Senior Business Continuity Specialist | S4 | Chief Information & Resilience Office | Multiple Locations

Senior Business Continuity Specialist | S4 | Chief Information & Resilience Office | Multiple Locations

Country: United Kingdom

IT STARTS HERE

Santander (www.santander.com) is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organisation, and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.

This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

Our mission is to contribute to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

Santander Digital Services is the team of technology and operations at Santander. We are convinced of the importance of technology that is aligned with the requirements of the business and that out work not only brings value to users, people and communities but also fosters individual creativity. Our team of over 7,000 people in 8 countries (Spain, Portugal, Poland, UK, USA, Mexico, Chile and Brazil) develops and/or implements financial solutions across a broad spectrum of technologies (including Blockchain, Big Data and Angular among others) on all kinds of on-premise and cloud-based platforms.

 

 

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE

Santander UK is looking for a Senior Business Continuity Specialist based out of Milton Keynes or Glasgow.

Own and continuously improve Santander UKs Business Continuity and OCIR frameworks, including the risk and control environment; ensuring policies, standards and methodologies are effectively embedded and compliant across the business. Provide thought-leadership and specialist guidance to develop long term strategy, continually focused on strengthening business continuity effectiveness. Drive remediation of identified weaknesses and improve organisational resilience through robust, credible and tested continuity planning. Able to provide recommendation to executive leadership and challenge as needed.

A senior contributor role within Line 1 accountable for the management, monitoring and embedding of effective risk management practices and standards across San UK, ensuring senior management understands their own risk profile with regards to business continuity.

The role will manage or support the impacts of any regulatory requests and liaise with key internal stakeholders / teams to deliver the requirements, as well as oversee and implement any local changes resulting from regulatory developments or audit points.

This role will effectively manage a wide range of risk associated responsibilities, as appropriate depending on the Directorate, to include but not restricted to; Third Party Supplier Risk Management, Segregation of Duty, Business Continuity Planning, End User Computing, Record & Retention, Operational Risk Assessment completion, Scenario Analysis, Anti-Bribery & Corruption, Audit & Compliance Recommendations, S-OX & COSO control framework, Data Security.

The Line 1 Senior Risk Manager will be the Risk subject matter expert of the Directorate, run internal governance forums and will make risk related decisions on behalf of the senior management team.

We’re shaping the way we work through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Business Continuity Framework Ownership - Own, maintain and continuously improve the enterprise Business Continuity Management Framework, embedding the standards and methodologies necessary to enable effective and consistent continuity planning across the organisation.
• Business Continuity Risk & Control Framework - Own and maintain the BCM risk and control framework, including definition of key risks, minimum control requirements, control objectives and associated assessment methodologies. Ensure the framework enables effective identification, management, escalation and remediation of business continuity risks and control weaknesses.
• Framework Embedding & Business Adoption - Drive effective embedding of BCM requirements across the business, translating policy and regulatory expectations into practical requirements that can be consistently implemented. Partner with business and functional stakeholders to build ownership, improve maturity and ensure continuity considerations are embedded into business-as-usual activities and material change.
• Business Continuity Planning Standards - Define and maintain enterprise requirements for Business Impact Analysis, continuity strategies, Business Continuity Plans, recovery requirements and dependency assessment. Establish appropriate quality standards and provide specialist guidance and challenge to ensure plans are credible, actionable and capable of supporting the organisation through significant disruption.
• Exercising, Testing & Continuous Improvement - Own the enterprise BCM exercising and testing methodology, establishing minimum requirements and standards for demonstrating continuity capability. Use exercise outcomes, incidents, assurance activity and emerging risks to identify systemic weaknesses and drive improvements to the framework and underlying business continuity capability.
• Oversight, Challenge & Management Information - Establish mechanisms to assess implementation and effectiveness of the BCM framework across the organisation. Provide specialist oversight and constructive challenge, identify material gaps or areas of non-compliance, and ensure risks and remediation are appropriately escalated. Develop meaningful MI that provides senior management with visibility of BCM risk, control effectiveness, compliance, maturity and emerging themes.
• OCIR Framework & Requirements - Own and maintain the organisation's framework and requirements for Operational Continuity in Resolution (OCIR), ensuring applicable regulatory requirements are translated into sustainable business processes, controls and governance. Coordinate relevant stakeholders to maintain appropriate capabilities, evidence and documentation supporting the continuity of critical services in resolution and oversee identification and remediation of OCIR risks and gaps.
• Regulatory, Risk & Governance Engagement - Act as a senior subject-matter expert for BCM and OCIR, supporting engagement with senior management, Risk, Internal Audit and relevant regulatory stakeholders. Monitor regulatory developments and industry practice, assess their implications and ensure the BCM and OCIR frameworks remain appropriate, effective and aligned with the organisation's risk-management expectations.

 

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organisation. We’re enabling teams to go beyond by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Professional Experience

• Business Continuity Framework Ownership: Extensive experience developing, embedding and continuously improving enterprise-wide business continuity frameworks, policies and standards within financial services or a similarly regulated organisation. (Required)
• Business Continuity Risk and Controls: Proven track record establishing risk and control frameworks, assessing control effectiveness, and driving the identification, escalation and remediation of continuity risks. (Required)
• Business Impact Analysis and Continuity Planning: Substantial practical experience defining and challenging business impact analyses, recovery requirements, dependency assessments, continuity strategies and business continuity plans. (Required)
• Exercising and Capability Improvement: Demonstrable experience designing and overseeing business continuity exercising programmes, using findings from tests, incidents and assurance reviews to address weaknesses and strengthen recovery capability. (Required)
• Operational Continuity in Resolution (OCIR): Practical experience developing or maintaining OCIR frameworks, coordinating stakeholders and maintaining the processes, controls and evidence needed to support continuity of critical services in resolution. (Required)
• Regulatory and Assurance Engagement: Proven experience translating regulatory requirements into practical business requirements, supporting regulatory and audit reviews, and delivering sustainable remediation of identified findings. (Required)
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement and Governance: Significant experience providing specialist advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders, influencing cross-functional stakeholders and presenting risk insights and recommendations to governance forums. (Required)
• Enterprise-wide Implementation and Change: Successful delivery of cross-functional continuity improvement initiatives, embedding business ownership, supporting material change and demonstrating improved framework adoption through meaningful management information. (Required)

 

Education

• Relevant academic qualification. (Preferred)
• Recognised risk professional certification (Preferred)

Languages

• Spanish (Preferred)

 

Hard Skills

• Business Continuity Frameworks: Expertise in designing and maintaining enterprise-wide continuity policies, standards and methodologies. (Required)
• Business Impact Analysis and Recovery Planning: Ability to assess business impacts, map dependencies and define recovery strategies and continuity plans. (Required)
• Risk and Control Assessment: Proficiency in identifying continuity risks, assessing control effectiveness and defining remediation actions. (Required)
• Scenario Design and Continuity Testing: Technical capability to develop disruption scenarios and testing methodologies that validate recovery arrangements. (Required)
• OCIR and Regulatory Requirements: Strong knowledge of Operational Continuity in Resolution and the ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical controls and processes. (Required)
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Proficiency in developing metrics, dashboards and management information to assess continuity maturity, compliance and control effectiveness. (Required)

 

Soft Skills

• Communication: Ability to translate complex continuity and risk issues into clear, concise advice for business teams and executive audiences. (Required)
• Influencing and Constructive Challenge: Confidence to challenge assumptions, influence senior stakeholders and secure commitment without direct authority. (Required)
• Collaboration: Strong relationship-building skills to align cross-functional teams and establish shared ownership of continuity requirements. (Required)
• Critical Thinking and Judgement: Ability to evaluate evidence, identify underlying weaknesses and recommend proportionate, practical solutions. (Required)
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to anticipate emerging challenges and translate long-term continuity objectives into actionable priorities. (Required)
• Adaptability and Prioritisation: Ability to remain composed under pressure, respond to changing demands and manage competing priorities effectively. (Required)

 

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT

At Santander, your contribution matters. We recognise the difference you make every day, and we make sure you feel valued, supported and rewarded in return.
Here, recognition goes beyond pay. It’s about the pride you feel in your work, the impact you have on customers and communities, and the opportunities you have to grow and thrive — personally and professionally.

Salary Range:
£76,385.00 - £114,577.00 per annum (depending on experience)

This salary range represents the expected remuneration for the role. Annual salary is based on a standard 35-hour working week. Actual salary offered will depend on skills, experience, qualifications and location.

• 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, which increases to 31 days after 5yrs service, with the option to purchase up to 5 contractual days per year
• £6,000 car allowance per year
• Company funded individual private medical insurance
• Protection for you and your family, with company-funded death-in-service benefit and income protection insurance, and the option to take advantage of discounted rates for additional life assurance and critical illness cover.
• Share in Santander’s success by saving or investing in our share plans. 
• As a Santander UK employee, you are able to request staff versions of our products like our Edge Current Accounts and Credit Cards with no fees, as well as apply to many other deals and discounts in Santander products and services
• Competitive rewards that reflect the real impact you make and the value you bring.
• Wellbeing that goes beyond work — we work with a range of wellbeing partners across our 4 pillars of wellbeing (physical, mental, social and financial) to give you access to a suite of apps, discounted gym and fitness access, weekly online classes, flexible healthcare and mental health support.
• Support for every life stage — from menopause and pregnancy to parenthood and beyond, with enhanced family leave, childcare options and tailored wellbeing support.
• Time to give back through volunteering opportunities that let you make a difference in the communities we serve.
• Global growth opportunities to shape your career, learn new skills and explore what’s possible across our international network.

Ready to be recognised? It starts with you.

 

LOCAL COMPLIANCE

At Santander, we’re proud to be an inclusive organisation that provides equal opportunities for everyone — regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation.

We’re committed to creating a recruitment experience that’s accessible, fair and welcoming for all candidates.

We want our people to thrive — at work and at home — while delivering the best outcomes for our customers and supporting each other to grow.

To make this possible, our roles are site-based with a hybrid working pattern, where colleagues are expected to attend the office at least 12 days per month (pro-rata for part-time roles).

When applying, please consider the travel distance, time and cost to your chosen office location(s). 

 

Right to work in the UK

• All candidates must have the right to work in the UK to commence employment with Santander.

 

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

If there’s anything we can do in the recruitment process to help you achieve your best, get in touch. Whether it’s a copy of our application form in another format or additional assistance, we’re available through email. You can contact us at [email protected].