Enterprise Risk Manager

Job summary

UK Export Finance faces a variety of risks from both external and internal sources and is committed to supporting a continuous improvement culture across the organisation with the aim of reducing operational, financial, and reputational losses resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems, from external events or from legal risk.

It is the responsibility of the Enterprise Risk Division to continually review, enhance and develop the Department’s Enterprise Risk Framework. This framework is designed to ensure that adequate processes, procedures, reporting, and control mechanisms are in place to facilitate the identification, assessment, reporting and remediation of operational risks within the department that unremedied could lead to material and potentially fatal, financial consequences and / or reputational damage to the Department.

The Enterprise Risk Division operates via three teams:

• The Risk Governance team, responsible for designing, implementing, and managing a best practice Risk Appetite Framework within UKEF, supporting business functions to embed it in their day-to-day operations and managing RMG’s “corporate” contributions; managing and administering UKEF’s Policy Management Framework; Oversight and management of the RMG Academy
• The Operational Risk & Assurance team, responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring, and managing a best practice Operational Risk Management Framework within UKEF to support the effective management of risks by assisting within acceptable boundaries whilst achieving the strategic objectives within the UK Export Finance Business Plan; and responsible for providing reliable assurance (evidence) to the Chief Executive and key governance committees on organisational stewardship and the management of major UKEF risks by delivering a programme of assurance testing and the control environment certificate (CEC) self-certification process. In addition, this team benchmarks UKEFs risk processes against the cross-government standards detailed in the Orange Book and manages UKEFs approach to risk maturity.
• ERiCC Secretariat team, responsible for the day-to-day management of the Enterprise Risk & Credit Committee (ERiCC). This includes managing the agendas and meeting packs, preparing the minutes, and tracking actions. Also, management of CRO diary, travel co-ordinator and RMG finance co-ordinator.

Job description

UK Export Finance is committed to supporting a continuous improvement culture across the organisation with the aim of strengthening the control environment pan-UKEF.

The role will help to support the Head of Enterprise Risk to continually promote good risk management awareness and practices across the organisation.

The Enterprise Risk Manager is responsible for working across all three teams and will lead on one of the three main disciplines (but will have a good knowledge of all aspects of ERM). This includes:

• Undertaking Assurance Testing reviews, proactive action management and contributing to the development of the annual assurance testing plan. Co-ordinating and collaborating with other second line of defence functions and Internal Audit.
• Co-ordinating and managing Risk Appetite pan-UKEF.
• Delivering regular reporting to multiple stakeholders and Committees.
• Co-ordinating the presentation and analysis of, the Control Environment Certificate.
• Working closely with all Divisions to facilitate the embedding of Risk Inventories, control catalogues, process maps and the reporting of operational risk.
• Management of Enterprise Risk & Credit Committee (ERiCC) Secretariat.
• Managing UKEF’s Policy Library to set the defined standards and to ensure that they are met.
• Assisting with the management of the RMG Academy.
• Benchmarking UKEF’s risk and assurance approach against the Orange Book (public sector standard) reporting.
• Discussing key findings/ risk themes at Enterprise Risk and Credit Committee (ERiCC) to improve the Department’s risk and assurance performance.
• Ensuring the Enterprise Risk Division’s policies, processes and controls are reviewed and updated on an annual basis (minimum).

Line management responsibility for this role is dependent upon resources.

Main Activities

Leadership and Management

• Matrix manage and motivate a small team of SEO’s / HEO’s.
• Provide strong thought leadership, the ability to focus clearly on priorities and to demonstrate an evidence-based approach.
• Act as an advocate for Enterprise Risk through generous collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders and the development and presentation of training and reference resources.
• Liaise with multiple stakeholders both internal to UKEF (principally Group Directors, Divisional Heads, SLT, Risk Champions) and external (within the wider government and other risk/assurance experts). Develop effective working relationships with other key internal partners to ensure a joined-up approach.
• In collaboration with the Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Management, be a ‘go to’ senior adviser to Directors, Group Heads, and colleagues on risk management to support the development and embedding of a positive culture to compliance and assurance through proactive and constructive engagement and the development and presentation of training and reference resources.
• Deputise for the Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Management as appropriate.

