Head of Risk and Control

Head of Risk and Control (2LOD)

Location

Copenhagen, London

Team

Risk & Compliance

Messy spend management is tricky business. And tedious processes are a lose-lose situation for all involved, not just finance. At Pleo, we're changing that. We build spend solutions that make managing money seamless, empowering, and surprisingly effective for finance teams and employees alike—with a vision to help all businesses 'go beyond'.

The word 'Pleo' actually means 'more than you'd expect', and living by that mantra has been the secret to our success over the last 10 years.

Now, we're at a pivotal moment in our journey; every move we make has a direct impact on our 40,000+ customers, our business, and our collective success. We need people who take pride in uncovering customer needs, who turn complex problems into simple solutions, challenge the way things are done (respectfully), and always aim high. With great ambitions driving us forward, we can't say we've got this whole thing figured out. And frankly, that's half the fun What we can say is that we're a driven, progressive, and, importantly, a kind bunch of 850+ people from over 100 nationalities, all committed to delivering the future of business spending, together.

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic individual to join our team as the Head of Risk and Control (Second Line of Defense). This role is critical in helping the organisation navigate the complexities of a regulated financial services environment, with a strong focus on effective risk management and control oversight. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of risk frameworks, regulatory requirements, and the unique challenges and opportunities within the FinTech and payments landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Risk Framework Oversight: Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the 2LOD risk management framework, ensuring it is fit for purpose and aligned with regulatory expectations and business strategy.
• Control Assurance: Provide effective oversight and challenge to the First Line of Defense (1LOD) in the identification, assessment, and management of risks and controls.
• Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor and partner to the business, offering expert guidance on risk-related matters, regulatory change, and the control environment.
• Reporting: Develop and deliver insightful risk reporting to senior management and relevant committees, highlighting key risk exposures and control deficiencies.
• Leadership and Management: Lead and mentor the 2LOD Risk and Control team, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous development.
• Regulatory Engagement: Support regulatory interactions related to risk and control matters.

Candidate Profile
Essential Experience and Qualifications

• Financial Services: Extensive experience (7-10 years, with a minimum of 5 years in risk or control management) in a regulated financial services environment (e.g., FinTech, banking, payments, or similar).
• Risk and Control Focus: Substantial professional background in risk management and control functions, spanning both design and execution. Experience across both 1LOD and 2LOD is preferred.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience in leadership and team management, with a genuine passion for developing and leading risk professionals.
• Location: Legally authorized to work and currently based in the UK or Denmark.

Highly Desired Experience

• Sector Crossover: Candidates who have experience at both a FinTech organisation and a traditional banking/payments institution will be highly regarded.
• Experience Threshold: While 7-10 years of experience is the general expectation, exceptional candidates with 5 years of relevant experience will be considered.

Exclusion Criteria

The following backgrounds are not suitable for this role:

• Purely professional services/consultancy background.
• Primary background in Internal Audit.
• Purely compliance background (must possess strong risk and control experience).

Show me the benefits

• Your own Pleo card (no more out-of-pocket spending)
  Lunch is on us - with catering in our Lisbon, Copenhagen and London offices or a monthly lunch allowance paid directly together with your salary in other markets- Private health insurance to ensure you're fit in body and mind to do your best work
• We offer 25 days of holiday + your public holidays
• For our teams we offer remote working options
• Option to purchase 5 additional days of holiday through a salary sacrifice
  We're trialling MyndUp to give our employees access to free mental health and wellbeing support with great success so far ❤‍
  Paid parental leave - we want to make sure that we're supportive of families and help you feel that you don't have to compromise your family due to work

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