Head of IT Governance and Controls

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Head of IT Governance and Controls

• Shape and lead our IT risk, control, and governance framework.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive risk management strategy and implement our IT control frameworks.
• Hybrid role with up to 80% homeworking and 20% in Stratford-upon-Avon.

About the role

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for IT governance, risk management, and controls? At NFU Mutual, we are seeking a dynamic Head of IT Governance and Controls to shape and lead our IT risk, control, and governance framework. This critical role will support the whole IT Executive team and where required have direct access to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), driving a secure first line of defence and ensuring our IT operations and enterprise change portfolio meet the highest standards.

In this pivotal position, you will develop and oversee a comprehensive risk management strategy, implement IT control frameworks, and lead our IT testing function. Your expertise will help safeguard our systems, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance while enabling our business to achieve its goals.

As the Head of IT Governance and Controls, you will lead the development, implementation, and oversight of a robust IT governance, risk, and control framework that aligns with industry standards. You will ensure effective documentation, communication, and ownership of all Group IT processes to foster risk-aware behaviours and deliver exceptional service. An additional element of your role will be the leadership of the IT testing function, providing independence from the build teams and ensuring all changes to NFU Mutual's systems meet high-quality standards and comply with the IT governance and risk strategy.

You'll work closely with internal and external audit teams to prepare for and deliver audit schedules, ensuring that deadlines and standards are consistently met. An integral part of your role will involve designing and delivering a continuous education programme for IT staff, empowering them to identify risks, manage controls effectively, and uphold accountability within a complex, multi-supplier environment. Building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders-across IT, Group Change, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Risk, as well as external suppliers-will be essential to the effective delivery of objectives.

Additionally, you will take responsibility for managing budgets, monitoring expenditure, and aligning financial plans with divisional goals. As a leader, you will inspire, motivate, and develop a high-performing team, ensuring they have the direction and support to maximise their potential and contribute to organisational success.

About you

We are looking for an experienced leader who combines technical expertise with strong interpersonal, management, and communication skills. You'll need a proven track record in IT governance and controls, ideally within the Financial Services sector. The ability to influence, negotiate, and engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels is essential, as is a talent for building strong relationships across teams and third-party suppliers. With your leadership, you will foster collaboration and ensure alignment with organisational objectives while driving successful outcomes

To be successful in this role, you'll also have:

• Demonstrable experience strategically leading a department/team within IT Governance, Risk and Controls.
• Demonstrable success in delivering risk and control assurance activities with tangible business outcomes.
• Significant knowledge and practical experience in IT risk and control management, including governance frameworks.
• Experience managing large budgets and working within multi-supplier environments.
• Professional qualification in risk and control management, COBIT (v4.1 or higher) qualification and the ITIL (Intermediate level or higher) qualification.

At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.

We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

Benefits and Rewards

When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:

• £90,000 - £100,000 (dependant upon experience)
• Annual bonus (up to 33% of salary)
• Car allowance of £7,000
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
• 28 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
• A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
• Private medical insurance family cover
• Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
• £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership - subject to T&Cs
• Health and wellbeing plan - cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
• Employee Volunteering - volunteer in the community for one day each year
• Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
• Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
• Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.

Working at NFU Mutual

We're one of the UK's leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 years we've put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us. We pride ourselves on being "a great place to work" and we're one of only 60 companies across the globe to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2024 award, and one of only 2 companies to receive the award for the ninth consecutive year. We were also named in the LinkedIn Top 25 Companies List 2021, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023 and 2024.

We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.