UK

United Kingdom · Finance roles · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Risk & Controls Analyst

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toRisk Assurance Associate (L2) or Senior Risk Assurance Associate (L3)
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Junior Risk Assurance Analyst · Internal Controls Assistant · Compliance Support Officer

Built on an analysis of 43,079 real UK job descriptions · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

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1What this role really is

This is an entry-level spot in our Risk Assurance team. You'll be learning the ropes, supporting the more senior folks with the nitty-gritty of control testing and documentation. Think of it as your chance to get a solid grounding in how we make sure our financial operations are sound and compliant. It's a foundational role, really, where you'll get to see how a big finance function actually works from the inside out. You're here to learn, assist, and make sure the basic checks are done properly.

2What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Microsoft ExcelIntermediate

You'll use Excel for basic data manipulation, filtering, sorting, and simple formulas (SUM, COUNT, IF) to prepare data for control testing and document findings.

ServiceNow GRC / Workiva (or similar GRC platform)Basic

You'll be entering control test results, uploading evidence, and tracking remediation actions within our chosen GRC platform. We'll train you on the specifics.

SAP S/4HANA / Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP (or similar ERP)Basic

You'll learn to navigate core modules (e.g., General Ledger, Accounts Payable) to extract reports and transaction details needed for control testing. You won't be configuring, just extracting.

Tableau / Power BI (or similar BI tool)Basic

You'll be interpreting existing dashboards and reports to understand key risk indicators or control performance. You won't be building them, just using them.

3What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing inWhere you are nowThe step above
Control Test Scope & MethodologyNone. You'll execute tests as defined by your manager. Escalate any ambiguity.Propose minor adjustments to test steps for routine controls, with manager approval. Escalate significant scope changes.Define test scope and methodology for individual controls or small process areas, consulting with manager on complex issues.
Reporting of Findings/ObservationsDraft initial findings for manager review. Do not communicate directly to process owners without approval.Draft and discuss findings with process owners, with manager oversight. Manager approves final wording.Finalise and communicate findings to process owners. Manager reviews for major issues before formal release.
System Access & Data ExtractionRequest access and data extracts as instructed by manager. Do not access systems or data outside of explicit instructions.Independently request and extract data for routine tests. Escalate issues with data quality or availability.Determine data requirements for complex tests and work with IT to secure access. Approve data sources.
Timeline & PrioritisationFollow assigned deadlines. Communicate any potential delays to your manager immediately.Manage your own task list and prioritise within a project. Inform manager of any conflicts.Manage project timelines and resource allocation for your workstreams. Consult manager on significant deviations.

4How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, honestly: the hard targets, how often each one is actually looked at, and the quiet human signals that never make it onto a dashboard.

Workpaper Quality
The accuracy and completeness of your control testing documentation (workpapers).
Target · <5% rework rate on submitted test documentation

If you submit 10 workpapers, no more than one should need significant revisions due to errors or omissions before it's considered final.

Task Completion Rate
The percentage of assigned control tests or documentation tasks completed by their internal deadlines.
Target · 100% of assigned tasks completed on time

You're given 5 control tests to complete this week; all 5 are finished and submitted for review by Friday afternoon.

Budget Adherence (Hours)
Completing your assigned work within the allocated time budget.
Target · Completes assigned work within 95-105% of budgeted hours

If a task is budgeted for 10 hours, you should aim to finish it in 9.5 to 10.5 hours, without compromising quality.

Adherence to Methodology
How closely you follow our established risk assurance methodologies and control testing procedures.
  • You consistently use the correct templates, follow step-by-step instructions, and apply the specified sampling techniques. Your manager rarely needs to correct your approach, only perhaps refine your understanding.
Proactive Learning & Asking Questions
Your willingness to learn new concepts and your ability to ask intelligent, clarifying questions when you're unsure.
  • You seek out internal training materials, ask 'why' a control is designed a certain way, and come to your manager with potential solutions or well-thought-out questions rather than just stating a problem. You don't make the same mistake twice on a new task.
Clear Communication of Observations
Your ability to clearly and concisely document and explain any issues or observations you find during testing.
  • Your written findings are easy to understand, factual, and avoid jargon where possible. When discussing an issue, you can explain what you found, why it matters, and where it deviates from the expected control.

5Would you like it

The honest version. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Learning & Development

You'll be constantly exposed to new financial processes, systems, and control frameworks. Every day is a chance to deepen your understanding of how a large organisation manages its risks.

