Job Description

About the job

Are you ready to shape the future of risk at National Highways?

We’re looking for our next Head of Corporate Risk to join the Business Services Directorate. Reporting to the Director of Corporate Risk and Assurance, you’ll lead the evolution of our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework and capability, enabling the organisation to manage risk effectively and use it to support better decisions and outcomes.

Working closely with senior leaders, you’ll translate complex risk insights into clear, meaningful intelligence that supports strategic decision-making and organisational performance.

As a highly visible member of the Corporate Risk and Assurance leadership team, you’ll foster a confident, well-connected risk community, embedding a collaborative and consistent approach to risk, opportunity and issue management across National Highways.

We welcome applications from across England, but please note you'll be expected to attend one of our main offices at least 2 days per week; click here to view our main office locations: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/about-us/office-access-and-opening-times/

You will:

• Lead and continuously improve the ERM framework, including policies, processes, systems and tools, to ensure a consistent and high-quality approach across the organisation.
• Ensure effective risk and issue management processes are in place, providing clear insight, early visibility and reliable reporting to support decision-making.
• Lead and develop the corporate risk function and wider risk network, building capability and embedding best practice across the business.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Executive and Board, maintaining the Corporate Risk Register and aligning risk management with the organisation’s Risk Appetite Framework.
• Strengthen governance and assurance by working collaboratively with control owners and assurance partners to support an effective risk and control environment.

About you

• Proven experience in a senior risk management role, with strong knowledge of enterprise risk management principles and best practice, ideally with a professional qualification or membership in risk management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, influence at all levels and provide constructive challenge.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and present clear, actionable insights.
• Solid understanding of governance, assurance and compliance within large, complex organisations.
• Proactive, with the ability to lead, develop and support teams to succeed while managing competing priorities and driving continuous improvement.

About us

Delivery is a huge collective exercise, with collaboration between Business Services Directorate (BSD) and every other part of the business. Getting it right means success for us all. Our remit in BSD is very broad - and there is a lot to do.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Business Services plays a crucial role in supporting the efficient operation and growth of the strategic road network. We provide a wide range of essential services across the organisation, ensuring that all functions run smoothly and effectively. We work behind the scenes to support the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and services, ensuring that National Highways meets its commitments to safety, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.

Our key areas of focus include procurement, finance, human resources, IT, and strategic planning. We ensure the company operates efficiently, delivers projects on time and within budget, and meets the needs of stakeholders. By offering expert advice, managing resources, and driving operational excellence, we support National Highways in achieving its mission of maintaining and improving the road network across the country.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.

We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we’re open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.

Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.

Our benefits package

• Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
• Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
• Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
• Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
• A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are

• Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
• Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
• Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year

If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:

• Right to work check
• 3 year employment history references
• DBS criminal record check
• Social media and adverse journalism check
• Driving licence check (if applicable)
• Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
• Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)

And finally

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