Head of Risk

Head of risk, Ireland

Hybrid role based in our Dublin office, with occasional travel to our UK offices as needed

About us

Seccl is the Octopus-owned embedded investment platform, on a mission to help more people invest, and invest well.

We’re building the infrastructure behind the next generation of investing. Our technology already powers some of the UK’s most ambitious fintechs, banks, financial advisers and wealth firms, with close to a million investors relying on Seccl-powered platforms. And we’re now expanding into Europe.

We’ve got a proven product, strong momentum and big ambitions for what comes next: helping more household-name brands launch and scale investment propositions, entering new markets and replacing outdated investment infrastructure with technology that’s faster, simpler and built for scale.

We’re proud to be part of Octopus, one of the UK’s most successful privately held investment and technology groups. That gives us the backing and long-term perspective to build something substantial, while keeping the pace and energy of a high-growth business. Seccl and Octopus are both B Corp certified and share a belief that profit and purpose should go hand in hand.

We’re now expanding into Europe, starting in Ireland. As we build Seccl Ireland, we’re looking for a head of risk to establish and lead our risk management approach and help us grow in a safe, sustainable and well-controlled way.

Check out the Seccl website to see what we’re building and read more about our mission to shape the future of investments.

The role

This is a rare opportunity to shape the risk function of a growing regulated business from an early stage.

As head of risk for Seccl Ireland, you’ll own and continuously develop our risk management framework, making sure it evolves with the scale, complexity and ambitions of the business.

You’ll act as an independent voice across Seccl Ireland, providing challenge and advice to our board and senior leadership team. You’ll also play an important role in our relationship with the Central Bank of Ireland, supporting authorisation and ensuring regulatory expectations are understood and embedded as we grow.

This is a PCF-14 role under the Central Bank of Ireland’s Fitness and Probity Regime.

What you’ll own

• Building, maintaining and evolving Seccl Ireland’s risk management framework as the business grows, making sure it remains proportionate, effective and aligned with our strategy and regulatory obligations

• Providing independent second-line oversight, challenge and advice across strategic decisions, change programmes, business activity and outsourcing arrangements

• Supporting Seccl Ireland’s authorisation and ongoing relationship with the Central Bank of Ireland, ensuring regulatory expectations are understood and embedded across the business

• Setting and overseeing our risk appetite framework, making sure material and emerging risks are identified, monitored, reported and escalated appropriately

• Giving the board and rsk and audit committees clear visibility of risk through effective reporting, assessments and management information

• Overseeing key risk areas including operational, outsourcing, ICT, information security, conduct, prudential and financial crime risk, alongside relevant frameworks such as DORA and CAR

• Building a strong risk culture across Seccl Ireland and strong relationships with the CBI, UK risk & compliance, auditors and teams across the wider business

This role’s for you if…

You know how to operate as a credible and independent risk leader within a regulated financial services environment.

You’re comfortable moving between the detail and the bigger picture. One day that might mean getting into an outsourcing or operational risk issue, the next it could mean challenging a strategic decision with exec leadership or presenting to the Board.

You’ll also be someone who:

• Has a strong understanding of risk management within Irish financial services and the expectations of the Central Bank of Ireland

• Can provide constructive challenge while building strong relationships with senior leaders and the wider business

• Understands second-line independence and is comfortable escalating when something doesn’t feel right

• Can turn regulation and risk frameworks into practical approaches that work in a growing business

• Is comfortable across areas such as operational risk, outsourcing, ICT risk, resilience, prudential risk and governance

• Can communicate complex risk topics clearly to senior leadership and board level audiences

• Enjoys working cross-functionally with teams including compliance, operations, finance, product, engineering and commercial

This role probably isn’t for you if…

• You want to inherit a fully established risk function with every process already defined

• You’re most comfortable working within risk in isolation from the wider business

• You see risk primarily as a governance or policy exercise rather than something that should help the business make better decisions

• You’re uncomfortable challenging senior stakeholders or making independent judgements where there isn’t an obvious answer

• You prefer a slower-moving environment where priorities and operating models rarely change

What’s in it for you

We offer a generous mix of benefits designed around the things that matter to our people:

• 💰 A salary between €135,000 and €165,000, dependent on experience and reviewed annually, plus a 6% employer pension contribution and life assurance

• 🌴 27 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, with some flexibility around bank holidays, plus your birthday off

• 💙 Two volunteering days each year

• 🌎 The option to work abroad for up to six weeks a year

• 🌟 Secclbrate, our recognition programme offering flexible rewards including extra pay, additional holiday and increased learning budget

• 🏅 One-month paid sabbatical after eight years

• 🏥 Private medical insurance

• 👪 Enhanced parental leave

• 💻 MacBook and up to €500 towards your home office set-up

• 📖 €750 annual learning budget

• 🌻 Health and wellbeing support, including free therapy through Wellness Cloud and mental health support through Headspace

• 🎁 Perkbox, with flexible points and a range of discounts and perks

   

Our culture

We put people first and try hard to create an environment where people feel trusted, heard and able to do their best work.

We value openness, curiosity and different perspectives. You’ll have the freedom to challenge how things are done, experiment with better ways of working and take real ownership of your impact.

As one of our early Dublin hires, you’ll also have the opportunity to help shape the culture we build in Ireland while being part of the wider Seccl team.

Check out our Glassdoor page for the latest reviews or our LinkedIn for company updates and insights from the team.

Interview process

Interviewing is a two-way process. Our interviews are conversational, with plenty of time for you to get to know us and ask questions too.

We review applications as they come in and may close the role once we have enough candidates to move forward. We’ll keep you updated throughout.

Everyone’s welcome

We want to build a diverse and inclusive company full of brilliant people with different skills, experiences and perspectives. All applicants will be considered without regard to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, veteran status, neurodiversity or disability.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We’d love to hear from you.