You'll spend a week learning how our Accounts Payable process works, then another week understanding the controls in our General Ledger. It's like a mini-MBA in operational finance.

Making a Tangible Contribution

Even at this level, your accurate work directly contributes to the confidence our leadership has in our financial reporting. You're a vital part of protecting the company.

Your meticulous testing of a key reconciliation control helps ensure our balance sheet is accurate, preventing potential misstatements that could affect investor confidence.

Structured Problem Solving

You'll be given specific problems to solve within defined frameworks. If you enjoy the satisfaction of following a clear process to find and document an issue, you'll like this.

You're tasked with verifying that all new users to a critical financial system have proper approvals. You follow the steps, check the evidence, and report your findings clearly.

What frustrates people
  • Dealing with legacy systems that are a pain to navigate and extract data from.
  • Chasing people for documentation or evidence that should be readily available.
  • The sheer volume of detail you need to remember and apply correctly.
  • Sometimes, the work can feel a bit like detective work, but without the glamorous car chases.
What this role does not give you
  • Immediate strategic decision-making authority—you'll be executing, not setting strategy.
  • Constant novelty or highly creative problem-solving—much of the work follows established methodologies.
  • A direct path to revenue generation—this is a cost-centre, focused on protection and efficiency.
  • A 'move fast and break things' mentality—we're all about precision and control.

6Who you work with

Your accurate and timely support directly contributes to the reliability of our internal control environment. Essentially, you're helping us catch potential issues before they become big, expensive problems. Your work ensures that the data our senior team uses to report on risk is sound, meaning better decisions for the business and more confidence for our Audit Committee.

Inside the business
  • Immediate Risk Assurance team
  • Finance process owners (e.g., Accounts Payable, General Ledger teams)
  • IT Support teams (for system access queries)
Outside the business
  • External auditors (indirectly, through providing accurate workpapers)

7What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
  • Some exposure to internal controls, audit, or financial operations, even if it's from an internship or a university project.
  • A genuine curiosity about how businesses operate and how to protect them from financial risks.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, for data handling and documentation.

8What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Data Analytics for Assurance

More and more, we're moving away from manual, sample-based testing to using data analytics to test entire populations. This means you'll need to be comfortable with data tools beyond basic Excel.

Data Extraction & Transformation · Scripting for Testing · Continuous Monitoring Principles · Visualising Control Performance

  • This week: Familiarise yourself with the interface of Alteryx or ACL (if available) and watch some introductory tutorials.
  • This month: Try to replicate a simple Excel data manipulation task using Alteryx or ACL.
  • Month 2: Work with a senior analyst to understand how they build their data analytics scripts for control testing.
  • Month 3: Identify one control that could potentially be tested using a simple automated script and propose it to your manager.

Quick win: Ask to shadow a senior analyst when they're building a data analytics routine. Just observe and ask questions.

9Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Enrolling in introductory courses on internal controls or risk management (e.g., through Coursera, Udemy, or professional bodies).
  • Attending webinars or industry events focused on financial reporting or regulatory compliance.
  • Seeking out mentorship opportunities within the team to learn from more experienced colleagues.
  • Actively participating in internal training programmes on our GRC platforms or ERP systems.

10How the AI economy is changing work like this

Before we ask anything of you, here's what we can already say about AI and work of this kind:

The new skill this role is being asked for: Prompt Engineering (Basic)

Generative AI is already here, and it's getting better at drafting text, summarising documents, and even helping with basic analysis. Knowing how to 'talk' to these AIs effectively will make you much more productive.

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

Your PlanIllustration

Built for Risk & Controls Analyst

2 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Risk in Financial ServicesChartered Institute for Securities & Investment · covers 8 of 22 standardsLevel 3
  2. Measuring the performance of investmentsiCan Qualifications Limited · covers 5 of 22 standardsLevel 3
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering (Basic)

Generative AI is already here, and it's getting better at drafting text, summarising documents, and even helping with basic analysis. Knowing how to 'talk' to these AIs effectively will make you much more productive.

