Director of Controls

Who you are

• Significant experience in controls, risk management and the three lines of defence model, ideally within technology, payments or financial services
• Strong knowledge of the end-to-end control lifecycle and how it integrates with operational risk frameworks, governance and management reporting
• Experience in developing, implementing and improving control capabilities within complex organisations
• Experience partnering with Product, Engineering, Architecture and Operations to embed Control by Design
• Experience using data, technology and automation to improve control testing, evidence collection and continuous controls monitoring
• Strong understanding of technology and modern engineering environments and associated control considerations
• Demonstrated leadership, stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills across senior product, engineering, operations and risk stakeholders
• Strong analytical judgement with the ability to translate complex risks, controls and issues into practical, clear management insight. Desirable experience:
• Experience with GRC platforms, continuous controls monitoring and advanced control testing automation, including AI or AI agents
• Experience working within multinational organisations, real-time payments or critical payment infrastructure

What the job involves

• The Director, Controls will lead the development, operation and continuous improvement of the First Line Controls capability across Real-Time Payments International (RTPI), ensuring a robust, effective and sustainable control environment aligned with the Operational Risk & Controls (ORC) framework
• This role is accountable for strengthening controls governance, testing, monitoring and issue management, providing clear insight into control effectiveness and ensuring material control weaknesses are identified, understood and sustainably addressed
• Working closely with Risk, Product, Engineering, Architecture and Operations, the Director will champion Control by Design and drive greater use of data, automation and AI to deliver more efficient, continuous and forward-looking assurance
• Controls Strategy & Governance: Lead and continuously improve the Controls capability, ensuring alignment with the ORC framework, effective reporting, appropriate escalation and sustainable remediation of control deficiencies
• Control Lifecycle Management: Oversee the end-to-end control lifecycle, including control design, ownership, operation, testing, monitoring, reporting and remediation
• Control Testing & Insight: Lead a risk-based control testing programme that provides clear insight into control effectiveness, material weaknesses and emerging themes
• Control by Design: Partner with Product, Engineering and Architecture to embed effective, proportionate and testable controls into technology, products and processes from the outset
• Automation & Continuous Monitoring: Drive greater use of data, engineering telemetry, automation and AI to support continuous, exception-based and forward-looking control testing
• Issues & Remediation: Ensure control deficiencies are clearly articulated, appropriately tracked and remediated in a sustainable and timely manner
• Business Partnership: Build strong relationships across Product, Engineering, Operations, Risk and Assurance teams, providing practical advice and constructive challenge to senior stakeholders
• People Leadership: Lead and develop a high-performing Controls team, building capability, accountability and a culture of continuous improvement