Senior Risk Manager - Risk Oversight (Technology)

We’re navigating significant change at Nationwide. It’s an exciting time as we evolve to a new future that sees us accelerate delivery of our strategic aims, value to our members and engage colleagues around new ways of working.

At the same time, we are investing in the Operational Risk Oversight team in the second line of defence. We are increasing the capacity, seniority, and capability of the team to ensure we continue to add customer value by investigating, challenging, and influencing across the Society.

Nationwide has a vast Technology estate. We are continually upgrading and investigating the benefits of introducing new technology, but our focus is always on improving technology to ensure member services are resilient and available when our members want to use them. This requires skills to understand the risks and controls of managing and changing systems including a strong knowledge of technologies such as networks, infrastructure, cloud platforms and AI.

This role is within the second line of the three lines of defence model. The role is part of the Oversight for Chief Operations Office which includes technology, security, data and third-party management specialisms.

As Senior Manager - Risk Oversight (Technology), this role is a fantastic opportunity to support, challenge, and influence the technology strategy through liaison with Chief Information officers, architects, and risk partners. Technology underpins all business and member services so understanding and managing Technology risk, control, and policy effectively is a critical part delivering services to customers.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at either our Swindon or London office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

Providing effective leadership and oversight on operational activities and change initiatives within the Technology sphere of accountability, such as the multi-year “Technology Strategy”, and wider across the society; to ensure that not only technology risks have been fully considered but also how other risk categories could be affected by the technology strategy.

You will play a crucial role in the development of a strategic technology oversight plan that will drive assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management across the technology estate to mitigate key operational, regulatory and conduct risks.

Leading your team’s oversight in various ways to suit the oversight activity. This could include “close and Continuous” oversight, and undertaking risk and control based “formal oversight reviews” if required. Using your experience of technology to seek out weaknesses in the environment for remediation by first line, before incidents occur.

View, both internally and externally, on new technologies and regulation and legislation that could impact Nationwide for example Cloud, AI, quantum computing.

Maintaining high value relationships with a sufficient depth of technical and business understanding of their area, project impacts, priorities and risks. You will ensure that the key risks and controls are sufficiently prominent and accounted for. This will cover all levels and capabilities from Architects, business analysts, 1st line risk partners and product owners.

Collaborating with partners across the three lines of defence to simplify and strengthen technology risk management practices for the benefit of the Business and Society overall.

Assessing business area compliance against the Enterprise Risk Management Framework (ERMF) requirements. The EMRF includes business and regulatory requirements on risks, controls, policies and scenario analysis.

Deputising for the Head of Operational Risk Oversight (Technology) and other senior members of the team as required.

About you

As a minimum requirement, you'll have/be:

• A demonstrable track record of either working within, any of the three lines of defence for technology management or you will have operational experience of managing complex platforms or networks, with a strong understanding of cloud. Working within or oversighting Technology Frameworks such as COBIT or ITIL, within financial services, professional services or a regulator.
• Strong critical thinking, and you’ll comprehend and assimilate information rapidly, breaking down complex problems and providing support and challenge to risk owners in a clear and understandable way to suit different audiences.
• Experience of working on a regular basis with exco -1 level stakeholders.
• Experience of leading and nurturing a high performing team.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture and seamlessly connect insights across the organisation.

Our Customer First behaviours are all about putting customers and members at the heart of how we work together. You can strengthen your application by showing the behaviours that resonate with you, and how you might have already demonstrated these.

• Say it straight - This is about being honest and direct with good intent and saying what needs to be said in the room. It’s also about being clear, precise, and using language that we and, importantly, our customers and members can understand.
• Push for better - This is about aiming high and constantly looking for better in how we work together and serve our customers and members.
• Get it done - This is about prioritising what will have the greatest impact, being decisive and taking accountability for delivering on the end-to-end outcome.

We know applying for jobs can sometimes feel like you’re sending an application into a black hole. We review each application individually. So, it’s a good idea to call out your most relevant experience on your application to give yourself the best chance.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• A personal pension – if you put in 7% of your salary, we’ll top up by a further 16%
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year
• Life assurance worth 8x your salary
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Wellhub – Access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
• Access to an annual performance related bonus
• Access to training to help you develop and progress your career
• 30 days holiday, pro rata
• Individual healthcare cover

What makes us different

Nationwide is the world’s largest building society. With over 15 million customers, we have a relationship with almost a quarter of the UK’s population. We’ve got the scale to compete with the big banks, but we’re not a bank.

As a building society, we’re owned by our members – that’s our customers who have their current account, mortgage or savings with us. It means we can do things differently to deliver our Purpose – Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society.

When you work at Nationwide, you can experience that difference for yourself. You’ll be part of a high-performing, purpose-driven organisation that offers rewarding career experiences and a highly competitive range of benefits to match. You’ll also be joining us at an important time as we seek to reach more and more people in the UK. We want everyone in the UK to know that they don’t have to bank with a bank. They can choose a modern mutual instead.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us.

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.