Head Office

Risk and Assurance Lead

Risk and Assurance Lead

Barbican, London | Hybrid Working | Permanent | Full Time

Competitive salary available, depending on experience
37.5 hours per week

Nuffield Health is the charity that’s building a healthier nation, one day at a time. From award-winning hospitals and fitness facilities to flagship community programmes – we’ll do whatever it takes to look after the UK’s wellbeing. It starts with passion and commitment to quality. It starts with you.

As a Risk and Assurance Lead, you’ll play a critical role in strengthening our governance and risk management framework. This role sits within our Legal team and works across hospitals, fitness and wellbeing sites, and central functions to support a consistent and effective risk and control environment. Reporting to the Head of Risk and Assurance, you’ll provide assurance over the Charity’s internal controls and risk management processes, ensuring significant risks are identified, managed, and aligned with our organisational risk appetite.

This is a highly visible role requiring credibility and expertise in internal controls and risk management. You’ll work collaboratively across the organisation, delivering assurance reviews and supporting the development of a consistent, organisation-wide framework that enables reliable reporting for senior stakeholders, including the Executive Committee and Board Audit & Risk Committee.

As a Risk and Assurance Lead, you will:

• Deliver the Internal Assurance Review Programme, performing regular and ad-hoc reviews to assess risk management and internal control effectiveness.

• Identify gaps in the risk and control framework and recommend practical improvements, tracking implementation to completion.

• Support the ongoing development of the Charity’s risk management and internal control framework, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and risk appetite.

• Build strong relationships with risk and control owners, auditors, and other stakeholders to strengthen the control environment.

• Provide accurate and timely reporting on risk and control effectiveness, gaps, and progress, presenting findings to senior management and governance committees.

• Contribute to process improvements, integrating risk and controls with technology and business processes, and promoting a risk-aware culture across the organisation.

• Maintain the Emerging Risk Register and contribute to structured horizon scanning.

• Develop and monitor Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to highlight emerging trends and areas of concern.

To succeed as a Risk and Assurance Lead, you’ll bring:

• Proven experience in internal controls and risk management within complex organisations.

• Strong understanding of risk frameworks and assurance methodologies.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

• Analytical mindset and attention to detail, with a focus on practical solutions.

• Experience in delivering assurance reviews and reporting to senior governance bodies.

• A collaborative approach and commitment to continuous improvement.

• Ability to interpret and present risk and control data clearly.

• Experience with risk or control management systems or tools (desirable).

• Awareness of regulatory and governance requirements in health, wellbeing, or charity environments.

• Experience of horizon scanning, emerging risk assessment, or KRIs (desirable).