General

• A good knowledge of operational and enterprise risk and the ability to discuss, advise and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Assist the Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Management in driving continuous improvement throughout the Department, including the integration of Operational Risk Management across all Divisions. Ensuring that ownership (and responsibility for resolution) remains with the relevant Divisional Head but providing both the tools and support to ensure consistent and timely remediation across the Department.
• Define, develop, discuss, and agree with key stakeholders the key components, metrics and reporting of UKEF Risk Appetite. Proactively promote awareness of the Risk Appetite across UKEF.
• Assist with the delivery of the Assurance Testing plan and ensure that assigned actions are proactively managed and remediated by the business. Ensure that the Assurance Testing Framework is subject to review and update in accordance with defined timelines.
• Assist the Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Management in managing and reporting UKEF’s Risk Appetite.
• Facilitating the half year and year-end Control Environment Certificate process, a self-certification process providing reliable assurance (evidence) to the Chief Executive, Risk Committee and ERiCC on organisational stewardship and the management of major UKEF risks.
• Manage and direct the UKEF Policy Management Framework requirements, promoting the Governance requirements across UKEF and ensuring that the central Policy Library is appropriately maintained and updated.
• Proactively lead and contribute to the framework for the ongoing monitoring and management of RMG policies, processes, procedures, and controls including constructive challenge and continuous improvement for internal process efficiency.
• Lead on periodically benchmarking pan-UKEF risk management practice against the Orange Book. Identify best practice and use that knowledge to support continuous improvement.
• Generate cross government specialist points of contact and generously collaborate to identify best/good practice, recommending improvements within UKEF.
• Proactively report the outcomes of all ERD assurance activity to provide meaningful insight to senior stakeholders (principally Group Directors, Divisional Heads, SLT) ensuring this supports the Head of Enterprise Risk and the Chief Risk Officer’s role in advising Senior leadership teams, the Executive Committee, and the Board.
• Attend ERiCC and Risk Committee as required and prepare and present papers to Committee Members.
• Contribute to Risk Management Group policies and projects.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Person specification

UK Export Finance is looking for motivated individuals with a desire to learn about the business. Successful candidates will be provided not only with functional training to enable them to do well in their role, but also with personal development to help them to achieve their career ambitions. Please note that the person specification below outlines at which stage(s) you will be assessed on how you meet the criteria for the role(s) including:-

A = assessed at application stage I = assessed at interview stage

Essential

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of operational risk, assurance testing, incident management, regulatory requirements in the external environment and industry best practice approach to enterprise risk (A&I)
• An understanding of the risks that are managed in an export credit agency including origination, underwriting, deal execution & post issue matters (A&I)

Skills/Ability

• Knowledge of Control Frameworks, Assurance testing, Risk appetite setting and best practices on ERM and Assurance. (A&I)
• Good understanding of the three lines of defence model. (A, I & P)
• Competent analytical ability – especially in terms of interpreting trends from data - to understand, interpret and read-across a range of risk issues. (A&I)
• Good problem-solving skills and ability to think creatively and strategically when difficult or unusual incidents arise. (A&I)
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills coupled with the ability to prioritise. (A&I)
• Communication and persuasion & influencing skills (oral and written). (A&I)
• Communicate authoritatively and credibly with a wide range of senior stakeholders at times with difficult messages. (A&I)
• Ability to work independently without close supervision, exercising autonomy sensibly and definitively. (I)

Experience

• Experience of Risk Governance (Policy management, risk appetite) (A&I)
• Experience of managing Committee Secretariat functions. (A&I)
• Experience of collaborating across multiple teams. (I)

Other

• Some travel might be required (in the UK) (I)

Qualifications

oEvidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical Questions - based on the requirements outlined within the essential criteria detailed in the person specification.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,250, UK Export Finance contributes £17,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

We are assessing candidates using Success Profiles and Line Management Standards (see Appendix 1) and across the whole process we will assess your Experience, Technical, Behaviours and Line Manager Standards as highlighted below.

The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

• Qualification
  • Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)
• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 750 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

1. Experience - CV / Application and Statement of Suitability

In the event of a large number of applications there will be a pre-sift on the following essential criteria's:

• Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)
• Knowledge of Control Frameworks, Assurance testing, Risk appetite setting and best practices on ERM and Assurance. (A&I)
• Experience of Risk Governance (Policy management, risk appetite) (A&I)

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview; this will include the following assessment:

1. Behaviours / Experience / Line Management Standards - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all four behaviours highlighted in Appendix 1 of the Candidate Information Pack attached below.
2. Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria
   1. Technical Questions - based on the requirements outlined within the essential criteria detailed in the person specification.

Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : UKEF Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk and include “Complaint” in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF’s investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission - http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint.

Attachments

Information Pack - Enterprise Risk Manager Opens in new window (pdf, 4372kB)