  • Clear Instructions
  • Context Provision
  • Output Validation
  • Ethical Use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR)
  • Risk Identification (Basic)
  • Data Analysis Fundamentals
  • Process Documentation

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Graduate Scheme (Finance/Audit)

    0-1 year prior to this role

    Skills to master

    • Basic financial accounting, understanding of business processes, introductory audit concepts, professional communication.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Completed a rotation in an internal audit or finance department.
    • Demonstrated strong analytical skills in academic projects.
    • Received positive feedback on attention to detail and ability to follow instructions.
  2. 2

    Junior Accountant / Finance Assistant

    1-2 years in role

    Skills to master

    • Practical experience with general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, reconciliations, understanding of financial reporting cycles.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven ability to manage financial data accurately and efficiently.
    • Experience with month-end close processes and associated controls.
    • Identified and resolved minor discrepancies in financial records.
  3. 3

    Internal Audit Intern / Trainee

    6-12 months internship

    Skills to master

    • Basic audit testing techniques, workpaper documentation, understanding of control objectives, exposure to audit software.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Assisted with control walkthroughs and basic testing.
    • Received positive feedback on workpaper quality and adherence to audit standards.
    • Demonstrated professional skepticism in an audit context.

11Where this role leads

The long view:This role is a fantastic launchpad for a career in risk assurance or broader finance. We're investing in you to become a future leader or a highly valued specialist in this critical field.

Pay & demand

Pay and demand for this role will appear here, each figure traced to a named authoritative source (e.g. the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, under the Open Government Licence). We don’t show numbers we can’t attribute.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Risk & Controls Analyst is actually changing. In about two minutes, the free confidence check asks where you stand on each of the ten. That's the whole check, and it's what makes the plan yours rather than generic.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

12The team that's yours

No two people are taught the same way. This is one-to-one, not one-to-many.

Zavmo is a hyper-personalised AI learning platform. Twelve virtual tutors, each with a different way of teaching, and one orchestration agent that picks the right one for the moment. So every single lesson is shaped around you, your role, and the way you learn. Not a course everyone sits through. A conversation built for you, and no one else.

…and nine more, matched to you after your first chat. Meet all twelve

Start free and meet yours

13What it feels like

A conversation, not a course

Because your tutor knows your role, your projects and your last session, learning sounds like this. And it's different for every single person:

Risk in Financial ServicesLevel 3

Applied to your work in Risk & Controls Analyst

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to understand the fundamental principles of a risk management framework within financial services and the role of corporate governance in overseeing and managing risk. Learners will also gain knowledge of key risk-related regulations and policies, as well as the nature and management of operational, credit, market, and liquidity risk.

How the thinking builds
  1. Remember
  2. Understand
  3. Apply
  4. Analyse
  5. Evaluate
  6. Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

  1. Your actual work Every lesson is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
  2. What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
  3. The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
  4. How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
  5. Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

DemonstrateIllustration

Evidenced on your work in Risk & Controls Analyst

You do not finish by watching something. You finish by showing it on the work you already do, against the measures this job is judged on.

  • Workpaper QualityThe accuracy and completeness of your control testing documentation (workpapers).If you submit 10 workpapers, no more than one should need significant revisions due to errors or omissions before it's considered final.<5% rework rate on submitted test documentation
  • Task Completion RateThe percentage of assigned control tests or documentation tasks completed by their internal deadlines.You're given 5 control tests to complete this week; all 5 are finished and submitted for review by Friday afternoon.100% of assigned tasks completed on time
  • Budget Adherence (Hours)Completing your assigned work within the allocated time budget.If a task is budgeted for 10 hours, you should aim to finish it in 9.5 to 10.5 hours, without compromising quality.Completes assigned work within 95-105% of budgeted hours
These are this job's own measures, with its own targets. Nothing is marked evidenced, because nobody has started this yet. Yours would fill in from the work you bring.

Your passport

This isn't a certificate you file away. It's a passport to the life you're designing.

Every credit you earn and every fluency you build adds up: evidence where it counts, carried with you. Zavmo keeps the map: where you are, where you're heading, and the next step, at your pace, around your life. From Risk & Controls Analyst to Risk Assurance Associate (L2), and whatever you decide comes after.

Level 2 · in progressAI Fluency→ Risk Assurance Associate (L2)→ your design
Where this takes you

This role is a fantastic launchpad for a career in risk assurance or broader finance. We're investing in you to become a future leader or a highly valued specialist in this critical field.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration
Risk & Controls Analyst
  • Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR)
  • Risk Identification (Basic)
  • Data Analysis Fundamentals
  • Process Documentation
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

14The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Risk & Controls Analyst is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Risk Assurance Associate (L2)

    2-3 years in current role

    You'll move from assisting with tasks to independently owning the end-to-end testing of specific controls or less complex process areas. You'll take more responsibility for identifying issues and proposing solutions.

