Head of Enterprise Risk and Assurance

Join LGPS Central at a pivotal moment—where investment meets long term impact.

Based in Wolverhampton, the Head of Enterprise Risk and Assurance will lead the development, operation and continuous improvement of LGPS Central's enterprise risk management framework, and annual assurance cycle.

The postholder will be a critical senior member of the business responsible for ensuring a positive and pro-active risk culture continues to be embedded throughout the business, and in ensuring that our enterprise risk, control and assurance processes align to that.

This role is a certified role under the Senior Manager's Certification Regime and will be subject to assessments in Fitness and Propriety and any other regulatory requirements.

What you'll be doing:

As Head of Enterprise Risk and Assurance you will:

• Lead the continuing design, development and implementation of LGPS Central's enterprise risk management framework, ensuring it remains appropriate for an expanding FCA-regulated asset manager.
• Provide senior subject-matter expertise and advice on risk frameworks, risk appetite, strategic risks, controls and assurance.
• Oversee the firm's risk identification, assessment and quantification processes, ensuring risks are accurately recorded and escalated.
• Set clear expectations for risk standards across the business and ensure consistency in how risks and controls are evaluated.
• Produce high-quality risk reporting, analysis and insight for the Board, ORCA, SLT and Partner Funds, ensuring clarity and relevance.
• Oversee the assurance framework, coordinating internal audit, external control and other audits and other assurance activities to ensure alignment with the risk profile.
• Work with senior leaders to embed a strong and consistent risk culture, supporting training, awareness and capability building across the organisation.
• Maintain oversight of operational resilience, business continuity and key third-party risk, ensuring frameworks are aligned to regulatory expectations.
• Challenge the business constructively, ensuring decisions remain within risk appetite and follow sound governance.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with auditors, regulators, advisers and other stakeholders.
• Monitor industry developments, regulatory changes and good practice to ensure the risk function remains current and forward-looking.
• Lead, coach and develop the Enterprise Risk and Assurance teams, promoting high standards, accountability and continuous improvement.

About Us:

LGPS Central (LGPSC) Ltd is the FCA regulated asset manager for eight local authority pension funds across the Midlands. LGPSC is jointly owned on an equal shares basis by those Partner Fund, and it is responsible for managing £45bn+ of their assets. It is one of eight Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) asset pools in the UK.

LGPS Central's Partner Funds are:

• Cheshire Pension Fund
• Derbyshire Pension Fund
• Leicestershire Pension Fund
• Nottinghamshire Pension Fund
• Shropshire Pension Fund
• Staffordshire Pension Fund
• West Midlands Pension Fund
• Worcestershire Pension Fund

The Company is committed to responsible investment and has made responsible investment a core part of the investment process in every asset class.

LGPS Central offers a friendly and diverse, hybrid working environment with a range of employee benefits. The Company moved to new premises at i9, Wolverhampton Interchange in January 2022, close to local transport links.

Our objective is to be a leading investment management company working with and for our Partner Funds. With a focus on value for money and performance we want to aspire to be one of the best because this is how we will deliver the superior investment returns and low costs for our Partner Funds.

Requirements:

• Senior experience in enterprise or operational risk within asset management or wider financial services.
• Strong understanding of FCA expectations for Core and Enhanced firms, including risk governance, operational resilience, supplier management and assurance.
• Able to communicate complex risk matters in a clear, commercially relevant and concise way for executive, Boards, NEDs and other senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership capability, with experience setting direction, influencing at senior levels and shaping culture.
• Able to operate at strategic level while retaining strong attention to detail when reviewing risk outputs.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess complex scenarios and develop pragmatic, risk-based solutions.
• Confident in presenting to Boards, regulators and senior internal audiences.
• Deep understanding of the three lines of defence model and how to apply it effectively in practice.
• Skilled in developing risk frameworks, policies, risk appetite statements and reporting suites.
• Strong relationship-building skills across technical, operational and executive teams.
• High level of professional ethics, integrity and judgement.

Qualifications:

• Degree-qualified or equivalent experience.
• Senior risk management qualifications (IRM, CERA, FRM or equivalent) preferred.
• Experience in an FCA-regulated asset management or pensions investment environment preferred.
• Has or can meet all the requirements of being an FCA approved person.

What do we offer?

We are proud to provide our people with a premium and exclusive benefits package and we are continually improving the rewards we offer. Here are a few of the valuable rewards that you will enjoy:

• Competitive salary
• An enhanced and generous Pension Scheme
• 30 days' paid holiday plus bank holidays
• 2 days paid volunteering days
• An extra paid Company Day in addition to paid holidays
• Excellent Learning & Development Opportunities
• Welfare and Family friendly policies
• Enhanced pay for new parents
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme 247 Health & Wellbeing Support
• Vitality Private Medical Insurance
• Hybrid Working
• Company Service Awards
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Company Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Nominees of the Family Friendly Employer of the Year 2022 Personnel Today Awards 2022
• Winner of the Cultural Awareness Initiative of the Year FT Advisors Diversity in Finance Awards 2023
• Winner of Diversity and Inclusion Award LAPF In Investments Award 2023