Senior Finance Governance Risk and Controls Officer

Irish Life; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job description

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Purpose

To assist the Head of Finance Governance, Risk & Controls with the following activities and responsibilities:

• Risk related activities are implemented & reported in accordance with the Canada Life Risk and Control framework.
• UK Division compliance with Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICOFR) for both Canadian and UK reporting regimes.
• Data Governance standards (including those relating to GDPR) are met through effective end-to-end data controls with appropriate reporting to the relevant Boards and Committees.

Duties/Responsibilities

• To play a key role in the required quarterly ICOFR CEO/CFO certification ahead of the annual control testing program.
• Liaison with both Business and Support functions (Finance, Risk & Compliance, Operations, IT and Customer Service) teams to ensure that ICOFR documentation is kept up to date: Process Narrative Reports, Risk and Controls, EUC asset controls, SAP accounts scoping.
• To assist with the CLL Data Governance framework activities and Data Register held in SharePoint. To include:

1. Working with the business teams in the maintenance of the individual Data Sets.
2. Manage and facilitate the attestation of each Data Set by the Data Register Owners and Data Owners.
3. Maintain the Issues and Remediation log – working with the business to resolve issues.
4. Assist the Head of Finance Governance, Risk & Controls with the preparation of a Quarterly Data Quality Report for review and approval by the Financial Controller and Actuarial Function Holder.

• To assist the Head of Finance Governance, Risk & Controls with General Data Protection Regulation compliance by the Finance Teams:

1. Review and maintenance of the functional Record of Processing Activity (RoPA) to ensure it is accurate, up to date and made easily retrievable for inspection and ongoing monitoring.
2. Review and maintenance of the Record Retention and Disposal Guide (RR&DG) to ensure that it is accurate, up to date and made easily retrievable for inspection and ongoing monitoring.
3. Management and deletion of data in accordance with the Record Retention and Disposal Guide.

• To assist the Head of Finance Governance, Risk & Controls with the Finance Teams CLUK policy attestation process.

Activities to include:

1. Review of the evidence to support the team’s implementation of policy requirements – where applicable.
2. Review of the CLUK Data Governance Operating and Regulatory Reporting & Disclosure policy workbooks to ensure the implementation of these policies across CLUK.
3. Liaison with Risk team to ensure that the policy process requirements are kept up to date.

• To assist the Head of Finance Governance, Risk & Controls with 1st LOD activities for Finance Teams including:

1. Completion of a RCSA for each specific Finance Team function – arranging meetings, compiling and reporting on recognised risks.
2. Risk Event Reporting within GRC/MetricStream – including monitoring remediation action plans through to completion.
3. GWL EUC Standard compliance across the Finance functions including: overseeing the use and management of EUC assets; ensuring that assessments are performed in accordance to the Standard and that, the CLUK EUC Inventory is kept current.

• Develop and enhance current controls and processes and work with the business to implement best practices – ensuring that procedures are kept up to date.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Commercial awareness and understanding of the needs of the business.
• Ideally a certified accountant or actuary.
• Willing and capable of making decisions independently to progress issues, and able to exercise sound judgement and commercial sense to understand the importance of different issues and assess when matters need to be escalated.
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating a clear and articulate standard of written and verbal communication in a complex environment, tailored for all levels of management.
• Strong ability to adapt messages to the audience in a format that is easily understood by colleagues.
• The ability to develop and maintain strong relationships across the finance function, acting with integrity and role modelling the company values at all times.
• Strong interpersonal/networking skills, with the ability to maintain a variety of relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to flex their style and delivery, in the moment, depending on the individual and/or audience.
• Sound problem solving skills and attention to detail with demonstrable ability in spotting issues, interdependencies and challenges to ensure work is produced to an accurate, commercial and informed standard.
• Self-motivated, well-organised, pragmatic and able to perform tasks independently.
• An interested and inquisitive individual who is committed to their own ongoing professional and personal development.
• Risk, Compliance, or willingness to progress towards any such qualifications would be an advantage although are not essential for this role.
• Knowledge of GDPR an advantage.

Benefits of working at Canada Life

We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package that’s regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, you’ll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pension and bonus scheme, along with income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance. We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development.

How we work at Canada Life

Our culture is unique and incredibly important to us. We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures. Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationships we have with others. Every day we are encouraged to be more curious, own the outcome, face into things together and find a way forward.

We want colleagues to have rewarding careers with us so we invest in the development of our people, technology and workplaces. That’s why we offer a range of training, flexible working and opportunities to grow and develop.

Diversity and inclusion

Building an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce where everyone can feel they belong and achieve their potential regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic is a key commitment for us. We are proud of the progress we’re making in DEI, and we continue for it to be a significant focus.

“At Canada Life we believe in the power of great people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is crucial to our growth and creating an environment that continues to inspire us all.” Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK

We appreciate that everyone has different work and life responsibilities. We’re happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including part time, for any of our roles should this be a requirement for you.