    • Intermediate Data Analytics: Building simple data analytics scripts for control testing.
    • Control Design Assessment: Beginning to assess if a control is designed effectively, not just operating effectively.
    • ERP System Expertise: Deeper understanding of specific modules and their configurable controls.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, some parts of risk assurance can feel a bit like sifting through mountains of paperwork. But what if you could get a serious leg up, even at an entry level, by using AI? Our team is leaning into smart tools to make the tedious bits faster, so you can focus on learning and making a real impact.

For a Risk & Controls Analyst, AI isn't about replacing your job; it's about making it more interesting and efficient. You'll be using these tools to speed up data gathering, spot things you might miss, and even help draft those initial reports. It means less time on the grunt work and more time understanding the 'why' behind the controls.

Automated Control Test Execution

Imagine not having to manually check every single transaction or user permission. You'll learn to run AI-powered scripts that automatically perform routine, data-driven control tests, like checking all user access against HR records for segregation of duties conflicts. It frees you up from the manual ticking and tying.

Anomaly Detection Assistant

Instead of randomly sampling, you'll use AI tools to quickly scan large datasets (like all T&E reports or vendor payments) to highlight unusual patterns or outliers. This helps you focus your manual review on the most suspicious items, turning 'finding a needle in a haystack' into 'here are the top 5 most likely needles'.

Regulatory Change Summariser

New regulations come out all the time, and reading through them can be a slog. You'll use AI to quickly summarise new regulatory publications from bodies like the FCA or PRA, helping you understand the key changes and their potential impact on our controls without having to read every single word.

First-Draft Report Generator

Getting started on an audit report or a summary of your findings can be daunting. You'll use generative AI to create initial drafts of your documentation. You'll provide the structured data (findings, risk ratings, recommendations), and the AI will help you craft a coherent narrative, saving you hours on writing and formatting.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Risk & Controls Analyst?

Common routes in include Graduate Scheme (Finance/Audit) (0-1 year prior to this role), Junior Accountant / Finance Assistant (1-2 years in role) and Internal Audit Intern / Trainee (6-12 months internship). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Risk & Controls Analyst progress to?

This role can lead on to Risk Assurance Associate (L2) (2-3 years in current role), depending on the skills you build.

What level is a Risk & Controls Analyst in the UK?

This role aligns to RQF Level 2 on the UK framework, a guide to the depth of qualification it maps to, not a hard entry bar.

What new skills matter most for a Risk & Controls Analyst?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering (Basic). These are the areas where the higher-paid, future-proof work is heading.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most of them were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

What it costs

Less than one coaching session. Every month.

A single career-coaching hour costs more than a month of this, and it ends when the hour does. Zavmo doesn't. It's £70 a month, about £2.30 a day, for a companion that knows a Risk & Controls Analyst, works on the job you actually do, and keeps going at your pace rather than a timetable's.

  • Searching and planning stay free. You only pay when you start learning.
  • Your credits are yours. Regulated, and they don't vanish when a subscription ends.
  • Cancel any time and billing stops. No notice period, no minimum term.

Your path, personalised

You have the map. Walking it is the part we do together.

This route runs to 22 national skill standards. That is a real journey.

Zavmo shapes a learning experience as unique as you are. It fits how you learn, your pace and the work you already do. Every step stays benchmarked to recognised national standards. That’s the plan for becoming a Risk & Controls Analyst: personal to you, and it still counts. The first steps are free.

Independent research finds well-designed intelligent tutoring performs nearly as well as one-to-one human tutoring: VanLehn (2011), Educational Psychologist.

A private tutor in the UK averages £35–40 an hour . Zavmo is £70/month.

A real plan on learn.zavmo.ai: Ofqual-regulated units, credits, and a three-month run at your own pace.
Start free No commitment. See your first steps free.

15Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

Other roles in Finance roles

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills you'll gain here—understanding controls, risk management, data analysis, and regulatory compliance—are highly transferable. You could move into internal audit, financial compliance, operational risk, or even into a business-facing finance role with a strong control mindset, either within our organisation or in other finance roles across various industries.

Not sure this is the right direction?

Work out what you actually want from work first, then come back and see which roles fit it. Takes about ten minutes.

This role profile is © 2026Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Build my plan, free Here's the first ten minutes: a 2-minute confidence check → your personalised roadmap → meet the tutors matched to you. No card, cancel any time. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.