FS & GEC Governance & Oversight Director

The Governance and Oversight Director is a senior Finance leadership role and will play a critical part in strengthening and simplifying the governance and controls framework across the Finance function. The role is project focused and is accountable for ensuring structures are in place to support transparency and effective end-to-end governance, high-quality upward communications, and robust oversight of the control environment.

The role will provide leadership and oversight across numerous initiatives in the Finance function and act as a central point of coordination for senior management governance, including facilitation of responses to regulatory communications (including Dear CFO letters), ensuring clarity, consistency, and timely execution of actions. The role will work closely with the Finance COO, Group Controls Office, 2LOD, Risk, Internal Audit, and senior Finance leadership to embed a strong, sustainable controls culture while simplifying governance structures and processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and drive the Finance governance framework, including simplification of governance forums, decision-making structures, papers, and escalation pathways to ensure clarity, efficiency, and strong accountability.
• Coordinate and manage upward communications from Finance to executive management, committees, and Boards, ensuring clear, concise, and consistent messaging aligned to strategic priorities.
• Facilitate and oversee responses to regulatory correspondence, including Dear CFO letters, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-governed responses with clear ownership, action tracking, and senior sign-off.
• Act as the central point of coordination for governance interactions with Group Controls Office, Risk, Compliance, and 2LOD to ensure alignment with enterprise control standards and expectations.
• Provide oversight of control issues management, ensuring issues are clearly understood, appropriately prioritised, and remediated in a timely and sustainable manner.
• Support the Finance COO in regulatory engagement, including preparation of materials, management information, and briefings for regulators, auditors, and senior stakeholders.
• Design and embed governance standards and playbooks, including guidance for committees, control forums, issue management, and escalation practices.
• Embed a forward-looking performance and controls culture through meaningful KPIs, governance MI, and insightful commentary for senior management.
• Partner with senior leadership across Finance and enabling functions to challenge assumptions, ensure strategic alignment, and drive consistent governance outcomes.
• Oversee change adoption and embedding for governance and controls-related initiatives, ensuring transition from strategic change into BAU is effective and sustainable.
• Develop and maintain a strong governance and controls team, ensuring the function has the appropriate capability, capacity, and succession in place.

Knowledge:

• Deep understanding of financial services as an industry and the regulatory and accounting frameworks governing a global banking group.
• Strong knowledge of governance, risk, and control frameworks within a Finance function.
• Preferably a qualified accountant or similar professional qualification, or experience commensurate with the seniority of the role.

Experience:

• Extensive senior leadership experience within a Finance COO, Controls, Audit, Risk, or Governance function in a global bank or major financial institution.
• Experience in consulting, in particular individuals who have proven experience delivering tech projects in a Banking environment and who have a technology focused mindset. Experience driving Ai implementations are a bonus. Proven experience leading governance and controls activities across complex, global organisations.
• Demonstrable experience of engaging with regulators and coordinating responses to regulatory communications and findings.
• Experience of implementing and embedding a strong controls culture within a Finance or COO environment.
• Track record of driving simplification and change across governance frameworks, committees, and operating models.
• Experience leading and influencing global teams across multiple geographies.

Skills:

• Advanced management and leadership skills, including: Ability to think independently and make sound judgments based on a strong understanding of both regulatory requirements and business context.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior and executive management, regulators, and external stakeholders.
• Strong written communication skills, particularly in drafting high-quality governance papers, regulatory responses, and executive-level materials.
• Confident in driving and delivering change across both tactical and strategic initatives
• Proven ability to manage ambiguity and operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to drive outcomes without direct authority.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance control, efficiency, and commercial considerations.
• Leadership experience in change management, governance transformation, and team development.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we're dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.