Risk & Controls Oversight Senior Lead - Retail & Wealth Risk

Job Description

Purpose of the role

To assess the integrity and effectiveness of the banks internal control framework to support the mitigation of risk and protection of the banks operational, financial, and reputational risk.  

Accountabilities

• Knowledge of business areas, products, processes and platforms to be able to assess risk
• Collaboration with various stakeholders across the bank and business units to improve overall control effectiveness through detailed documentation of control assessments, procedures, and findings.
• Identification and investigation of potential weaknesses and issues within internal controls to promote continuous improvement and risk mitigation aligned to the bank’s control framework, prioritised by its severity to disrupt bank operations.
• Development of reports to communicate key findings from risk assessment including control weaknesses and recommendations to control owners, senior management, and other stakeholders.
• Execution of reviews to determine the effectiveness of the bank's internal controls framework aligned to established and evolving policies, regulation, and best practice.
• Implementation of adherence to the Barclays Controls Framework and set appropriate methodology of assessing controls against the Controls Framework.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

As a Risk & Controls Oversight Lead - Retail & Wealth Risk, you’ll be responsible for overseeing risk and control across Retail customers being referred for Investment and Wealth products, ensuring that key risks are effectively identified, understood, and managed. This includes maintaining a great focus on customer outcomes, helping to prevent issues such as mis-selling, poor advice, unresolved complaints, and inconsistent delivery of Consumer Duty expectations. You will assess risks linked to product suitability and proposition design, ensuring products are appropriate for their target audience and deliver fair value.

You’ll also support the management of advice boundary and referral risks, ensuring clear and effective controls are in place across Barclays UK (BUK) – Prive Bank and Wealth Management (PBWM) interactions and that the distinction between guidance and advice is maintained. Oversight of sales and distribution practices will form a key part of the role, including monitoring risks related to incentivisation and ensuring consistency across digital, telephony, and branch channels. In addition, you’ll help ensure that marketing and target audience selection are appropriate and aligned with regulatory expectations.

The role includes monitoring compliance with ring-fencing requirements and supporting the effectiveness of service management reviews, as well as overseeing risks within digital channels, including customer journeys, routing, accessibility, and overall omni-channel experience. You’ll also play a key role in identifying and addressing any non-compliance with retail banking and wealth regulations across products, communications, and referral models.

Alongside this, you will support robust governance and clear accountability across Retail, Wealth, and Prive Bank and Wealth Management (PBWM), ensuring that risks are appropriately escalated and challenged where required, helping to maintain a robust and well-controlled environment.

To be successful as a Risk & Controls Oversight Lead - Retail & Wealth Risk you should have experience with:

• Good understanding of Retail Banking Customer Journeys to identify and manage associated risks and controls

• Ability to balance risk management with business goals when defining Risk Appetite, and effectively influencing or negotiating with stakeholders on risk acceptance

• Be able to conduct active deep dives and Risk assessments for active Risk management

• Well-versed in market trends, competitor activities, and the broader risk environment, with the ability to use this knowledge to enhance internal controls

• Having gravitas and experience in influencing senior stakeholders including Managing Director level

• Ability to design and implement the Risk strategy in line with the Overall Vision of BUK Customer and Digital function

• Deep understanding of market trends, competitor activities, and the broader risk environment, using this knowledge to drive continuous improvements in internal controls

• Subject Matter Expertise and experience of delivering transformation and change in Risk management

Some other highly valued skills may include:

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a team of risk specialists

• Ability to balance risk considerations with commercial objectives when defining Risk Appetite and influencing stakeholders on risk acceptance

• Capable of applying expertise in Retail and Wealth risk within the context of Customer & Digital, ensuring tailored solutions for this area

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role can be based in either London or Northampton.