Risk & Controls Oversight Specialist

Business Unit:  Business Controls
Salary range: £44,800 - £56,000 per annum DOE
Location:  Hybrid with monthly travel required to a UK Virgin Money Hub
Contract type:  Permanent 

Our Team

At Virgin Money, we believe in doing things differently. Our Business Partnering team is at the heart of our Business Controls Office, helping to shape safe, sustainable growth across our Commercial business. We’re the first line of defence—ensuring our products and services deliver great outcomes for our customers while meeting regulatory expectations.

We’re growing our team and looking for passionate, detail-driven professionals who thrive in a collaborative, purpose-led environment.  As part of our dynamic, forward-thinking team, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of commercial success. You won’t just maintain the framework — you’ll shape it. You’ll partner with senior stakeholders across Commercial, Risk, Operations, and Technology to strengthen first-line controls, embed risk awareness, and lead meaningful change in how we think about governance.

What you’ll be doing

• Acting as an advisor to senior business leaders, embedding a strong control environment that supports commercial objectives while maintaining risk integrity.
• Embedding the Retail Banking risk and control profile and continuous review approach in line with the Risk Management Framework.
• Supporting the business in the identification, logging and management of issues and events, ensuring this is regularly monitored and reported to the Senior Leadership Team.
• Planning, scoping and delivery of assurance activity in line with Commercial’s oversight plan, with assurance activities proportionate to the level of risk.
• Developing efficient, evidence-based controls assurance frameworks and executing testing of key controls (design and operating effectiveness), reporting findings to senior management.
• Translate policies and risk appetite into operational action, ensuring controls are practical, sustainable, and outcome-focused.
• Engaging with key stakeholders professionally and with integrity to generate productive working relationships at all levels of seniority.

We need you to have

• Experience of working with or knowledge of Retail Banking products and services
• A solid understanding of risk and control environments within a complex, fast-paced business (preferably within financial services, a fintech or other regulated environment)
• Proven ability to design, implement, and monitor effective control frameworks.
• Strong commercial acumen — you understand how risk management adds value, not friction.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to challenge senior leaders constructively.

It’s a bonus if you have but not essential

• In-depth knowledge of regulatory and business practices for Commercial products.  Including experience with Consumer Duty.
• A university degree or equivalent experience in financial services

Red Hot Rewards 

• Generous holidays - 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays and prorated if part-time)​ plus the option to buy more. 
• Up to five extra paid well-being days per year​.  
• 20 weeks paid, gender-neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt.  
• Market-leading pension.  
• Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance.  
• Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness.  

And there's no waiting around, you'll enjoy these benefits from day one. 

If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible.  

Say hello to Virgin Money

Virgin Money is so much more than just a bank. As part of the Nationwide group, together we're the UK's first full-service mutual bank serving millions of retail and business customers and all driven by our purpose; Banking but fairer, more rewarding and for the good of society. With us, you’ll be part of an organisation uniquely positioned to make a difference to the lives of customers, communities and broader society and embark on a collaborative, customer obsessed, and fun-filled career journey. Embrace the weekdays, enjoy fantastic perks, and make a meaningful positive difference. Time to discover what it means to be part of the first mutual full-service banking provider.  

Be yourself at Virgin Money

At Virgin Money, we celebrate everyone. We have fun, think big, and relentlessly include each other, all in pursuit of our purpose: Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society.  We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard.    

As a Disability Confident Leader, we're committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion.  If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team careers@virginmoney.com

Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role, while still ensuring fair and equitable consideration for all applicants.

Now the legal bit
Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we'll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. 

If you're successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years' worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks – we'll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you'll be subject to periodic employment checks.