Senior Risk Manager

What is the role?

We are looking for a Group (Senior) Risk Manager to join us to support delivery of our vision and strategy for enterprise risk at Howden. The successful applicant will support further embedding of our enterprise risk management framework across the group globally, and the role holder will be a key part of the Group Risk team in an established and growing Group Risk function.  

The role is highly visible, requiring interaction with senior stakeholders at Group-level and across all business divisions internationally. The individual must be an independent, self-starter who is able to lead initiatives and collaborate with senior management constructively and effectively.

The individual will support the Group Risk Director, divisional Chief Risk Officers and local risk and compliance teams globally, to embed the Group Risk Management Framework and methodologies for identifying, assessing, mitigating and escalating risks.  

Please note this is a full-time, permanent role based in our Central London office.

• Support the Group Risk Director in the socialisation, embedding and further development of the risk management framework across the Group (including the assimilation of data from our internal risk management software). 

• Aligns risk reporting strategy with the Group's broader goals and objectives to anticipate potential risks that could impact these objectives   

• Facilitates risk assessments across the Group, including (but not limited to) the analysis of current mitigation to key risks, identification of emerging risks, analysing root causes, perform scenario analysis, and review against risk appetite statements / tolerances. Highlight gaps and / or weaknesses with corresponding solutions.  

• Builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders, providing risk management guidance, challenge and consultation. 

• Contributes to the successful delivery of a Risk Management Information System rollout across the Group 

• Responds appropriately to urgent issues and perform ad hoc risk assessments as they arise. 

• The successful individual is expected to be competent in the practical application of risk management within the insurance industry 

• Strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships with divisional risk teams & Group and divisional stakeholders, providing valuable input and challenge. A high degree of professionalism required. 

• Seek opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the Group Risk team through working collaboratively with colleagues and other teams / departments (e.g. Internal Audit, Legal) and with external contacts (e.g. External Audit). 

• Maintain awareness of organisational structures and activities, including cross-border activities and intercompany relationships/dependencies, in order to understand business dynamics, pressures and needs. 

• Ideal candidates will have previous working experience of operating in a second line risk management department of a financial services firm in the UK and Insurance sector expertise is essential. 

• Able to evidence competent knowledge and experience of practical implementation of a risk framework in a global business.  

• Proven experience of identifying gaps or areas of improvement and leading/delivering remediation in a business essential 

• Experience required of Risk Management Information System implementation projects and preferable if the candidate has held prior leadership roles in delivery (Governance Risk and Compliance tools or other risk systems) 

• Previous leadership and delivery of 2LOD oversight and challenge activity a requirement (e.g. Deep dive risk reports, post incident risk assessments) 

• The candidate should be able to evidence a breadth of experience across the enterprise risk management domains 

• Strong analytical, written communication and presentation skills required  

• MS Office including MS Excel to an intermediate level (including Macros, V-Look ups and Pivot tables). 

• Prior people management and budget management expertise preferable 

• Ability to understand and convey complex matters to senior stakeholders (e.g.  incident management oversight: coordinating with all functions on the reporting, investigation and escalation of operational incidents)