Operational Risk Manager (Customer Ops & People)

Our Story

Hello there. We’re Zopa.

We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer-to-peer lending company. Fast forward to 2020 and we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre — we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward. Find out more about our fantastic offerings at Zopa.com! 

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces. 

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count. Want to see us in action? Follow us on Instagram @zopalife

The First Line of Defence (1LOD) Risk Function is responsible for managing risks across the organisation, working closely with cross-business stakeholders and adopting the bank’s risk framework to embed effective and efficient risk management into everything we do.

We are looking for a Risk Manager to partner with our Customer Operations and People teams to identify, assess, and manage operational risks. This is an exciting opportunity for a risk professional motivated by driving change and contributing to responsible growth and a truly customer-centric experience.

A day in the life:

• Reporting into the Senior Risk Manager, Operations, you will collaborate with stakeholders across the three lines of defence to ensure Zopa operates within risk appetite through the application of appropriate mitigating controls.
• Identify areas of risk and demonstrate strong knowledge of operational risks and controls.
• Lead the definition of risk solutions that are smart, proportionate, sustainable (e.g., favouring automated controls over manual interventions), and considered (addressing root causes rather than just immediate fixes).
• Manage interdependencies to support the timely, high-quality delivery of agreed solutions and change initiatives.
• Ensure management information (MI) and reporting are delivered on time, enabling stakeholders to make informed, risk-based decisions.
• Take a proactive approach to supporting change management initiatives within the Operations area and work with the business to identify material risks early.
• Manage risk events pragmatically and proportionately, engaging the right stakeholders at the right time and probing for information when necessary.

About you:

• You are an experienced risk professional with a strong understanding of the retail banking environment and a passion for supporting teams to deliver strong customer outcomes.
• You have a proven track record of managing operational risk (ideally in the first line) within consultancy, fintech, or the broader financial services sector.
• You have good awareness of the regulatory framework in which Zopa operates.
• You take a proactive approach to partnering with stakeholders to identify risk areas, support change initiatives, and continuously improve risk-based practices.
• You are technical, outcome-oriented, and able to apply the risk framework to propose optimal outcomes for customers and the bank.
• You are a strong communicator who can articulate issues clearly, flagging trade-offs and solutions to gain stakeholder buy-in.
• You are passionate about improving the risk environment and enhancing ways of working across the teams you support.
• You act as a source of knowledge and a key point of contact for business colleagues, including second line risk and first line counterparts.
• You guide first-line teams in conducting comprehensive risk assessments and promoting a risk-aware culture across the business.

Bonus Points for:

• Practical experience working in a financial services customer operations function.
• Experience with change projects involving automated and tech-enabled solutions.

#LI-LK1

We're on the move! 

Towards the end of 2025 Zopa will be relocating to a brand-new headquarters at 20 Water Street in Canary Wharf. The 44,000 square foot workspace will foster collaboration and inspire creativity for our 900 employees amidst our 2025 growth blitz.

At Zopa we value flexible ways of working.

We value face-to-face collaboration and a good work-life balance. This hybrid role requires you to come to our London office 2-3 days a week.

You'll also have the option of working from abroad for up to 120 days a year!* But no matter where you are, we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to thrive, both in your work and home life, from day one.

*Subject to having the right to work in the country of choice

Diversity Statement

Zopa is proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, have a DE&I forum made up of Zopians wanting to make a difference and we are proud of our culture where everyone can bring their full self to work. Our approach to DE&I is reflected in our hiring process so please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.