Full-time Head of Risk Governance, Nationwide

Are you an experienced risk and governance professional? Could you put your

skills and knowledge into practice in our Retail & Group Customer Operations

Risk function, helping keep Nationwide and our customers safe? If yes, we have

an exciting opportunity for you to join the team!

We’re looking for a proactive, high-performing Head of Risk & Governance to join

our Retail & Group Customer Operations Risk team. This role is responsible for

driving a broad risk, conduct, regulatory and control improvement agenda across

Nationwide’s Collections & Recoveries and Specialist Support areas, helping

deliver Nationwide’s strategy through provision of risk expertise. The

successful candidate will lead a combination of direct and matrix reports and

will be a member of the Retail Risk Leadership Team.

You will be leading the first line risk team responsible for all areas within

the Nationwide Support function, which encompasses Collections & Recoveries and

our Specialist Customer Support area which includes Bereavement and Power of

Attorney, providing risk expertise, guidance and opinions on all aspects of

conduct, regulatory and operational risk. You will be working closely with

business, change and other risk teams to ensure risks are identified,

appropriately understood and mitigated, documented and approved including

through maintaining a robust risk profile for the business area. Customer

outcomes are at the heart of everything we do, you should have a thorough

understanding of Consumer Duty along with a passion for customer experience.

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, London,

Bournemouth, Northampton, Dunfermline, Sheffield, Wakefield, Glasgow or Gosforth

office. If you’re based at our Glasgow office, this will apply from 1 April 2027

and ahead of that there will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for

collaboration events. If you are aligned to our Gosforth hub (as this is your

nearest location), there will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for

collaboration events. This is anticipated to be weekly in Gosforth. 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 [https://nationwide-jobs.co.uk/life-at-nationwide/rewarding-you].

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.

02RESPONSIBILITIES

What you’ll be doing

You will lead, on behalf of the Director of Retail & Group Customer Operations

Risk, 1st line risk input and challenge to both Function and Society-level

strategy and the Society strategic risk profile, in each case ensuring the

identification and mitigation of conduct, regulatory and operational risk

through comprehensive risk assessments. You will support Senior Leaders in

discharging their responsibilities, provide regulatory expertise and support

across the functions, helping to ensure we always remain compliant. You will

lead, execute and report the Support approach to assessing conduct risk

maturity, support the design and execution of effective and insightful Executive

governance and reporting including MI and risk indicators and appetite metrics.

You will lead, coach and develop a team of risk professionals, with an appetite

to continue to grow their skills.

03About you

• Essential skills and experience:
• Significant experience of having worked in a regulated environment within
• Financial Services, either in a business risk (1st line) or compliance (2nd
• line) function or similar
• A strong understanding of either Collections & Recoveries or Bereavement and
• Power of Attorney activity, how they work, and the inherent risks
• You will have a logical, inquisitive mind with the ability to be objective
• and to cut through complexity, have a proven ability to demonstrate
• decisiveness and sound judgement and have strong relationship management,
• communication and influencing skills to help build trust and maintain
• relationships with a variety of stakeholders across all levels of the society
• and externally
• Broad and extensive experience in the design and delivery of comprehensive
• risk and control frameworks, policies, and tools across a complex financial
• service organisation
• Detailed understanding of regulatory, risk management and governance
• principles and methodologies, coupled with practical experience of
• implementing risk and control management processes
• In-depth knowledge of relevant regulation (and codes).  Knowledge of how
• regulatory, political, reputational, and legal risk or governance issues
• impact a complex financial services business (focused on distribution and
• customer resolutions) with the ability to comprehend and assimilate

information rapidly whilst working in diverse complex business areas.  Proven

ability to work with business management to agree pragmatic and innovative

04solutions to issues

• The successful role holder should have a recognised qualification (such as
• the IRM Diploma or ICA qualifications) within a relevant Risk or Compliance
• activity or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and expertise gained
• in a relevant industry / profession
• Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we

work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to

display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their
• feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs,
• so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think –
• we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives
• to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status
• quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal
• development
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are
• decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer
• outcomes
• You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours
• resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

05QUALIFICATIONS

The extras you’ll get

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

• 30 days holiday, pro rata
• Private medical insurance
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for
• retirement
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus
• Training and development to help you progress your career
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the
• event of your death
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year
• Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society
• We forge our own path at Nationwide.
• As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have

a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see

customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and

put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their

lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful

impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued.

Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives

to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work

for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

06What 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.

Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us. To

find out more about how we use and process your data, please read our Privacy

policy [https://nationwide-jobs.co.uk/privacy].

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please

read more here [https://nationwide-jobs.co.uk/help-and-support].

07Disability Confident

• We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our

people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level.

That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure

everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion.

Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional

support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment

Support [Recruitment.Support@nationwide-jobs.co.uk].

08Apply safely with Nationwide

• Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is
• listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by
• a job scam. [https://www.nationwide.co.uk/news-and-stories/job-scams/]