Senior Manager, 1st Line Controls

About Schroders

We’re a global investment manager. We help institutions, intermediaries and individuals around the world invest money to meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future.

We have around 6,000 people on six continents. And we’ve been around for over 200 years, but keep adapting as society and technology changes. What doesn’t change is our commitment to helping our clients, and society, prosper.

The base

We moved into our new HQ in the City of London in 2018. We’re close to our clients, in the heart of the UK’s financial centre and we have everything we need to work flexibly.

The team

The Group-level 1st Line Risk & Controls team is the central hub for first-line control excellence, frameworks, standards and strategic delivery across Schroders. It is part of the Finance team and operates within a hub-and-spoke model, working with embedded Business Control Officers across the group.

The team defines first-line standards, drives consistency, consolidates MI, supports governance, provides targeted control advisory support, and helps move the control environment from reactive issue management to proactive risk identification, control effectiveness and automation-enabled monitoring. It is at the center of the hub-and-spoke model, focusing on frameworks, standards, RCA / RCSA consistency, material controls, MI, escalation, evidence expectations and risk-based testing, in addition to Finance-specific control priorities including ISAE 3402 support, operational resilience reporting, third-party risk management, operational due diligence, Finance transformation control uplift and CFO / COO governance reporting.

The role

Reporting to the Group Head of Controls, the Senior Manager will be a senior delivery lead responsible for developing, embedding and operationalising first-line control frameworks, standards, MI, issue/risk event management and testing activity across the Group, including Finance. 

The role will work closely with Business Control Officers across Finance, Public Markets, Schroders Capital, Wealth Management, Client Group, Technology / InfoSec and the Global Operating Platform, as well as with Finance leadership, Group Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, Group COO stakeholders and senior business stakeholders.

This role is suited to an experienced risk and control professional who can combine technical control expertise, practical business judgement, constructive challenge and strong stakeholder management, and who can translate Finance control priorities into pragmatic operating standards, governance reporting and senior management insight.

What you'll do

Frameworks, standards and operating model

• Support the Group Head of Controls in developing, maintaining and embedding first-line control frameworks, standards and minimum expectations across the group.
• Translate Group Risk methodology, policy and requirements into practical first-line standards for control design, evidence, MI, escalations, testing and issue management.
• Help operationalise the hub-and-spoke model by aligning embedded Business Control Officers to common ways of working while preserving local business ownership.
• Define and maintain guidance, templates and standards that support consistent execution across business areas.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve first-line control processes, data quality and reporting.
• Lead the application of Finance-specific control standards across key Finance processes, including financial control, reporting, cost processes, supplier lifecycle controls, management information and Finance transformation activity.

RCA / RCSA and material controls

• Support consistent RCA / RCSA execution across business areas, working closely with embedded Business Control Officers and Group Risk.
• Provide first-line quality review and challenge over risk identification, control mapping, ratings, actions and escalation.
• Support the development and implementation of material control standards, evidence expectations and control inventory requirements.
• Identify control gaps, thematic weaknesses and opportunities to improve the design and operation of key controls.
• Ensure Finance risks, controls, actions and evidence expectations are consistently captured through RCA / RCSA and material control activity, with outputs capable of senior management and governance review.

Risk-based testing and control improvement

• Develop and help deliver a risk-based testing approach focused initially on the firm’s most material risks and controls.
• Support the definition of annual testing expectations, including what should be tested, by whom, how frequently and to what evidence standard.
• Lead or support thematic control reviews where risks are material, cross-cutting or recurring.
• Work with business areas to ensure testing outcomes are clearly documented, reported and remediated.
• Support the future development of automated controls testing and continuous control monitoring.
• Lead Finance-specific assurance and control activities, including ISAE 3402 engagement support, operational resilience reporting, third-party risk management, operational due diligence and control uplift linked to Finance transformation initiatives.

MI, governance and escalation

• Develop consistent first-line Group-level MI, dashboards, risk insights and governance reporting for senior management forums.
• Consolidate and analyse control themes, risk events, issues, audit findings, RCA outputs, testing results and remediation progress.
• Prepare high-quality reporting and briefing materials for senior stakeholders and relevant governance forums.
• Define escalation thresholds and support escalation of material or unresolved control matters.
• Develop and deliver Finance and Group-level governance reporting, including risk and control inputs for Group CFO / Group COO materials, Operating Committee activity, Group Risk Committee and Board Audit and Risk Committee reporting where required.

Stakeholder management and culture

• Build strong relationships with embedded Business Control Officers, business leadership, Group Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit and other assurance functions.
• Provide coaching, guidance and constructive challenge to first-line stakeholders on control responsibilities, evidence standards, testing and issue management.
• Promote a strong risk awareness culture, accountability and consistent ways of working across the First Line.
• Support capability development and sharing of best practice across business areas.
• Work with Finance leadership and embedded control officers to promote clear ownership of Finance risks and controls, practical escalation routes and proportionate control design across Finance processes and change activity.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

• Significant experience in operational risk, controls, assurance, audit, compliance, finance controls or first-line risk management within financial services.
• Strong understanding of Finance processes and controls, including financial reporting, management reporting, supplier payments, reconciliations, audit actions, cost processes, supplier lifecycle controls and Finance governance.
• Strong understanding of first-line risk and control frameworks, RCA / RCSA, control design, control testing, issue management and risk reporting.
• Experience designing, enhancing or embedding control frameworks and standards in a complex regulated organisation.
• Experience leading or supporting risk-based testing, thematic reviews or control assurance activity.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret risk and control data and translate it into actionable senior management insight.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to challenge constructively and operate across senior business, risk, compliance and audit stakeholders.
• Strong written communication skills, with experience preparing governance papers, dashboards or executive-level reporting.
• Experience preparing Finance and Group-level governance materials, including reporting for CFO / COO stakeholders and senior risk, audit or committee forums.
• High integrity, sound judgement and ability to navigate ambiguity while driving practical outcomes.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications that’ll help

• Experience in asset management, wealth management, investment operations, private markets, finance controls, or another relevant financial services environment.
• Experience working within a hub-and-spoke or matrixed risk and control operating model.
• Experience in managing direct reports, providing guidance, training, and leadership.
• Experience with control automation, continuous monitoring, data analytics, Power BI, or GRC tooling.
• Professional qualifications in risk management, audit, accounting, compliance, or a related discipline, such as IRM, ICA, ACA, ACCA, CIA, CFA or equivalent experience.
• Exposure to Finance control frameworks, ISAE 3402, operational resilience, third-party risk management, operational due diligence, material controls or Finance transformation control uplift would be beneficial.
• Experience supporting transformation, control uplift or operating model change.

We recognise potential, whoever you are

Our purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. Diversity of thought, facilitated by an inclusive culture, will allow us to make better decisions and better achieve our purpose. This is why inclusion and diversity are a strategic priority for us and why we are an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.