themes, risks and opportunities for improvement
• Help maintain consistent, proportionate and effective assurance processes across the delivery portfolio
• Work with assurance and delivery colleagues to support learning, continuous improvement and good practice
• Contribute to the ongoing evolution of assurance standards, frameworks and approaches
• Help communicate assurance outcomes and insights to stakeholders across DT&D

What you’ll bring

• Experience supporting project, programme or portfolio assurance activities within a delivery environment
• A good understanding of project delivery frameworks, governance processes and assurance principles
• Strong planning, organisation and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously
• Experience working with assurance, project or portfolio data to identify themes, trends and areas for improvement
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across teams
• A continuous improvement mindset and an interest in modernising assurance practices (such as how we embrace AI)

We know some people may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. At Co-op, we’re committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion.