Risk and Governance Manager

Job summary

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a trusted provider of hydrographic data, products and services that support safe, sustainable and efficient navigation around the world. Operating in both the defence and commercial sectors, UKHO plays a critical role in enabling global maritime activity. That mission brings complexity, scrutiny and risk — which is why strong risk management and effective governance are fundamental to our success.

The Risk and Governance Manager is a pivotal role in ensuring the organisation can take informed decisions, manage uncertainty confidently and deliver its strategic objectives.

The Risk and Governance Manager sits at the heart of how UKHO makes confident and well‑evidenced decisions. This is a role with real influence: shaping how risk is understood, talked about and embedded across the organisation, and ensuring governance is not just compliant but genuinely enables delivery. Your impact comes from bringing clarity and coherence: making sure risks are visible, understood and acted on at the right level, and that governance supports good decisions rather than slowing them down.

The main focus is impact: improving risk maturity and helping leaders see what’s coming over the horizon before it becomes an issue. If you want a role where your expertise in enterprise risk management genuinely shapes outcomes — this is a chance to make your mark.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual for the position to support us in delivering our vision ‘To be the beacon for quality, innovative maritime navigation solutions; trusted by customers and partners worldwide.’

Hybrid Working

This job role can be worked on a hybrid basis, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, working between the office in Taunton and remotely within the UK.

Office attendance is expected 60% of the time. However for the first two weeks of employment as a minimum, it will be expected that the successful candidate will be in the office on a full time basis to support their induction.

Job description

• Act as UKHO’s lead authority on enterprise risk management and governance, ensuring risks are visible, well‑understood and actively informing senior decision‑making.
• Work closely with stakeholders and senior managers across the business (including the Executive Leadership Team - ELT) to provide clear, credible insight on strategic, corporate and divisional risks.
• Translate complex risk and assurance information into concise, decision‑ready reporting for ELT and Audit Risk & Assurance Committee (ARAC);
• Embed a consistent, mature approach to risk across the organisation so risk management supports delivery, transformation and long‑term strategy. This includes overseeing and maintaining our Risk Management Policies and Processes, which must align to Ministry of Defence (MOD), government and wider relevant policies;
• Build capability across the business by supporting and developing risk focal points, improving risk quality and promoting best practice;
• Shape and strengthen governance arrangements, identifying where they add value and where improvements are needed to enable effective oversight; ensuring that all best practice processes, standards and templates for governance are developed and implemented;
• Deliver practical assurance that risks are being managed proportionately via bi-annual reviews of the assurance heatmap.

Person specification

Specific Technical/Functional Skills and Experience.

• Institute of Risk Management (IRM) Enterprise risk management professional qualification (or equivalent) and/or proven experience leading on risk and risk management with the ability to influence decision‑making at senior level is essential
• Strong understanding of risk, assurance and governance frameworks such as HM Treasury Orange Book and/or MOD risk policy/process
• Analytical and forward‑looking, with the ability to identify emerging risks and connect issues across strategy, operations and change.
• Experienced in improving risk maturity, governance effectiveness and organisational capability

Person Specification - We are seeking a motivated individual to join the with the following characteristics:

• Excellent communicating and influencing skills, both in written reports and verbally, to all levels of the organisation (including non-executive and executive level directors), which is supported by demonstrable experience;
• A proven track record of building and sustaining trusted relationships with senior management and team members through clear communication, engagement and consultation
• Excellent numeracy, literacy and IT skills (e.g. MS Office, SharePoint & Power BI) in order to undertake a range of tasks;
• Highly organised, resilient and delivery‑focused, able to manage competing priorities at pace;

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,746, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £14,121 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details.

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 and Experience.

How to Apply:

When you click 'Apply now' you will be asked to attach your ANONYMISED CV and input a 500 word supporting statement on the criteria below.

Timeline:

• Advert Closes for applications: 10/06/2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 15/06/2026
• Interviews: w/c 29/06/2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Pre-sift criteria:

This is a ‘Reserved’ role, which requires the post holder to have a special allegiance to the Crown. Therefore, only sole UK nationals are eligible to apply. Applicants who are deemed to have a significant tie to another country may be ineligible for this post. These restrictions are in line with Civil Service Nationality Rules.

On the basis of this, are you eligible to apply for a ‘Reserved post’? This information will be taken from your CV and Personal Statement where it should be clearly annotated.

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria using the information provided in your supporting statement and your CV.

Experience

• Institute of Risk Management (IRM) Enterprise risk management professional qualification (or equivalent) and/or proven experience leading on risk and risk management with the ability to influence decision‑making at senior level - assessed from CV and Personal Statement.

Interview Criteria:

You will be interviewed against the following criteria:

Experience:

• Experience of working in Enterprise Risk Management (Lead Criteria - used if there is a tie at interview)

Civil Service Behaviours (SEO level):

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Process:

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information)
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 2 people and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Onboarding Checks

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Nationality requirements:

SC – reserved
This is a Ministry of Defence reserved post and open to sole UK nationals only. Successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Further information

Further Information

The Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment based on merit, open and fair competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can further contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk or view more details at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

UKHO Candidate Information Pack (3) Opens in new window (pdf, 5685kB)Additional Pay Information Opens in new window (pdf, 163kB)