Chief Risk Officer

On behalf of The Government Property Agency, we are looking for a Chief Risk Officer (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract. This is a hybrid working role (travel may be required on an ad-hoc basis - London/Birmingham/Manchester/Leeds or Swindon).

The Government Property Agency is an Executive Agency of the cabinet office. It is changing the way the Civil Service works and is at the forefront of Government's transformation agenda; reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work. The Agency is central to the delivery of key Government policies including moving 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030 and tackling climate change by contributing to the Net Zero agenda. To do this we are delivering a major change programme across the UK and consolidating our portfolio in order to save £1.4 Bn over 10 years.

Beyond the bricks and mortar, the GPA is about providing great workplaces for our people.

This is an ambitious and exciting task, for which we need innovative people, with strong commercial acumen, who are passionate about visualising and implementing customer needs.

Job Purpose:

We are seeking an inspiring leader to lead the strategic Risk planning and to own the GPA's Risk Management Framework. You will act as the principal advisor to the Executive Committee (ExCo) and the Audit & Risk Committee (ARC) on all risk matters.

Your primary goal is to embed a mature, data-led risk culture that empowers the agency to take calculated risks to achieve its commercial and strategic objectives (such as the Places for Growth programme), ensuring alignment with HM Treasury's "Orange Book" standards.

SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be eligible and willing to undergo these checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

As a Chief Risk Officer, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Work across all Directorates, and beyond, Design, implement, and own the GPA's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) strategy, defining the agency's risk appetite in collaboration with the Board.
• Act as the primary conduit to the Audit & Risk Committee (ARC), providing "unvarnished" independent assurance on the effectiveness of controls. Proactively engage with Non-Executive Directors to develop capability and promote robust engagement with the risk management framework.
• Oversee risk across major capital programmes (e.g., the Government Hubs Programme), ensuring "optimism bias" is challenged and financial risks in construction/leasing are quantified.
• Provide executive-level oversight of statutory compliance risks (including fire safety and asbestos management) and be a key member of the GPA Health and Safety committee
• Working with security experts across directorates and departments, lead the plan to stable security risks within GPA and physical/cyber security across the estate.
• Move the agency from a sometime defensive tactical approach to risk, leading the cultural evolution to an "intelligent risk-taking" culture where risk is considered by all team members in a more strategic context.
• Lead the Risk, Assurance, and Compliance functions.
• Manage relationships with the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA), National Audit Office (NAO), and Cabinet Office sponsors.

Essential:

• Proven experience acting as a CRO or Head of Risk in a complex, asset-heavy organization (Real Estate, Infrastructure, Construction, or similar).
• Ability to understand property economics (leases, valuations, capital projects) and translate them into risk profiles.
• Deep understanding of governance standards, ideally familiarity with The Orange Book (Management of Risk - Principles and Concepts).
• A track record of holding credibility with Non-Executive Directors and C-Suite executives, with the confidence to challenge senior decision-makers constructively.
• Experience building or significantly maturing a risk function during a period of organizational change.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

DE&I Commitment

Government Property Agency guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Government Property Agency guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet a