First Line of Defence (1LOD) Risk Lead

About us

At Davy, it’s the unique talents of all our people that have been the foundations of our success for 100 years. As we continue to grow, so do you. Because you are not just part of our team – you are a key player in shaping our future.

At Davy, you are the difference. 

Established in 1926, the Davy Group sits at the heart of wealth and capital in Ireland, providing a broad range of services to high-net-worth individuals, self-directed investors, small-to-medium enterprises, credit unions, corporations, and domestic & international institutional investors.

Our culture is shaped around three values, which are at the heart of everything we do: client success, one Davy, and building a proud legacy. Sharing the same goals, we work together to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients. As part of a team of over 900, you will be encouraged to learn and to grow, both professionally and personally.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has opened up in Wealth & Insurance Transformation Team. In the role, the successful candidate will:

Risk Management & Oversight

• Oversee adherence to the Risk Management Framework (RMF) across the Wealth Transformation programme, including platform delivery and operating model change.
• Lead the identification, assessment, documentation and ongoing monitoring of programme risks and issues, ensuring alignment with enterprise risk policies and standards.
• Act as the primary 1LOD point of contact for risk management activities within the Programme / Orchestration Tower.

Independent Challenge & Assurance

• Provide independent review and constructive challenge to workstream and divisional activities, ensuring risks, dependencies and control gaps are identified early and mitigated effectively.
• Drive timely escalation and intervention where risk exposures exceed appetite or threaten delivery, customer outcomes, regulatory compliance or operational stability.
• Provide risk insights across programme interdependencies, including alignment with broader enterprise strategy and operating model initiatives.

Embedding Risk into Delivery

• Partner with programme leadership, workstream leads and divisional teams to embed risk controls and mitigations into delivery plans, design decisions and key artefacts.
• Facilitate and lead risk workshops, scenario analysis and readiness assessments across technology, data, operations and client migration activities.
• Support risk-informed decision making throughout agile and waterfall delivery lifecycles.

Governance, Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Produce clear, timely and high‑quality risk reporting and insights for programme governance forums, executive committees and Boards as required.
• Actively participate in programme governance, steering committees and design authorities, providing independent input on risk, control and assurance matters.
• Serve as a key contact for regulatory, supervisory or external engagements related to the Wealth Transformation programme.

Continuous Improvement & Capability Building

• Continuously review and enhance programme risk processes, tools and reporting to improve efficiency, consistency and effectiveness.
• Monitor emerging risks, regulatory developments and external drivers relevant to wealth platforms, client outcomes, data, resilience and operating models.
• Support the development and delivery of risk awareness and training sessions for programme and business stakeholders.

Requirements

About you

 We are looking for somebody who has the following background and skills: 

• Proven experience in a First Line of Defence (1LOD) risk role within Financial Services, ideally supporting large‑scale transformation or technology-enabled change.
• Experience working on wealth, investment, private banking or asset management change programmes is highly desirable.
• Demonstrable experience supporting complex portfolios of inter‑related transformation initiatives, including technology, operating model and business process change.
• Experience working with both Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies.
• Track record of establishing and operating effective programme governance, risk and reporting frameworks.

Technical & Professional Expertise

• Strong understanding of enterprise risk management frameworks, regulatory expectations and industry best practice.
• Experience of risk assessment, control design, issue management and lessons‑learned application across programmes.
• Exposure to programme financials, including cost management, forecasting and budget tracking.
• Proficiency with programme and risk tools (e.g. JIRA) and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

Personal Attributes

• Strong critical thinking, judgement and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret complex information and articulate clear risk insights.
• Credibility and confidence to engage, challenge and influence senior stakeholders at all levels, including Executive and Board forums.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences.
• Highly collaborative, resilient and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership and independence.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast‑paced transformation environments.

Benefits

What we offer

At Davy, our people are our biggest investment. In today’s fast-moving world, we know it’s important to feel secure and empowered. That’s why Davy benefits support you through all of life’s stages, offering health and wellness, flexible working options, flexible benefits allowance, learning and development opportunities, through to assisted retirement planning. 

Health and Wellbeing

Psychological safety, emotional wellbeing and support are a priority at Davy. We offer a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and mental health first aid. Our Sports & Social teams promote physical wellbeing and social connection.

Reward and Recognition

We offer a competitive remuneration package to include salary, bonus, pension and a host of additional benefits to protect you and your family when it matters most.

Growth and Development

Our award-winning L&D function supports you and your growth at Davy. We offer a comprehensive range of professional and personal development opportunities. Our culture supports learning, and we encourage you to explore more at Davy.

Positive Workplace

Our workplace is inclusive, diverse, and offers everyone a sense of belonging. We are flexible and continue to support a hybrid working model. You will get to be your best at Davy.

Values and Culture

Exceptional client outcomes delivered by a world class team, underpinned by our core Davy values – One Team, Client Success, and Proud Legacy. 

Important Information

Davy is an equal opportunities employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We value diversity in both background and experience, and even if you don’t meet all of the requirements outlined in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. We review all applications received. As part of our commitment to creating an accessible environment, we want to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the interview process. If you require any reasonable accommodations, please let us know, and we will do our best to make the necessary arrangements.  

Appointment to this role is subject to the candidate's eligibility to work in Ireland.

Where agency assistance is required, our Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to us by recruitment agencies will not be accepted for this role.

Davy Group is a member of the Bank of Ireland Group.