Risk Business Partner

Howden Group; London; On-site; NOK 881,000 - 1,385,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden is seeking a Risk Business Partner to support UK&I Retail. You will embed the Enterprise Risk Management Framework across the business, providing practical risk guidance to stakeholders and helping to manage risk effectively.

The role sits in a permanent UK-based Risk function reporting to the Interim Head of Risk. You will lead risk and control assessments, monitor risk appetite, and support stress and scenario testing while preparing risk reports for senior boards and committees.

Qualifications

• Proven knowledge of risk management in a regulated environment.
• Experience applying enterprise risk management frameworks and risk appetite processes.
• Experience in insurance or financial services; retail insurance desirable.
• Ability to provide clear, practical advice to stakeholders.
• Experience supporting operational resilience, stress or scenario testing.
• Ability to analyse risk information and translate findings into actions.
• Track record delivering projects while managing priorities.
• Experience building stakeholder relationships and supporting new processes.

Responsibilities

• Embed ERM into business activity and decision-making.
• Provide practical risk advice and communicate responsibilities.
• Support development of risk appetite and monitor metrics.
• Lead risk and control assessments with proportional actions.
• Embed risk event reporting and root-cause analysis.
• Challenge policy coverage and waivers.
• Design stress and scenario testing; review model outputs.
• Prepare risk information for boards and committees.
• Identify emerging risks and track remedial actions.
• Deliver risk training and support change initiatives.

Skills

Regulated risk management

ERM framework

Insurance/financial services

Stakeholder advisory

Operational resilience

Risk data analysis

Project delivery

Stakeholder relationships

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. We're experts helping clients adapt and thrive in a changing world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind‑set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees and spanning 56 countries. Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people‑first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee‑owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down disappointed head‑hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like‑minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role?

The Risk Business Partner sits within the Risk function and supports UK&I Retail and its central functions. Reporting to the Interim Head of Risk, this permanent UK‑based role will build strong relationships across the business and help embed the Enterprise Risk Management Framework, giving stakeholders the practical guidance, constructive challenge and confidence they need to manage risk effectively.

What will you be doing?

• Partner with stakeholders across UK&I Retail and its central functions to embed the Enterprise Risk Management Framework into business activity and decision‑making
• Provide practical, proportionate risk advice and communicate risk responsibilities clearly across the business
• Support the development and application of risk appetite, monitor agreed metrics and help stakeholders address tolerance breaches
• Lead and support risk and control assessments, agreeing proportionate actions to strengthen the control environment
• Embed effective risk event reporting and support root‑cause analysis to identify recurring themes and systemic issues
• Challenge the business on policy coverage, implementation and adherence, including requests for exceptions and waivers
• Design and coordinate stress and scenario testing, gather relevant data, challenge assumptions and review model outputs
• Prepare clear risk information and reports for relevant boards, committees and senior stakeholders
• Identify and monitor emerging risks, track remedial actions and support the effective management of agreed actions
• Deliver risk training and awareness activity, manage assigned projects and contribute to wider change initiatives

What are we looking for?

• Proven knowledge of risk management gained within a regulated environment
• Experience applying or supporting enterprise risk management frameworks, risk appetite processes, risk assessments or control frameworks
• Experience in insurance, financial services or another regulated sector, with retail insurance experience desirable
• Evidence of providing clear, practical advice and constructive challenge to business stakeholders
• Experience supporting operational resilience, stress testing or scenario testing
• Demonstrated ability to analyse risk information, identify themes and translate findings into proportionate actions
• A track record of delivering projects or change activity while managing competing priorities
• Experience building effective stakeholder relationships and supporting confidence in new or changing processes

What do we offer in return?

• A career that you define. Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges.
• We know that separate home and work lives don’t really exist. If you’re happy and healthy at home, you’re more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That’s why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.
• We value diversity – there is no one Howden ‘personality type’. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us.
• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new. We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality type’. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us: Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new. We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges. We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond. We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Reasonable adjustments

We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

Permanent

Location

UK

Permanent Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we’re a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner’s mindset is something that’s embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.