About You
Qualifications, Experience, and Knowledge
- Senior leadership experience in governance, assurance, audit or risk
- Experience working at Board / Committee level
- Strong understanding of regulation (e.g. social care, NHS, or equivalent sectors)
- Background in one or more of, Internal Audit, Risk Management, Quality/Regulatory Assurance
- Significant experience working directly with Boards, Board Committees and Executive Teams in a highly regulated environment.
- Proven track record of designing, implementing and embedding organisation-wide assurance frameworks across both operational and corporate functions.
- Extensive experience in identifying, assessing and managing strategic and operational risks and providing assurance on the effectiveness of mitigation plans.
- Experience of delivering independent assurance and influencing decision-making at Executive and Board level.
Competencies, Skills, and Abilities
- Exceptional ability to build credibility and influence with Board members, Executive Directors and senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrable experience of providing independent challenge and professional scrutiny in complex organisational environments.
- Strong commercial and strategic awareness with the ability to assess risk across multiple functions.
- Proven ability to design and implement assurance frameworks that provide meaningful oversight and organisational insight.
- Excellent judgement and decision-making capability when dealing with complex, sensitive or high-risk matters.
- Highly assertive, confident and resilient, with the gravitas to operate effectively at Board level.
- Ability to identify emerging risks, evaluate control effectiveness and provide clear recommendations on mitigating actions.
- Strong understanding of corporate governance, risk management and assurance principles.
Key Skills
- Ability to provide independent challenge while influencing senior stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical, investigative and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to translate complex information into concise Board-level insight.
- Strong judgement, integrity and personal credibility.
- Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills.
- You'll be able to provide constructive challenge, analyse complex information and translate it into clear, actionable insight for senior stakeholders.
This is a national role covering England and Scotland. Travel to Widnes Head Office and services across the UK when required. You will be part of the Executive Team reporting to the Chief Executive.
What We're Looking For
We're seeking an experienced assurance, governance, audit or risk leader with the confidence, credibility and professional presence to operate effectively at Board and Executive level. You will have a proven track record of building organisation-wide assurance frameworks, identifying and mitigating risk, and providing independent challenge that supports informed decision-making. Above all, you'll bring the ability to build strong, trusted relationships whilst maintaining the objectivity and assertiveness required to provide meaningful assurance and oversight across the organisation.
Why Join Us?
This is a rare opportunity to shape a high-profile executive function and make a direct impact on the quality, safety and effectiveness of services delivered across England and Scotland. You'll join an ambitious organisation committed to excellence, innovation and ensuring people can live their best lives and achieve bolder futures.
If you're an experienced quality assurance, risk or governance leader ready to influence at Board level, we'd love to hear from you or if you would like a more informal conversation about the role before making a formal application, please feel free to give our Recruitment Specialist Vicki Andrews, [email protected] or call me on 07816 268813
Please note that the closing date for applications is 21st October 2026.
Interview Process
Following the closing date, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial 30-minute interview via Microsoft Teams
A further shortlist will then be selected to progress to the second stage of the process, which will consist of a face-to-face interview and presentation. Candidates will also be invited to visit one of our services.
We kindly ask that applicants ensure they are available to attend both stages of the recruitment process.
We’re really proud to be a Hive HR Employee Voice Certified organisation, a recognition that confirms our commitment to creating a culture where our colleagues are not only encouraged to share their thoughts, but where this feedback is actively sought and acted upon to drive positive change at every level. In our 2025 Colleague Engagement Survey, 59% (nearly 3,800) of our people shared their feedback and insights, giving us an incredible Employee Net Promoter Score of +34. The Employee Net Promoter Score is a measure of how willing our colleagues are to recommend us as a good place to work to their loved ones – and a score of +34 is considered a Very Good score when compared to global benchmarks set by hundreds of other organisations.