Senior Risk Manager

We are seeking a Senior Risk Manager to lead Technology, Change and Operational Resilience risk oversight within Connells Group's second line of defence risk function. This sits at the intersection of technology, transformation, resilience and governance — providing independent oversight and assurance across 'run the business' technology risk, large-scale change programmes and the Group's ability to prevent, respond to and recover from operational disruption.

You will act as a trusted adviser to senior technology, change and operational leaders, helping the business make well-informed risk decisions as we invest in modernising our infrastructure, data platforms and application landscape, while strengthening the resilience of important business services. You will also work with our parent, Skipton Building Society, ensuring alignment on risk appetite, operational resilience expectations, reporting and Group-level standards.

Key Responsibilities:

IT Risk Oversight

• Provide independent second-line oversight of IT and technology risk across the Group, covering infrastructure, cyber, data, third-party technology, and cloud environments.
• Develop and maintain the IT & Change risk framework, including risk appetite statements, control standards, and key risk indicators.
• Conduct control effectiveness reviews and thematic deep-dives into areas of elevated IT risk, producing clear findings and recommendations for senior management.
• Oversee third-party and supplier risk assessments for technology partners and critical outsourced services.
• Monitor the IT risk profile and escalate emerging risks to the Risk Committee and relevant governance forums.

Change & Transformation Risk

• Act as the risk lead for significant change programmes, providing structured risk opinions and advisory support from initiation through to post-implementation review.
• Work with the CIO and technology leadership to embed risk discipline into Connells Group's technology transformation agenda.
• Assess risks arising from changes to systems, processes, and operating models
• Provide independent second-line oversight and constructive challenge of the Group's operational resilience framework.
• Oversee the identification and mapping of important business services, impact tolerances, critical dependencies and vulnerabilities.
• Review scenario testing, incident response, remediation and lessons learned, providing clear risk opinions on the Group's ability to remain within impact tolerances.

Governance & Reporting

• Prepare and present high-quality risk reports, dashboards, and management information for Risk Committee, ExCo, and Board audiences.
• Support internal audit, external audit, and regulatory interactions as required, including providing risk opinions and evidence of oversight activity.
• Contribute to the Group's RCSA process and ensure technology, change and operational resilience risks are consistently reflected in the Group's risk profile and governance reporting.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant experience in IT risk, operational risk, or technology risk management, ideally within a regulated financial services or property services environment.
• Proven experience providing second-line risk oversight of technology and/or change programmes.
• Demonstrable experience of operational resilience oversight, including important business services, impact tolerances, dependency mapping, scenario testing and remediation governance.
• Ability to assess complex technical risk issues and translate them into clear, actionable reporting for non-technical audiences.

CF00962