Senior Third Party Risk Manager

Opals Group; Stockport; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A market-leading infrastructure services business in Stockport is seeking a Senior Third Party Risk Manager to enhance governance and oversee risk management. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in risk management, particularly in third party risk. Responsibilities include designing the risk framework, leading assessments, and collaborating with stakeholders. The company values integrity, collaboration, and inclusion, providing a supportive work culture focused on diverse perspectives.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in risk management with expertise in third party risk.
• Ability to design, implement and improve TPRM frameworks.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the Group’s Third Party Risk & Compliance Management Framework.
• Lead risk assessments for critical third party relationships.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for third party risk.

Skills

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Third party risk assessment

Compliance knowledge

Regulatory requirements understanding

Education

Degree in Risk Management

IRM Diploma (or equivalent)

Tools

TPRM platforms (e.g. Dun & Bradstreet)

Job description

OCU Group is a fast-growing, market-leading infrastructure services business, delivering critical solutions across the UK. As we continue to grow and diversify, effective risk management is central to protecting our people, partners, clients and reputation.

We are now seeking an experienced Senior Third Party Risk Manager based in Stockport to take ownership of our Group-wide Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) capability and play a pivotal role in strengthening governance, assurance and ethical business practices across OCU Group.

About the role

You will be responsible for designing, embedding and overseeing a comprehensive, end-to-end onboarding and monitoring process for all third parties across the Group. This includes suppliers, sub-contractors and other business partners.

You will lead the development and continuous improvement of the Group’s Third Party Risk & Compliance Management Framework, ensuring robust Know Your Counterparty (KYCP) due diligence and alignment with our enterprise risk management approach. Acting as a subject matter expert, you will work closely with stakeholders across the business to ensure third party risks are identified, assessed, managed and monitored effectively.

Framework Development & Oversight

• Design, embed and maintain the Group’s Third Party Risk & Compliance Management Framework.
• Drive continuous improvement of third party risk methodologies to ensure comprehensive and proportionate coverage across the Group.

Risk Assessment & Monitoring

• Lead risk assessments for critical third party relationships, including due diligence, control testing and remediation planning.
• Oversee ongoing monitoring of third party arrangements, analysing trends, escalating issues and supporting effective risk mitigation.
• Manage periodic reviews to ensure continued compliance with regulatory, client and Group standards.

Specialist Risk Areas

• Act as the business lead for key third-party risk areas including Modern Slavery, Ethical Sourcing, Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions and Corporate Compliance.
• Ensure third party processes meet regulatory obligations and contractual commitments.
• Undertake client due diligence requests and support the evaluation of partners for strategic tenders.
• Act as the escalation point for complex or high-risk issues, providing expert guidance and decision-making support.
• Lead or support incident response and remediation activities arising from third party risk events.

Stakeholder Engagement & Education

• Serve as the primary escalation point for third party risk support across the Group.
• Educate and support first-line teams on TPRM responsibilities, embedding accountability and best practice.
• Partner closely with procurement, commercial, legal and new business teams to integrate risk management into core processes.
• Collaborate with the wider Risk & Compliance team to enhance governance, assurance and continuous improvement across the Group.

About you

You are an experienced risk professional with a strong track record in third party risk management, comfortable operating in complex, fast-paced and client-focused environments.

• Extensive experience in risk management, with deep expertise in third party risk.
• Proven ability to design, implement and enhance TPRM frameworks and processes.
• Strong technical knowledge of TPRM frameworks, regulatory requirements and third party risk tools.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels.
• Degree in Risk Management or a specialist qualification (e.g. IRM Diploma).
• Knowledge of recognised risk management standards such as ISO 31000, COSO ERM or APM PRAM (desirable).
• Experience using TPRM platforms (e.g. Dun & Bradstreet).
• Training or experience in KYC, Customer Due Diligence, AML and Sanctions compliance.

Driven by values, powered by inclusion.

At OCU, our values guide everything we do: integrity, collaboration, respect, innovation and one company united. They shape how we work with our clients, communities, and each other. We believe that inclusion is more than a principle — it’s the foundation of our success. By embracing equity and ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to thrive, we create a workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, and everyone feels they belong.

Together, we build stronger teams, deliver better outcomes, and grow in ways that reflect the communities we serve. If you want to be part of a culture where values matter and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do apply now and help us shape the future together.

If you are invited to progress in the recruitment process, will you require any reasonable adjustments to support you? Please let us know so we can ensure the process is accessible and fair for you. Any information you share will be treated confidentially and will only be used to support you during the recruitment process.