Working for the Government Risk Profession

Risk management is at the heart of government decision making, enabling public bodies to better assess and plan for events in the future whilst estimating how disruptive or helpful they may be to achieving objectives. It’s about being innovative, resilient and preparing to deal with the unexpected, a pursuit which is important for government given recent global events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Government Risk Profession is supported by the Risk Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is led by the Head of the Government Risk Profession, formally established appointed in 2022 making it one of the newest professions in government. You can learn more about the Government Risk Profession pages on One Finance and find information on our risk management learning offers in the Government Campus Specialist Skills Guide.

There are many interesting and rewarding jobs available in the Government Risk Profession. These roles involve things like assessing risks, creating processes to control risks, providing assurance that things are working well, and figuring out how much risk an organisation is willing to take to achieve its goals. Right now, there are over 900 risk professionals working in the government, a number which is growing every day. Senior roles in risk management include positions like Heads of Risk and Chief Risk Officers, who are important in advising senior leaders on how to manage risks.

If you are interested in learning about a career in risk management, you can find information about the types of roles, technical skills and qualifications required in the Risk Management Skills & Capability Framework.

For further information on risk management in government, the Orange Book guidance establishes the principles and concepts of risk management. The Orange Book Annexes provide additional guidance on specific elements relating to risk management, including: Risk Appetite Guidance Note; Good Practice Guide: Risk Reporting; and Portfolio Risk Management Guidance.

If you work in risk management, join the Government Risk Profession community on One Finance to further explore risk management resources, networks, on demand videos and teach-ins, receive the Government Risk Community Communication and invitations to the Risk Improvement Group Online webinars.

Iqra Mughal

Read about Iqra’s experience as a Risk Analyst in HM Treasury.

Read Iqra’s case study

Simon King

Read about Simon’s time as Chief Risk Officer in the Ministry of Defence.

Read Simon’s case study

Oliver Stadon

Read about Oliver’s time as Head of Risk Management at the Home Office.

Read Oliver’s case study

See Risk Profession vacancies on CS Jobs

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