Product Risk & Compliance Director

At OakNorth, we’re on a mission to empower the UK’s most ambitious businesses. Since 2015, we’ve lent over $21bn across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while operating in one of the most highly regulated environments in financial services.

Our products sit at the intersection of innovation, customer outcomes, and regulatory scrutiny. Getting that balance right is non-negotiable.

We are hiring a Director, Product Risk & Compliance to establish and run a strong, credible 1st Line product compliance capability within our Business Units.

This role exists to ensure that OakNorth’s products are built and operated in a compliant-by-design, risk-aware way, without slowing teams down or turning compliance into a box-ticking exercise.

You will not own product risk decisions — those remain Product Directors in each Business Unit. Instead, you will be accountable for orchestrating, coaching, and synthesising 1st Line product compliance activity so that:

Product teams clearly understand what “good” looks like

Product Directors can evidence their decisions with confidence

2nd and 3rd Line teams engage with a well-run, well-prepared 1st Line

You will report directly to the Chief Product Officer and work closely with Product Directors, Product Managers, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and Internal Audit.

This is a senior and hands-on role for someone who understands regulation deeply, but thinks like a product operator and system builder. You will be an individual contributor to begin with, and will lead the evolution of this practice in proportion to the impact it delivers.

This role is critical to OakNorth’s ability to continue building innovative products without compromising on customer outcomes or regulatory standards. You will have genuine influence over how products are designed, governed, and improved — and play a key role in ensuring the Product organisation operates with confidence, credibility, and integrity.