Make a Real Impact Bevan Brittan is a leading commercial law firm. Alongside our recognised expertise in housing, local government, and health and social care, we are specialists in the construction, energy and resource management, higher education and financial services sectors. Supported by our valued business services professionals, our award-winning and growing legal teams provide almost 2,000 organisations with commercial, corporate, property, finance, regulatory, employment and litigation (commercial and clinical negligence) legal and advisory services. As a responsible business, we embrace four values: Relationships, Reputation, Responsible and Results. These give us a sense of purpose. They influence the decisions we make and how we work with each other. Importantly, they motivate us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients and the communities that we're part of. Consistently recognised as one of The Times Best Law Firms and highly ranked across the legal directories, we are proud of our hard-earned reputation. Our 2024/25 financial results confirmed both revenue and profit growth for an eleventh consecutive year, ensuring our ability to continue investing in our people. Looking to the future, we're targeting ambitious growth and success. And we're looking for the best people to be part of it. Join a team of experts and progressive thinkers Bevan Brittan's Risk & Best Practice (R&BP) team is responsible for ensuring firm-wide compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and promoting Best Practice within the firm and by third parties working with the firm, as well as overseeing the firm's certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, ISO 22301 and Cyber Essentials Plus). The role We have an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced risk & compliance professional to join Bevan Brittan's growing Risk & Best Practice (R&BP) team. As Head of Risk, you will work closely with the Director of Risk (DoR) to lead and deliver a first-class risk and regulatory service to the firm. You will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the R&BP sub-teams/functions in line with the priorities set by the DoR, working with a range of key stakeholders across both legal and business services teams. Main responsibilities: Leadership and Governance Day-to-day oversight of the Risk & Best Practice (R&BP) function, ensuring effective delivery of firmwide risk, regulatory compliance and best practice Deputising for the Director of Risk (DoR) as required and supporting Board and Audit & Risk Committee reporting Acting as a senior escalation point for significant regulatory, ethical, professional liability and reputational risks Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management Supporting the DoR in ensuring compliance with SRA Standards and Regulations, AML/CTF, data protection, bribery and economic crime legislation, and other relevant legal and regulatory frameworks Annual review of the Enterprise Risk Register and key standalone risk assessments Day-to-day management of incidents, data breaches, near misses and information barriers Specialist Oversight AML/CTF and client due diligence, including deputy MLCO responsibilities Data protection governance, including DPIAs, ROPA, DSARs and privacy notices Information security and business resilience, including ISO 27001, ISO 22301 and incident response Quality and environmental management, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 compliance Internal audit planning, delivery and external audit management Insurance, Claims and Complaints Renewal and management of professional indemnity and other insurances Claims handling, provisioning and insurer engagement Administration of the firm's complaints-handling process, including appointment of Independent Investigating Partners Advice and Client Support Senior legal and regulatory advice on ethical issues, client contracts, tenders and outside counsel guidelines Oversight of responses to client audits, questionnaires and framework requirements Training, Reporting and Continuous Improvement Design and delivery of firmwide risk and compliance training programmes Monitoring and reporting of risk and compliance KPIs and management information Driving continuous improvement through system enhancements, process redesign and use of technology People, Operations and Budget Management Managing performance, capacity, recruitment, development and appraisals within the R&BP team Oversight of the compliance calendar, supplier management and operational efficiency Coordination of R&BP business continuity arrangements and response during BC events What we are looking for from you The successful candidate will be an e xperienced risk lawyer or senior risk & compliance professional, who has advanced their career within law firms. You will be familiar with offering C-suite advice to law firm partners and directors and will have following key skills/experience: Experience in effectively leading and mentoring a team, monitoring individual performance (whether for direct or indirect line reports) and managing where required in conjunction with the DoR Experience of running a risk and compliance function is an advantage, but we will consider experienced risk lawyers who have overseen one or more key sub-functions with multiple team members