A bit about Ascent
At Ascent we place the customer at the heart of our operations, ensuring that within our customers most vulnerable times, we offer the support they deserve. You will play a huge part in the ongoing success of Ascent by providing technical and practical support when dealing with debt recovery and litigation actions on behalf of our clients.
Ascent Performance Group are a highly successful legal and financial services company; we work with other large financial service companies to support individuals during uncertain times. If you want to join an agile, successful and well established organisation, with a proven track record of colleague development and internal promotions, look no further than Ascent.
We live by our five core values:
- Be pioneering
- Be approachable and caring
- Be tenacious
- Be efficient
- Show integrity
Be Part of our team
This role’s primary objective is to conduct Second Line of Defence (SLOD), activities, which are covered by several components of internal governance (compliance, risk management, quality, IT and other control departments). You will monitor and facilitate the implementation of effective risk management practices by operational management and assists the risk owners in reporting adequate risk related information up and down the organisation.
What will your day look like?
Second Line of Defence
- Through a risk-based approach, provide assurance to the Ascent board of directors and senior management on how effectively the business assesses and manages its risks including assurance on the effectiveness of the first of defence.
- Conduct process and end to end reviews assessing the impact of business activity from the customers and client perspective.
- Compile data on this aspect to identify trends and instigate corrective actions as appropriate to prevent future occurrence.
Internal audit
- Conduct audits on key policies to assess the adherence of business activity.
- Compile data to identify trends and instigate corrective actions as appropriate to prevent future occurrence of any issues identified.
- Complete annual internal audits in line with the agreed schedule.
Risk Management
- Support the business by liaising with staff on potential risk areas and assist in the implementation of preventative measures for accepted risk areas.
Other Duties
- Assist with the management and production of Customer Data Subject Access Requests.
- Hold internal call calibration sessions and attend client calibration sessions.
- Keep up to date with relevant regulatory changes, along with internal business developments to ensure that all compliance monitoring activities remain valid.
- Attend, as required, relevant external workshops/meetings to maintain awareness of developments in compliance monitoring and risk management techniques.
Our Candidate Requirements
We expect you to be well-versed in regulatory guidelines and corporate governance best practices and ensuring that our business is a customer experience champion, that we are listening to and acting responsively to customer feedback via complaints or any other media. There is strong emphasis on continuous improvement; specifically aimed at increasing customer satisfaction.
Knowledge, skills & experience
Essential
- Educated to Degree level and previous experience within financial services.
- Robust risk and control, governance, and/or compliance experience gained in the 1st or 2nd Line of Defence roles.
- Good understanding of operational risk tools, control frameworks
- Solid understanding of the SMCR regulatory requirements
- Delivery focused, with proven track record of delivering on expectations.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent assignments of varying scope and complexity in a cross-functional environment.
- Confident, self-starter with the ability to work with minimal supervision.
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills and attention to detail
- Takes initiative, accepts challenges, grows business acumen, and establishes/sustains internal/external networks
- and relationships in a complex organisational environment
- Acts with integrity and holding oneself accountable for their remit
Desirable
- Experience/ knowledge of consumer and commercial debt recovery processes and strategies
What we offer you
- Hybrid working
- A Competitive benefits package including:
- Company Pension Scheme
- 22 days holiday, plus bank holidays (We have a buying holiday scheme that allows you to buy additional holidays during the annual holiday year)
- Health cash plan
- Critical illness cover
- Discounted legal services
- Season ticket loans
- Discounted online shopping
- Discounted gym memberships
- Cycle to work
Further Information
As part of the Ascent on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, existing employees, clients, partners and other stakeholders.