Head of Compliance & DPO

About us.

We are The Very Group and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on Very.co.uk to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the team.

The role sits within the Governance, Risk & Compliance function, a pivotal team within the Legal, Risk & Compliance community of The Very Group.

Our team is responsible for protecting and supporting the business by ensuring that relevant risks are appropriately identified, managed and mitigated and that a strong governance framework and robust reporting are in place to foster a culture of integrity and accountability.

To successfully achieve our objectives, we develop close relationships across all areas of the wider business which calls for engaging individuals who embrace every challenge, who can communicate effectively and who will seek to find better ways to achieve our goals.

About the role.

Responsible to the Risk & Compliance Director, the Head of Compliance & DPO will be responsible for The Very Group’s compliance risk management capability, overseeing the deployment of second line risk management processes and associated governance frameworks to reduce risk, identify improvement opportunities, and foster a culture of compliance and focus on good customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure adequate oversight of the financial services business’ compliance governance and control routines to evidence delivery of good outcomes for its customers, consistent with the Consumer Duty and The Very Group’s data protection strategy and implementation.
• Support the management of The Very Group’s risk profile through the development and maintenance of risk management and governance frameworks.
• Support business areas to define and manage risk appetite.
• Ensuring customer outcomes are a central focus of the Risk Management Framework.
• Ensure delivery of effective partnering across TVG, providing Risk & Compliance management support.
• Consider identified issues and support the business in the determination of aggregate potential impact and oversee and challenge the defining of remedial actions as appropriate.
• Overseeing the maintenance of Compliance Policies and Business Standards across The Very Group.
• Identifying compliance risks and advising the financial services businesses on how to manage them.
• Maintaining effective compliance systems and controls.
• Monitor compliance with UK GDPR and other data protection laws and regulations, and with The Very Group’s Data Protection Policy.
• Inform and advise TVG’s people on their obligations to comply with UK GDPR and Data Protection Laws and Regulations; raising awareness of data protection and ensuring that people are suitably trained.
• To lead and develop a central team of compliance professionals. Assess the broader team structure/capability, upgrading and recommending change as appropriate.
• To monitor the regulatory environment and advise on changes and associated business impact, ensuring that the team keep up to date with legislative changes and that they understand the impact of these changes on the business.
• Maintain relations with key regulators and ensure open and transparent communications.

About you.

• A strong background in either the consumer credit or broader financial services sector with a first class understanding of the regulatory environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and critically evaluate risk in an organisation and provide insight by relating these in a commercial sense to risk, brand, and customer experience.
• Capable of striking the right balance between building relationships with key internal stakeholders whilst maintaining independence and being able to challenge board members and business leads effectively.
• Makes the right things happen by successfully driving change through adept stakeholder management.
• Ability to shape and develop a risk/compliance agenda.
• A strong leader with the presence, intellect, accomplishment, and skill to quickly establish rapport and credibility.
• Ability to use their judgement effectively to identify which issues are important from those which are not.
• A proven record of successfully implementing a risk and compliance framework.
• An initiative-taking operating style with the ability to consider and react to regulatory issues before they impact the business.
• A commercially, pragmatic approach, also capable of challenging and holding their ground when appropriate.

Some of our benefits.

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews

• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Udemy learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.

You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position:

1st stage - A 1 hour video call with the hiring team to discuss your skills and relevant experience. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the role and to ask any questions you may have.

2nd Stage – A one-hour formal face to face interview, where you can expect both competency and technical questions.

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.