Risk Assurance Analyst

Role summary

The overall goal of the Group Risk & Compliance (GRC) function is to protect the Group brand and to support the successful execution of the Group’s business strategy through the delivery of an integrated risk and compliance programme across the Group. GRC supports the Board and senior management to fulfil their statutory and regulatory obligations, by helping to ensure compliance with the laws, regulations, principles and codes established by our regulators, and more generally by supporting the effective and continuous development and operation of the Group’s Risk Management Framework.

We are currently hiring for an Analyst to join our Risk Assurance team. The role holder will join our team of risk professionals as part of the GRC function and be a key member of our newly established second line Risk Assurance Team with a dedicated focus on reviews of the Technology Function. The role holder will take responsibility for delivering assurance reviews including scoping, planning, fieldwork and reporting. The role holder will also be required to partner with the business to provide value added assurance reviews, playing the role of “critical friend” to further help enhance and improve our internal control environment.

The primary responsibility of the role holder is to deliver technology assurance reviews, specifically: 

• Be responsible for testing the Technology Control Environment including  design and operating effectiveness testing.
• Engage with key partners as their trusted advisor on internal controls and process efficiencies, providing insight and direction as they manoeuvre through the identified risks.
• Review and assess new proposed Technology changes at a holistic level to ensure a comprehensive end-to-end evaluation of identified risks
• Identify and evaluate complex technology risks and internal controls which mitigate risks, and related opportunities for internal control improvement.
• Actively contribute towards gaining audit efficiency through various automations and continuous control monitoring ideas.

Responsibilities (how we will measure success)

Principal Activity

Delivering the assigned elements of the assurance plan to ensure all reviews and supporting testing is completed, reports are written to a high standard, actions are appropriate, agreed and followed up.

• Delivery of all planned assurance reviews including planning, fieldwork and reporting of all in scope reviews.
• Ability to draft clear and concise reports with clear root cause analysis.
• Advise Local Clusters on action plans and closure criteria required to close the gaps identified as part of the reviews.
• Ensure actions agreed are timebound, track action closure and are depending on rating are subject to issue assurance and reviewing a sample of lower rated actions that have been subject to management attestation

Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge and solid understanding of relevant technology requirements.

• Keep up to date with industry best practices and emerging themes to contribute to testing and improvement of the overall risk assurance programme.

Ability to learn and understand business processes, regulations, internal controls, and develop meaningful tests to determine control design adequacy and operating effectiveness.

• Develop control testing programmes to cover both design and operating effectiveness of key controls.
• Partner with the business to provide value added assurance reviews, playing the role of “critical friend” to further help enhance and improve our internal control environment.

Identifying the areas of highest risk across IQ-EQ and seek to reduce residual risk by assessing risk and control design and testing operating effectiveness, making recommendations to strengthen these where necessary.

• Identify and assess inherent and residual risks related to control deficiencies.
• When identifying control enhancements drafting closure criteria recommendations that are commensurate and timebound.

Key competencies for position and level (see Group Competency model)

• Drives results
• Builds effective teams
• Plans and aligns
• Communicate effectively
• Action orientated

Key behaviours we expect to see

In addition to demonstrating our Group Values (Authentic, Bold, and Collaborative), the role holder will be expected to demonstrate the following:

• Resilience and tenacity – ability to work and adapt in a fast pace and complex environment.
• Cultural awareness/sensitivity, with strong emotional intelligence.
• Capability to pro-actively manage own development, encompassing both technical and leadership requirements to a level appropriate to role that supports the IQ-EQ Values.