Risk and Issue Lead

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The Elections Directorate safeguards the integrity, resilience and modernisation of the UK’s electoral system. Our work spans day to day delivery—supporting the effective running of elections across the UK—and a major programme of electoral reform.

We are currently delivering key manifesto commitments to:

• Encourage participation in democracy
• Improve voter registration and address inconsistencies in Voter ID
• Extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds

These commitments underpin the Representation of the People Bill. To deliver this agenda, the Directorate leads the Electoral Resilience and Democratic Engagement Programme (ERDEP)—bringing together legislative, digital and operational reforms to modernise the electoral system, expand the franchise, strengthen democratic participation and address vulnerabilities in political finance.

This is a complex, high profile environment with significant scrutiny and interdependencies, where strong risk management, effective governance and clear escalation routes are critical. The Risk and Governance Manager plays a central role in enabling confident, well evidenced decision making across both business as usual (BAU) operations and the ERDEP reform programme.

You will shape how risk is understood and managed across the Directorate, ensure governance supports delivery, and provide early visibility of issues—escalating concerns promptly and appropriately to senior leaders. If you want a role where your expertise in enterprise risk management and governance directly influences outcomes, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the future of UK democracy.

Job description

• Lead Directorate‑wide risk management, ensuring risks are visible, well understood and actively informing senior decision‑making. Manage the Directorate risk and issues register, including analysis, categorisation, prioritisation and appropriate mitigation, escalation or containment.
• Evaluate all risks and issues against the programme critical path, identifying potential impacts on key milestones and escalating concerns early where delivery confidence may be affected.
• Provide clear, credible insight on strategic, operational and programme risks across BAU and Electoral Reform and Democratic Engagement Programme.
• Translate complex risk and assurance information into concise, decision‑ready reporting for senior boards, including SCS governance forums and committees.
• Embed a consistent, mature approach to risk that supports delivery, transformation and long‑term strategy.
• Maintain and continuously improve the Directorate’s Risk Management Framework, ensuring alignment with HMT Orange Book and wider government and departmental standards.
• Build capability across teams by supporting risk owners, improving risk quality and promoting best practice.
• Monitor risk registers and issue registers to ensure that all risks and issues have a nominated owner and actionee, and agreed response actions are planned, resourced and implemented
• Shape and strengthen Directorate-wide governance arrangements so they add value, enable effective oversight and support timely decision‑making.
• Lead periodic assurance activity, including reviews of risk controls, assurance mapping and governance effectiveness.
• Provide expert advice on emerging risks, cross‑cutting issues and interdependencies across legislation, digital delivery and operational readiness.
• Ensure risks and issues are considered across programmes beyond the Directorate, supporting efficient and coherent sector‑wide implementation and management of cumulative impacts and overlapping change activity.
• Oversee issue management and escalation, ensuring issues are identified early, assessed robustly and escalated to the right level at the right time, with clear recommendations for action.

Person specification

• Professional qualification in risk management (e.g., M_o_R, IRM, equivalent) or substantial experience leading risk and governance in a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of risk, assurance and governance frameworks.
• Experience improving organisational risk maturity and governance effectiveness.
• Ability to identify emerging risks and connect issues across strategy, operations, digital delivery and legislative change.
• Experience working in high profile, fast paced or politically sensitive environments is desirable

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,092, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £16,829 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 3 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Starting Your Application & online tests

Step 1: Complete your personal details on CS Jobs

Step 2: Complete the Verbal Test & Work Strengths test by 23:55 on 12/07/2026. You’ll receive guidance when invited to take the tests – please read it carefully before starting. These tests are not timed, but we recommend allowing up to one hour per test.

Step 3: If successful, you’ll receive a link to complete your application via Be Applied by 23:55 on 15/07/2026.

Stage 2: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing:

Experience and Technical skills

Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 3: Interview

• Behaviours: Seeing the big picture, Communicating and influencing, Working together

• Experience: Candidates will be expected to prepare a presentation. Further details will be shared with those invited to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place from 16/07/2026.

Interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

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 : John Mahon
• Email : john.mahon@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk