Risk & Control Manager
Pleo · London, United Kingdom · 7d ago
About Pleo
Messy spend management is tricky business. And tedious processes are a lose-lose situation for all involved, not just finance. At Pleo, we're changing that. We build spend solutions that make managing money seamless, empowering, and surprisingly effective for finance teams and employees alike - with a vision to help all businesses ‘go beyond’.
The word ‘Pleo’ actually means ‘more than you’d expect’, and living by that mantra has been the secret to our success over the last 10 years.
Now, we’re at a pivotal moment in our journey; every move we make has a direct impact on our 40,000+ customers, our business, and our collective success. We need people who take pride in uncovering customer needs, who turn complex problems into simple solutions, challenge the way things are done (respectfully), and always aim high. With great ambitions driving us forward, we can’t say we’ve got this whole thing figured out. And frankly, that’s half the fun! What we can say is that we’re a driven, progressive, and, importantly, a kind bunch of 850+ people from over 100 nationalities, all committed to delivering the future of business spending, together.
We're looking for a Manager to join our Risk & Control team at Pleo. In this role, you'll operate as a key part of our Second Line of Defence, helping to strengthen the risk management framework that underpins everything we do — from our product to our regulatory relationships. You'll work at the intersection of risk expertise and business partnership, offering thoughtful challenges and practical guidance to our First Line teams as we continue to scale. If you're excited by the prospect of shaping how a fast-growing FinTech approaches risk maturity, and are passionate about building robust, pragmatic control environments, this is the role for you.
What you’ll be doing
As a Risk Manager, you will:
Strengthen our risk framework – Contribute to the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of Pleo's 2LOD risk management framework, ensuring it remains aligned with regulatory expectations and our evolving business strategy.
Review and challenge the First Line – Execute effective oversight activities of the 1LOD, assessing the quality of risk identification, control design, and ongoing management across the business.
Be a trusted risk partner – Act as a go-to advisor for business teams and 1LOD stakeholders, providing expert guidance on risk topics, regulatory change, and the broader control environment.
Drive insightful risk reporting – Support the development and preparation of clear, data-informed risk reports for senior management and relevant governance committees, surfacing key risk exposures and control gaps.
Support regulatory engagement – Contribute to interactions with regulators on risk and control matters, drawing on your subject matter expertise to support well-prepared, credible responses.
What you bring
You’ll thrive in this role if you have:
Solid financial services experience – Around 5–7 years of experience in a regulated financial services environment (FinTech, banking, payments, or similar), with at least 3 years focused on risk or control management.
Credit risk experience - A solid understanding of the assessment and management of credit risk
A strong risk and control foundation – A professional background rooted in risk management and control functions, with hands-on experience in execution and assurance activities. Experience spanning both 1LOD and 2LOD is a real plus.
The ability to influence – A proven track record of engaging and influencing stakeholders on complex or sensitive risk topics, with the confidence to challenge constructively and the credibility to be heard.
Clear, collaborative communication – The ability to translate risk concepts into practical, accessible language for a range of audiences, from technical teams to senior leadership.
A pragmatic, solutions-oriented mindset – A passion for finding workable answers to real risk challenges, rather than defaulting to theoretical frameworks alone.
Highly desirable: Experience at both a FinTech and a traditional banking or payments institution is something we'd particularly welcome. And while 5–7 years is our general expectation, exceptional candidates with around 4 years of deeply relevant experience are encouraged to apply.
This role is not suited to candidates whose background is primarily in professional services/consultancy, internal audit, or compliance without substantial risk and control experience.
Who you’ll be working with and reporting to
You'll report directly to our Head of Risk and Control and work closely with First Line teams across the business. Our Risk & Control function is collaborative by design — you'll have regular exposure to senior stakeholders and the opportunity to partner with teams spanning Product, Operations, Finance, and Compliance to drive a culture of sound risk management across Pleo.
How you’ll develop in this role In your first 12 months at Pleo, you’ll:
Get under the skin of Pleo's risk landscape and take ownership of key 2LOD review and challenge activities across priority business areas.
Play an active role in evolving our risk framework as the company continues to scale — contributing your expertise to initiatives that will shape how we manage risk for years to come.
Build strong relationships across the business, establishing yourself as a credible and trusted voice on risk matters.
We're committed to helping you grow here — whether that means deepening your technical expertise, expanding your regulatory knowledge, or stepping into broader leadership responsibilities as the team develops.
Show me the benefits!
Your own Pleo card (no more out-of-pocket spending!)
Lunch is on us for your work days - enjoy catered meals or receive a lunch allowance based on your local office
Comprehensive private healthcare - depending on your location, coverage options include Vitality, Alan or Médis
We offer 25+ days of holiday + your public holidays
For our Team, we offer both hybrid and fully remote working options
We use MyndUp to give our employees access to free mental health and well-being support with great success so far
Paid parental leave - we want to make sure that we're supportive of families and help you feel that you don't have to compromise your family due to work
About your application
English first. Since it's our company language, please submit your application in English. You’ll be using it a lot if you join us.
A fair look for everyone. Our talent team reads every single application to ensure the process is fair. To keep things running smoothly, we only accept applications through our system—our support team can’t pass on calls or emails.
Diversity drives us. We can only reach our goals if our team reflects the world around us. That starts with you hitting apply, even if you don't tick every single box. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to join us.
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Applying for multiple roles? Nothing is stopping you, and we assess every role independently. However, we do look for alignment, so make sure you can explain why your interest and experience are right for each specific role.
Reapplying. If you’re applying for the same role again, please wait six months from your last decision before hitting submit.