Risk & Assurance Manager

Ministry of Justice; United States; Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension (28.97%)

25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays

Hybrid working arrangements

Learning budget £1k

Maternity/paternity leave

Job summary

Ministry of Justice, through Justice Digital, Data and Science, seeks a Risk & Assurance Manager to lead FRA work within the CFBC team. You will champion risk assessment methods, define scenarios, and direct assurance priorities across multiple business areas while ensuring evidence quality and timely action closure.

The role requires experience in fraud risk, regulatory standards, and the ability to challenge assumptions with proportionate controls. A hybrid UK‑based arrangement is available.

Qualifications

• Experience leading substantial risk, assurance, controls or audit‑response work across several business areas.
• Judgement and transferable capability to lead proportionate Fraud Risk Assessments (FRAs).
• Ability to assess whether evidence supports a risk or control conclusion, and identify gaps.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the JDDS FRA approach, facilitating priority assessments with business owners.
• Identify fraud, bribery and corruption scenarios, assess vulnerabilities and controls, and record practical actions.
• Direct the CFBC risk‑based assurance programme with proportionate control testing and evidence quality standards.
• Coordinate corrective‑action assurance and align with Audit recommendations while maintaining ownership with business leads.
• Escalate matters with balanced assessments of control confidence and residual risk.

Job description

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

• This role is offered as a detached duty/loan subject to approval from your home department. Successful applicants who do not have agreement from their home department to return at the conclusion of this role may be subject to MoJ's redeployment and redundancy procedures.

Having noted that you must pass Security Check clearance, we are recruiting for a Risk & Assurance Manager at Justice Digital, Data and Science (JDDS) to be part of our warm and collaborative Counter Fraud, Bribery & Corruption (CFBC) team. We are building a Counter Fraud, Bribery and Corruption (CFBC) function within Justice Digital, Data and Science Compliance Team. We help teams recognise risks earlier, understand whether controls work in practice, connect evidence and emerging signals, and turn learning into proportionate improvements. Fraud Risk Assessments (FRAs) are an important part of that work, helping us identify credible risks, understand controls and focus attention where it matters most. Our small, connected team combines prevention, risk and assurance, practical support and insight. Just as important as the work we do is how we do it. We are building a team where kindness, respect, inclusion and mutual support are fundamental to our culture. We want everyone to feel valued, comfortable asking questions and confident to challenge constructively while maintaining high professional standards. You will lead JDDS CFBC Fraud Risk Assessment (FRA) and risk‑based assurance work, combining practical assessment of fraud, bribery and corruption risks with robust evidence‑led review. You will work with business owners to scope and lead proportionate FRAs, challenge assumptions about fraud scenarios and controls, and explain the risks that remain. You will use those findings to shape assurance priorities, strengthen evidence standards and support corrective‑action follow‑through. This is a specialist risk and assurance leadership role.

• Lead and continuously improve the JDDS FRA approach, personally leading or facilitating priority assessments with business owners and using proportionate, consistent methods.
• Work with teams to identify realistic fraud, bribery and corruption scenarios, assess vulnerabilities and controls, explain residual risks and record practical actions.
• Use FRA findings to direct the CFBC risk‑based assurance programme, including proportionate control testing, sampling, evidence quality and action‑closure standards.
• Coordinate corrective‑action assurance, including relevant Audit recommendations, while maintaining risk, action and control ownership with the appropriate business leads.
• Challenge weak or incomplete evidence and present balanced assessments of control confidence, limitations, residual risk and matters requiring escalation.
• Manage risks, dependencies, assurance priorities and reporting across Commercial, Contract Management, Finance, Delivery and other relevant areas.
• Manage and develop the HEO Assurance Partner and, subject to agreed organisation design, the HEO Intelligence & Insight Analyst; connect findings with the Prevention, Standards & Delivery pillar.
• Maintain and develop familiarity with relevant government counter‑fraud standards and professional learning, including GovS 013: Counter Fraud and Government Counter Fraud Profession resources, as part of continuing development in post.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team.

Experience leading substantial risk, assurance, controls or audit‑response work across several business areas, with the judgement and transferable capability to lead proportionate Fraud Risk Assessments (FRAs) confidently from appointment, including assessing plausible fraud scenarios, controls and residual risk. Ability to assess whether evidence supports a risk or control conclusion, judge whether controls are designed and operating effectively, identify gaps and recommend proportionate next steps. A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Application Guidance Stage 2 – Interviews

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements – Experience, Technical and the following Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Leadership Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the “Experience leading substantial risk, assurance, controls or audit‑response work across several business areas, with the judgement and transferable capability to lead proportionate Fraud Risk Assessments (FRAs) confidently from appointment…” will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order. Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application. A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Terms & Conditions: Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact [e-mail].

Working Arrangements & Further Information: The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non‑contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and/or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended). Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours: The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy.

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion: The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

The national salary range is £42,914 - £46,182, London salary range is £49,325 - £53,081. Your salary will be dependent on your base location, London: £49,325 - £53,081 National: £42,914 - £46,182 Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working Contract Type: One-year fixed-term appointment, with the potential for the role to become permanent (subject to review).

You'll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including: A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme. 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday. Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work‑life balance. Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development. A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best‑in‑class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e‑learning platforms. Compassionate maternity, adoption and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Eligibility: Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition. Vacancies advertised 'cross‑government' are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited NDPBs who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Working for the Civil Service: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.