Senior Risk Manager - Assurance, Insight & Automation

mgpru; Stirling; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

M&G plc seeks a Senior Risk Manager - Assurance, Insight & Automation to lead Life Non-Financial Risk oversight, assurance and insight. You will challenge and provide risk opinions on material risks, and shape the Life NFR agenda.

You will build capabilities, drive automation and AI-enabled transformation, coach managers and analysts, and represent Life NFR in governance forums while partnering with key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Operational Risk and related control disciplines in a financial services environment.
• Experience in AI-enabled processes and automation technologies.
• Ability to lead assurance planning, reviews and independent challenge.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management up to Executive level.

Responsibilities

• Lead Life NFR oversight, assurance and insight capability.
• Develop Life NFR assurance universe and annual plan.
• Establish methodologies and quality frameworks for oversight and assurance activities.
• Lead development of material Risk Opinions for governance forums.
• Direct team priorities, workflow and resource deployment for significant risks.
• Represent Life NFR at senior governance forums and maintain relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Operational Risk

Non-Financial Risk

Risk Assurance

Automation Technologies

Process Design

AI-enabled Processes

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Education

Relevant professional qualification

Job description

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Context: M&G plc, as a major UK listed financial services provider, is required to operate effective risk management across the organisation. The Senior Risk Manager - Assurance, Insight & Automation reports to the Head of Life Non-Financial Risk (NFR) and provides dedicated 2LOD Risk oversight, challenge and assurance across the Life NFR agenda.

The role will lead and manage the Life NFR oversight, assurance and insight capability, providing independent challenge, assurance and risk opinions on material business risks, control effectiveness and customer outcomes. The role will direct team priorities, develop capability and drive delivery of the Life NFR assurance, insight and automation agenda; while acting as the subject matter expert for process effectiveness, control automation and AI-enabled transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Life NFR oversight, assurance and insight capability, ensuring delivery of high-quality independent challenge, assurance and risk insight across the Life business.
• Develop and maintain the Life NFR assurance universe and annual plan, ensuring alignment to principal risks, business priorities and regulatory expectations.
• Establish and maintain methodologies, standards and quality frameworks to ensure consistency and effectiveness of oversight and assurance activities.
• Lead the development and review of material Risk Opinions, providing independent insight and challenge for Executive and Board governance forums.
• Direct team priorities, workflow and resource deployment ensuring oversight, assurance and insights focus on the most significant risks, business outcomes and regulatory priorities.
• Lead Life NFR approach to Risk Appetite assessment, Control Environment Assessment, control effectiveness and related assurance activities.
• Act as subject matter expert for process effectiveness, control automation and AI-enabled transformation, providing challenge and insight on future-state operating models and control environments.
• Provide independent challenge and assurance over material business, operational and transformation initiatives, ensuring risks, controls and customer outcomes are appropriately considered
• Develop team capability through coaching, mentoring and quality review, building assurance, analytical and opinion-writing skills across managers and analysts.
• Represent Life NFR at senior governance forums and maintain effective relationships with key business and R&C stakeholders.

Experience Required

Essential

• Significant experience within Operational Risk, Non-Financial Risk, Risk Assurance or related control disciplines in a financial services environment.
• Significant experience in operating model optimisation, process design, AI-enabled processes, automation technologies and associated risk and control considerations.
• Demonstrable experience identifying and driving opportunities for control automation, process simplification and operational effectiveness improvement.
• Experience assessing future-state operating models, customer journeys and control environments, providing independent challenge and insight.
• Significant experience leading assurance planning, reviews, thematic assessments and independent challenge activities.
• Experience developing evidence-based risk opinions and Board-level insight.
• Experience leading specialist teams, managing competing priorities, coaching and capability development.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to coordinate and influence stakeholders up to Executive level.
• Strong understanding of risk management frameworks, governance and regulatory expectations.
• Knowledge of emerging technology, data governance and digital transformation trends.
• Strong analytical capability and ability to translate complex information into actionable conclusions.

Desirable

• Experience in life insurance, pensions or wealth sectors.
• Experience establishing assurance methodologies, standards and quality frameworks.
• Experience using data analytics to support assurance, risk insight and decision-making.
• Relevant professional qualification (eg. IRM, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, IIA, CII or equivalent).

Role Level: Manager / Expert