Senior Risk Manager

Connells-Group-2; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Connells Group is seeking an experienced Senior Risk Manager in its second line of defence (2LOD) Risk function. You will strengthen enterprise risk capability, partner with senior stakeholders, and embed a proactive risk culture to inform strategic decision-making across the organisation.

The role focuses on governance, risk assessment, executive reporting, development of risk tools and MI, and collaboration with Compliance and Internal Audit to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in enterprise risk management within a complex organisation

Responsibilities

• Support the ongoing development and enhancement of the Group Risk Management Framework (GRMF), ensuring alignment to regulatory expectations and industry best practice
• Drive application of risk policies, standards, and methodologies across the business
• Contribute to governance processes, including Executive Risk Committee and Board-level reporting
• Monitor the firm's risk profile and escalate emerging risks to the Risk Committee and relevant governance forums in a timely manner
• Champion a strong risk culture across the organisation
• Promote clarity around roles and responsibilities
• Identify opportunities to enhance risk processes, tools, and reporting capabilities
• Support implementation of automation and digital risk tooling where appropriate
• Contribute to maturity uplift of enterprise risk capability
• Lead risk identification and assessment activities across business units
• Ensure risks are clearly articulated, appropriately scored (impact/likelihood), and aligned to risk appetite
• Challenge first-line assessments to ensure robustness, consistency, and transparency
• Ensure risk practices align with relevant regulatory requirements and expectations
• Support control environment assessments, including identification of weaknesses and improvement actions
• Collaborate with Compliance and Internal Audit to ensure alignment and minimise duplication
• Produce executive-ready risk reports, dashboards, and insights
• Enhance risk MI to provide forward-looking, decision-useful information (trends, emerging risks, stress points)
• Support development of risk heatmaps, scenario analysis, and thematic reviews
• Contribute to the Group's RCSA process and operational resilience programme
• Oversee the management of risk events, issues, and remediation actions
• Ensure timely escalation of material risks and breaches
• Monitor delivery of mitigating actions and challenge delays or inefficiencies
• Act as an advisor to senior leaders, supporting effective risk ownership and accountability
• Build strong relationships across functions
• Provide constructive challenge while maintaining a solutions-oriented approach

Skills

Enterprise risk management

Governance

Regulatory expectations

Influence senior stakeholders

Executive reporting

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Senior Risk Manager within Connells Group's second line of defence (2LOD) Risk function. The Senior Risk Manager plays a critical role in strengthening Connells Group’s enterprise risk capability, supporting the identification, assessment, management, and reporting of risks across the organisation.

You will act as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders, embedding a proactive risk culture, enhancing governance frameworks, and ensuring that risk insights effectively inform strategic decision-making.

This operates at a Group level and is intentionally broad, providing flexibility to support priority risk areas as required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the ongoing development and enhancement of the Group Risk Management Framework (GRMF), ensuring alignment to regulatory expectations and industry best practice
• Drive application of risk policies, standards, and methodologies across the business
• Contribute to governance processes, including Executive Risk Committee and Board-level reporting
• Monitor the firms risk profile and escape emerging risks to the Risk Committee and relevant governance forums in a timely manner
• Champion a strong risk culture across the organisation
• Promote clarity around roles and responsibilities
• Identify opportunities to enhance risk processes, tools, and reporting capabilities
• Support implementation of automation and digital risk tooling where appropriate
• Contribute to maturity uplift of enterprise risk capability
• Lead risk identification and assessment activities across business units
• Ensure risks are clearly articulated, appropriately scored (impact/likelihood), and aligned to risk appetite
• Challenge first-line assessments to ensure robustness, consistency, and transparency
• Ensure risk practices align with relevant regulatory requirements and expectations
• Support control environment assessments, including identification of weaknesses and improvement actions
• Collaborate with Compliance and Internal Audit to ensure alignment and minimise duplication
• Produce executive-ready risk reports, dashboards, and insights
• Enhance risk MI to provide forward-looking, decision-useful information (trends, emerging risks, stress points)
• Support development of risk heatmaps, scenario analysis, and thematic reviews
• Contribute to the Group's RCSA process and operational resilience programme
• Oversee the management of risk events, issues, and remediation actions
• Ensure timely escalation of material risks and breaches
• Monitor delivery of mitigating actions and challenge delays or inefficiencies

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as an advisor to senior leaders, supporting effective risk ownership and accountability
• Build strong relationships across functions
• Provide constructive challenge while maintaining a solutions-oriented approach

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant experience in enterprise risk management within a complex organisation (financial services, property, or related sectors advantageous)
• Strong understanding of risk frameworks, governance, and regulatory expectations
• Ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders effectively
• Experience producing Executive-level reporting
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to simplify complex risk concepts