Head of Financial Governance

Salary: £85,000 – £90,000 per annum + excellent benefits
Location: London – hybrid working

Role type: Permanent

We are partnering with a large, highly respected organisation operating within a regulated financial services environment to recruit a Head of Financial Governance. This is an exciting opportunity to join at a pivotal stage in the evolution of the finance function, where significant investment has been made in strengthening governance, risk management and financial control frameworks.

Following a substantial programme of transformation, the organisation has established a robust governance framework and is now seeking an experienced professional to take ownership of its ongoing development, effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Reporting to a senior finance leader, this role will act as the central point of contact for financial governance activities, working closely with executive stakeholders, risk teams, internal and external auditors, and regulatory bodies.

Key responsibilities:

You will play a key role in ensuring the organisation maintains a strong financial governance and control environment, supporting compliance with regulatory requirements while promoting best practice across the wider business.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and overseeing financial governance activities across the organisation.
• Maintaining and enhancing finance governance frameworks, policies and controls.
• Coordinating and managing relationships with internal and external audit providers.
• Supporting governance reporting and committee processes, including Board and Audit Committee activity.
• Monitoring financial risks and ensuring appropriate controls are operating effectively.
• Providing assurance on the effectiveness of the financial control environment and identifying areas for improvement.
• Managing regulatory submissions and compliance requirements.
• Supporting the development of ESG reporting and broader governance initiatives.
• Acting as a key liaison with regulators and other external stakeholders.
• Promoting a strong risk and control culture through training, mentoring and stakeholder engagement.

Essential experience:

We are looking for an experienced governance, risk or controls professional who combines technical expertise with exceptional stakeholder management skills.

• Significant experience operating within governance, risk and control frameworks in a finance environment.
• Experience working within a regulated financial services or similarly regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of regulatory expectations and governance best practice.
• Experience managing relationships with internal audit, external audit and senior stakeholders.
• A track record of developing and enhancing governance frameworks and control environments.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively at executive level.
• A proactive, self-starting approach and the ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy.

Experience within pensions, banking, insurance or wider retail financial services environments would be particularly advantageous.