Head of Operational Resilience (1st LoD)

Head of Operational Resilience (1st LoD), London, Permanent

Join Pay.UK as Head of Operational Resilience 1LoD and focus on building resilience in an organisation that supports the UK’s retail payment systems. This is a senior leadership role for someone who can provide clear first line oversight, shape practical risk management activity, and work closely with colleagues across the business to make sure important services remain robust, tested and well governed.

You’ll apply your operational continuity knowledge in an organisation that supports the UK’s retail payment systems, helping keep critical services reliable, tested, and well governed. You’ll be part of an organisation at the centre of payments infrastructure, where 11 billion transactions worth over £10 trillion are processed annually.

Accountabilities

• Oversee first line operational resilience activity across relevant business areas, ensuring plans, controls and governance are clear, current and effective.


• Define and maintain resilience frameworks, processes and reporting that support important business services and meet internal and regulatory expectations.


• Review resilience risks, scenarios and dependencies, and turn findings into clear actions for teams and leaders.


• Coordinate testing and exercise activity, including scenario planning, lessons learned and follow-up actions.


• Work with risk, technology, operations and business teams to assess vulnerabilities, reinforce controls and improve recovery readiness.


• Prepare clear updates, papers and reporting for senior governance forums, setting out resilience status, issues and required actions.


• Monitor remediation activity and track delivery against agreed resilience priorities, timelines and standards.


• Support incident review activity by identifying resilience themes, control gaps and practical improvements.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Experience in operational resilience activities in a first-line role within a regulated environment, including oversight of plans, controls and governance.


• Knowledge of operational resilience frameworks, governance and scenario testing, with experience applying these in operational settings.


• Experience assessing important business services, dependencies, risks and control effectiveness across complex operational environments.


• Experience producing senior-level reporting and presenting resilience issues, decisions and actions in a clear, structured way.


• Experience collaborating with business, operations, technology and risk teams to deliver operational resilience improvements.

Pay.UK Behaviours

At Pay.UK, our behaviours are central to who we are and how we operate. They bring our values to life, shape our culture, and guide how we make decisions, collaborate, and respond to challenges across the payments ecosystem. All interview processes will assess the following behaviours:

• Listen to Find Win-Wins - Empathy, Listening and Understanding


• Influence with Courage - Influence, Courage


• Go Horizontal First - Cross Boundary Collaboration


• Take Ownership - Self Development


• Opportunity Mindset - Initiative


• Simplify - Achievement Orientation

In addition, all leadership roles are expected to lead by example through the following behaviours:

• Set Direction - Strategic Planning, Team leadership


• Hold Colleagues to Account - Accountability


• Coach & Grow Your Colleagues - Develop Others

Inclusivity

At Pay.UK, we value diversity and inclusivity. Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups may hesitate to apply unless they meet all the requirements listed. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of how closely their skills and experience match the requirements. We are committed to supporting accessibility needs and creating a welcoming environment for all employees. Become part of our team and contribute to the creation of an inclusive work environment that values everyone's unique input.

Who we are

Pay.UK maintains and develops the UK retail payment systems and standards that are core to the economy being able to function on a day-to-day basis.

From Bacs to Faster Payments and cheques – we act as the single operator for all UK retail payments. We put the needs of consumers and businesses at the heart of everything we do, working in the public interest to ensure that the systems the country relies on for its banking transactions are safe, open, innovative and resilient.

Our payment systems underpin the services that enable funds to be transferred between people and institutions. In 2024, the UK's retail payment systems processed 11 billion transactions worth over £10 trillion through Bacs Direct Credit, Direct Debit, Faster Payments, and cheques, and our Current Account Switch Service has facilitated over 9 million switches since it’s launch in 2013.

Every day, individuals and businesses use the services we provide to get their salaries, pay their bills and make online and mobile banking payments. Our vision for the future is to enable a vibrant economy, with Pay.UK delivering robust payment infrastructure and standards for the benefit of consumers and businesses nationwide.

Learn more about life at Pay.UK by hearing what employees have to say, click here to view videos.

Benefits & additional information

• 12% Non-contributory pension


• Discretionary annual bonus


• 30 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays)


• Private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, health cash plan, dental insurance, Bupa medicals etc


• Employee assistance programme


• Cycle to Work Scheme


• Season ticket loan


• Annual fitness subsidy of up to £500 per annum


• Working from home policy - minimum 40% in the office (eg. 2 days in the office over a 5 day working week)

Please note:

• Some of our benefits are only available to colleagues after meeting the requirements of the probationary period.