Controls Assurance

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Control Assurance Manager – AVP to provide independent insurance on control processes and advise on improvements to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the bank’s internal controls framework.

The successful candidate will be responsible for building and maintaining reliable, scalable, secure, and resilient integration platforms, while providing L2/L3 production support and driving automation, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role requires close collaboration with development, infrastructure, architecture, and operations teams to ensure high availability and operational excellence across API and integration services.

Key Responsibilities

• To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions/ business divisions.

• Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes

• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

• OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/ or projects, identifying a combination of cross functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.

• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.

• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.

• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.

• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.

• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.

• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.

• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.

• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes

Control Assurance

• Collaboration across the bank to maintain a satisfactory, robust, and efficient control environment through the execution of ad-hoc assessments and testing on the design and operational effectiveness of the internal controls, aligned to control policies and standards.

• Development of detailed test plans and procedures to identify weaknesses in internal controls and other initiatives aligned to the bank’s control framework to mitigate any potential risks and issues, prioritised by its severity to disrupt bank operations, potential losses, and reputational impact.

• Communication of key findings and observations to the relevant stakeholders and business units to improve overall control efficiency and provide corrective actions to senior managers. Collaboration with other control professionals to resolve complex issues and ensure consistent testing methodologies across the bank.

• Development of a knowledge centre containing detailed documentation of control assessments, testing on design and operational effectiveness of procedures, findings, and the distribution of material on internal controls to train and upskill colleagues within the bank.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Comfortable providing technical guidance, code reviews, and architectural direction.

• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.

• Experience driving a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style.

• Customer-focused mindset with strong attention to quality.

Key Skills and Experience

• Strong controls assurance, SOX, internal controls, external or internal audit experience.

• Experience delivering end-to-end control testing, including Test of Design (ToD), Operating Effectiveness (ToE), evidence review, issue identification, stakeholder engagement, and reporting.

• Experience assessing control deficiencies, including root cause analysis, mitigating controls, impact assessment, and issue classification.

• Strong knowledge and practical experience across multiple control domains, with demonstrable experience in at least three of the following: 
  IT General Controls (Access Management, Change Management, Computer Operations) 
  Identity and Access Management (IAM) 
  Cyber Security 
  Engineering / SDLC Controls 
  Technology Resilience 
  Third Party Risk Management 
  Data Governance 
  Cloud Controls 
  Infrastructure & Platform Controls

• Ability to challenge stakeholders constructively and influence outcomes whilst maintaining effective working relationships.

• Experience communicating control weaknesses, agreeing remediation actions, and escalating risks where appropriate.

• Strong report writing, documentation, and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage competing priorities, adapt to changing commitments, and proactively manage stakeholder expectations.

• Experience using governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tooling and assurance management platforms (desirable).

Purpose of the role

To partner with the bank, to provide independent insurance on control processes and advise on improvements to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the bank’s internal controls framework.  

Accountabilities

• Collaboration across the bank to maintain a satisfactory, robust, and efficient control environment through the execution of ad-hoc assessments and testing on the design and operational effectiveness of the internal controls, aligned to control policies and standards.
• Development of detailed test plans and procedures to identify weaknesses in internal controls and other initiatives aligned to the bank’s control framework to mitigate any potential risks and issues, prioritised by its severity to disrupt bank operations, potential losses, and reputational impact.
• Communication of key findings and observations to the relevant stakeholders and business units to improve overall control efficiency and provide corrective actions to senior managers. Collaboration with other control professionals to resolve complex issues and ensure consistent testing methodologies across the bank.
• Development of a knowledge centre containing detailed documentation of control assessments, testing on design and operational effectiveness of procedures, findings, and the distribution of material on internal controls to train and upskill colleagues within the bank.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

• To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions/ business divisions.
• Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
• OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/ or projects, identifying a combination of cross functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.
• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.
• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.
• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.
• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.
• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.
• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.