Head of Risk, Compliance and Assurance

Location:

University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD. Hybrid working, with attendance on University sites subject to business needs (2–3 days a week on average)

Contract:

Full Time, Permanent

About Us

Spanning the historic streets of the “city of dreaming spires”, the University of Oxford has been ranked the world's leading university for ten consecutive years. A place where centuries of tradition meet world-changing innovation, we offer you the chance to shape the future while working in an inspiring environment that promotes excellence. Here, you’ll contribute to an organisation which delivers ground-breaking research that tackles global challenges - from advancing sustainability to pioneering healthcare solutions - and join a diverse, inclusive community that champions your wellbeing, development, and aspirations. To become part of our extraordinary legacy.

What We Offer

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service.
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
• A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
• Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.

About the Role

As the University’s senior professional lead for risk, compliance and assurance, you will shape and continuously develop the institutional framework through which material risks are managed, regulatory and funder requirements are addressed, internal controls are strengthened and robust assurance is provided. You will have accountability for the University’s multi-year Risk, Compliance and Assurance Programme, setting its strategic direction and ensuring resources and interventions are focused where they can have the greatest institutional impact.

Operating across a complex, federated organisation, you will advise senior leaders and Committees on significant risk, compliance, control and assurance matters. You will establish clear University-wide standards while recognising appropriate devolved accountability, translating changing external requirements into proportionate institutional responses. As Secretary to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, and with senior responsibility for the relationship with the outsourced internal audit provider, you will help ensure that decision-makers receive coherent, authoritative and decision-useful assurance.

This is a senior leadership role with substantial scope to improve how risk, compliance and assurance operate across the University. You will lead a multidisciplinary function, strengthen professional capability and use evidence, insight and influence to secure sustainable change across organisational boundaries. Successful delivery will support the University’s “freedom within a framework” approach: protecting academic autonomy while providing clarity and confidence around the institutional requirements that safeguard the University and its mission.

About You

• Significant senior management experience with institutional responsibility for enterprise risk, compliance, assurance and/or internal control.
• A substantial track record of designing, owning and implementing organisation-wide frameworks, standards or governance arrangements within a complex, devolved or federated organisation.
• Significant experience of leading organisation-wide transformation and change, including securing outcomes through influence beyond your formal span of control.
• Demonstrable experience of exercising professional judgement and delegated authority on complex, material and potentially contentious institutional issues.
• Strong understanding of legal, regulatory, funder and governance requirements relevant to a complex public institution.
• Extensive experience of advising executive leaders and Board or Council-level committees on significant institutional risk, compliance and assurance matters.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex and potentially contentious issues clearly and persuasively to senior non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrable ability to challenge established practice, influence institutional decisions and secure action across organisational boundaries.
• The judgement, integrity, resilience and political awareness required to operate effectively at senior institutional level.
• Experience of establishing and maintaining effective enterprise frameworks for risk, compliance, internal control and assurance.