Experience of presenting on risk & compliance to the Board or senior management team (by invitation) Familiarity with the broad requirements of ISO 27001, 9001 and 22301, and with the running of an ISO-compliant management system (familiarity with ISO 14001, Cyber Essentials Plus or other ISO standards/Lexcel an advantage) Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to provide succinct & straightforward advice to internal clients which focuses on pragmatic and commercially-focussed solutions A careful, methodical approach with excellent attention to detail and strong personal organisation to ensure that issues are followed through and closed out Excellent planning and coordination skills, the ability to juggle competing demands, and to prioritise work (and reprioritise where urgent issues arise); resourceful and innovative in approach to new or changed circumstances/challenges Calm under pressure and experienced in providing advice to partners and senior managers, drawing on comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all law and regulation impacting on private sector law firms A collegiate, collaborative approach, aware of the day-to-day pressures on partners and lawyers and keeping the bigger picture in mind, as well as being an ambassador for best practice and the R&BP team Ability to focus on strategic objectives whilst maintaining strong oversight of operational delivery, and curious about new technologies or techniques to deliver the risk and compliance improvement programme agreed with the DoR Excellent presentational skills, including the ability to present to the firm's ISO auditors, insurers, brokers and others with expert knowledge of the firm's management system, and handling unexpected questions or challenges with confidence Work with approachable people When we ask colleagues what makes Bevan Brittan a great place to work, the most popular thing they say is "the people". The overwhelming consensus is that we make time for each other. We welcome questions and support each other. Naturally, we look for new colleagues who align with our values. Supported to be your best Hybrid working We operate a hybrid working model based on the needs of our clients, teams and people. Our core business hours are 9am - 5:15pm Monday to Friday, but we're open to our people working more flexibly around those times and welcome a conversation with you if you have any questions about this. We try to offer you the flexibility to work your week in a way that suits you. Learning, Development & Progression We're committed to supporting your professional and personal development needs. This means that we offer a range of tailored training courses and you will have lots of opportunity to learn from those around you. We actively encourage progression and this is reflected in our annual review and promotion processes. You will be supported by your line manager to achieve your full potential. Wellbeing As a Bevan Brittan employee, you'll have access to a variety of services that support your wellbeing. We've pledged our commitment to The Mindful Business Charter and lots of our people contribute to our Wellbeing Responsible Business strand, which organises an annual calendar of wellbeing events and initiatives. Benefits A minimum of 25 days holiday (plus the option to buy up to an additional 5 days) Discretionary bonus scheme Generous pension scheme Private medical insurance through Vitality Biennial private health assessment through Nuffield Health Life assurance Access to Employee Assistance Programme Cycle to work scheme Embracing our differences and valuing inclusion Our shared aim is that everyone is welcome and can feel comfortable being themselves at Bevan Brittan. To support this, we actively value and promote equality, diversity and inclusion in everything that we do. You'll be empowered and supported through our employee led networks, diverse colleagues, and a broad range of firm-wide initiatives. Recognising the unique contributions that a diverse workforce can bring to our business, we encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We take great pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any adjustments throughout the recruitment process or have any questions, please get in touch with our recruitment team by emailing recruitment@bevanbrittan.com Acting responsibly, now and for the future To us, being a responsible business is second nature; a core part of Bevan Brittan's identity. Our colleagues are heavily involved in shaping and delivering activity across the four pillars of our Responsible Business strategy : Community Engagement; Environmental Sustainability; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; and Wellbeing. Our people deliver pro bono legal work for charities and not-for-profit organisations. We play an active role in our local communities and donated £100,000 across our four regional office charities last year. We are also proudly carbon neutral. We've achieved the UN's Climate Neutral Now accreditation and our environmental sustainability plan focuses on achieving our net zero carbon target by 2040. Collectively, the four pillars ensure we look after our colleagues' wellbeing; offer an environment in which everyone can progress on merit, give something back to the communities in which we work; and protect the environment.