UK&I Portfolio Governance Lead

AXA UK; Tunbridge Wells; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider in the UK is seeking an experienced UK & Ireland Portfolio Governance Lead. This strategic role is essential in overseeing change initiatives, establishing governance standards, and ensuring project alignment with business objectives. The successful candidate will work with senior leaders to lead key workstreams and promote best practices in governance. The position allows for a blend of remote and office work, contributing to a collaborative and high-performance culture while influencing how the organization manages change.

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Annual company & performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)

Private medical cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Wellbeing services & resources

AXA employee discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering Target Operating Models (TOMs).
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end project and programme management.
• Ability to manage budgets and influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience with contract management and quality assurance.
• Proven skill in influencing and negotiating with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support governance of the UK & Ireland change portfolio.
• Lead workstreams within the Next Gen Ways of Working programme.
• Manage Group-mandated program reporting and governance.
• Act as a representative for the UK&I portfolio in forums.
• Ensure disciplined project and programme management.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across business units.

Skills

Project and programme management

Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe)

Stakeholder management

Clear communication

Budget management

Leadership and staff development

Job description

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving large-scale change and ensuring successful project delivery? AXA is seeking an experienced UK & Ireland Portfolio Governance Lead to oversee and enhance the management of our change initiatives. You’ll be instrumental in establishing governance standards, prioritising initiatives and ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within scope and aligned with business objectives. Your expertise will help shape our approach to managing complex programmes, supporting a culture of continuous improvement and effective decision‑making.

As the Portfolio Governance Lead, you‘ll work with senior leaders, project teams and external partners to coordinate reporting, stakeholder engagement and process improvements. You’ll lead key workstreams within the Next Gen Ways of Working programme by championing best practices and supporting new governance models. This strategic role offers the chance to influence how AXA manages change regionally, ensuring initiatives deliver value and support long‑term success.

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients or attending industry events.

What you’ll be doing:

• Support governance of the UK & Ireland change portfolio, including defining standards, prioritising initiatives and reporting on key risks and trends.
• Lead workstreams within the Next Gen Ways of Working to implement and embed the new portfolio governance model.
• Manage Group‑mandated “SPC” program reporting, reviewing key program submissions and governance gates specific to UK&I.
• Act as a representative for the UK&I portfolio in forums and stakeholder meetings, supporting the Head of Strategy and Portfolio Governance.
• Contribute to the delivery team with culture, engagement, and continuous process improvement activities.
• Ensure disciplined project and programme management, including planning, resourcing, risk mitigation and stakeholder communication.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across business units, ensuring project delivery aligns with strategic objectives and standards.
• Promote AXA’s culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the UK&I portfolio.

What you’ll bring:

• Proven experience in delivering Target Operating Models (TOMs) and developing agile practices within complex, multi‑organisational environments.
• Strong knowledge of end‑to‑end project and programme management disciplines, including Agile methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe.
• Demonstrable ability to manage budgets, influence senior stakeholders and cultivate productive relationships across multiple business units to achieve strategic objective
• Experience managing relationships with third‑party suppliers, including contract management and quality assurance.
• Proven skill in clear and impactful communication, with a track record of influencing and negotiating with senior stakeholders.
• Leadership qualities, including staff development and performance management, with experience in fostering high‑performance cultures.
• Knowledge of current market trends in Insurance and IT, such as digital transformation.

As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, we’re appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary dependent on experience
• Annual company & performance‑based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• Private medical cover
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• Wellbeing services & resources
• AXA employee discounts

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, you’ll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long‑term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we’re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to [e-mail].

#LI‑Hybrid

Who we are:

AXA UK Support Functions power AXA’s three customer‑facing business units, providing the infrastructure, support and expertise to ensure our customers can always count on us. Whether you’ve got heaps of experience and qualifications behind you, or you’re just starting out, we’ll give you the support and opportunities to help you grow and develop with confidence.