Location: Hybrid - Sunderland
Salary: £58,901
Contract type: Full-time
Closing date: 16 March 2026.
Join Gentoo in a key role where you’ll support the Director of Safety, Risk and Assurance to make sure the Group has strong, effective arrangements for risk management, assurance, business continuity and incident response. You’ll work collaboratively with colleagues across Gentoo, offering clear guidance and trusted expertise as they develop and embed their frameworks and processes.
You’ll also lead, support and develop their Risk and Assurance Advisor, and their Assurance Lead, who oversees Gentoo's technical assurance team of gas and electrical auditors, helping them thrive and ensuring their work has a real impact for customers, colleagues and communities.
Over recent years, the company has made significant progress in strengthening how Gentoo identifies, understands and manages risk, resilience and assurance. They've laid strong foundations for a more joined‑up, intelligence‑led approach, improving oversight, clarifying accountabilities and embedding a culture where risk management and assurance actively support better decision‑making.
Alongside this, they have continued to enhance their business continuity and incident response arrangements, ensuring they are well prepared to protect their customers, colleagues and communities when it matters most.
This role offers the opportunity to build on that momentum, shaping the next phase of their journey, maturing their frameworks, and making a visible, positive difference across the Group.
Gentoo recognise the importance of a positive work-life balance—their hybrid working model offers the flexibility of both working from their Doxford Park, Sunderland head office and home-based work. To support collaboration and innovation, you’ll be required to work from the office for part of the working week and be flexible to attend on-site meetings as needed.
Gentoo supports a great work-life balance with their standard 36-hour working week, Monday to Friday. Plus, enjoy an early finish at 12:30 pm every Friday—giving you more time for the things that matter to you. They are also proud to be certified as a “Great Place To Work”.
What you will be doing:
- Support the development and implementation of the Group’s Risk and Assurance, Business Continuity and Major Incident Management Frameworks.
- Provide expert advice on risk, assurance, business continuity and incident management.
- Lead and develop the Risk and Assurance Advisor and Assurance Lead.
- Maintain and oversee strategic and operational risk registers.
- Embed risk, assurance and business continuity arrangements across the Group.
- Acting as the point of contact for internal audit, contributing to the annual plan, and overseeing audit actions.
- Oversee technical assurance activity and deliver assurance tasks as required.
- Prepare and present reports to Boards and Committees.
- Deliver training and exercises and ensure effective communication on risk and business continuity.
- Conduct horizon scanning to identify emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.
What you will bring:
Essential:
- Chartered Business Continuity Institute (CBCI) certification or Institute of Risk Management (IRM) Certificate in Risk Management.
- IRM Diploma in Risk Management (or willing to work towards).
- Experience working in a business risk management environment.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and present risk data clearly.
- Confident communicator, able to engage effectively at all levels.
- Highly developed understanding of risk management, assurance and business continuity methodologies and standards.
- Excellent written communication and report‑writing skills.
- Strong IT skills, including experience with risk management systems.
Desirable:
- Degree or equivalent qualification.
- Experience in leading resilience exercises, such as major incidents or business continuity.
Some of our great benefits include:
- 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with an option to purchase up to five additional days per year.
- Early finish on Fridays.
- Flexible and hybrid working.
- Free Health Cash Plan, with cashback for dental, optical, physio, wellbeing therapies and more, with some free child cover.
- Access to private healthcare through the Health Cash Plan.
- Competitive Aviva pension scheme - Gentoo will contribute up to 10% based on your personal contribution.
- Salary sacrifice electric vehicle scheme.
- Enhanced family-friendly leave.
- Car mileage allowance if you use your personal vehicle for business purposes.
- Life assurance cover to the value of three times your annual salary.