UK

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

Risk & Control 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 Specialist
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Junior Risk Analyst · Assurance Assistant · Control Tester

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

Start with a free Future Fluency check, tuned to Risk & Control Analyst

Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this role rather than a generic one. About five minutes, and no card.

Start the check, free

1What this role really is

This role is all about getting stuck into the nitty-gritty of how we manage risk here. You'll be the person on the ground, checking that our controls actually work and documenting everything meticulously. Think of it as being a detective for our internal processes, making sure we're playing by the rules and keeping things safe. It's a foundational role, really, where you'll learn the ropes from experienced colleagues and start to build a solid understanding of financial risk.

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, sorting, filtering, and creating simple tables to summarise findings or track progress. Think VLOOKUPs and pivot tables, not complex macros.

Microsoft PowerPoint / Google SlidesBasic

You might help your manager by tidying up presentation slides or adding simple charts to a deck for internal team updates.

GRC Platforms (ServiceNow GRC)Intermediate

This is where you'll spend a lot of your time: entering control test results, logging issues, uploading evidence, and running pre-built reports. It's our central hub for risk data.

Enterprise Systems (SAP S/4HANA or Oracle ERP)Basic

You'll need to navigate these systems to find and extract specific pieces of evidence for your control tests, like invoices, journal entries, or user access logs. You won't be configuring them, just looking things up.

BI & Visualization (Tableau or Power BI)Intermediate

You'll use existing dashboards to monitor Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and understand trends. You might build a simple chart or table to illustrate a finding, but you won't be designing complex dashboards from scratch.

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 ChangesEscalate to manager immediately. Do not proceed without explicit approval.Propose minor adjustments to manager for approval. Escalate significant changes.Decide on minor adjustments within workstream. Consult with manager on significant changes.
Reporting of Control DeficienciesDocument finding and escalate to manager for review and decision on reporting.Draft initial finding report and propose severity rating to manager for review.Finalise finding report and severity rating, inform manager, and discuss with business owner.
Interaction with Business StakeholdersLimited direct interaction. All formal requests or sensitive discussions are handled by manager.Direct interaction for information gathering and clarification on routine matters.Lead discussions, challenge business assertions, and negotiate remediation plans.

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.

Control Test Documentation Accuracy
How accurately you document the results of your control tests and the evidence you've gathered.
Target · 98%+ accuracy

If you complete 100 control tests in a quarter, we'd expect no more than two minor errors in your documentation or evidence logging. A missing screenshot or an incorrectly referenced policy would count as an error.

Assigned Test Completion Rate
Making sure you get through all the control tests and checks that are assigned to you within the agreed timescales.
Target · 100% of assigned tests completed

If you're given 15 controls to test in a month, we'd expect all 15 to be finished and documented by the end of that month, not pushed into the next.

Finding Logging Speed
How quickly you log any issues or control deficiencies you spot into our GRC system.
Target · Average time to log a finding: <24 hours from identification

If you find a control weakness on Tuesday afternoon, we'd expect to see it logged in ServiceNow GRC by Wednesday afternoon at the latest, so we can start tracking it.

Adherence to Methodology
Following the established procedures and methodologies for control testing and evidence collection, without taking shortcuts.
Target · No significant deviations from documented methodology

You've followed the step-by-step guide for testing a specific reconciliation control, including all required sample sizes and checks, rather than just doing a high-level review.

Learning & Development Engagement
How much you're actively engaging with training, asking questions, and showing a genuine desire to understand the 'why' behind what we do.
  • You're regularly asking your manager or senior colleagues for clarification, you're taking notes during training sessions, and you can articulate basic risk concepts when asked. You're not just doing the task
  • you're trying to understand the bigger picture.
Team Collaboration & Support
How well you work with your immediate team, offering help when you can and being a reliable pair of hands.
  • You're responsive to requests for help from colleagues, you share relevant information, and you're generally seen as someone who contributes positively to the team atmosphere. You're not a lone wolf
  • you're part of the pack.
Proactive Issue Identification
The ability to spot potential problems or areas for improvement, even if they're not directly part of your assigned task.
  • You might say, 'I noticed while testing X that Y seems a bit manual, is there a risk there?' or 'This process step feels a bit clunky
  • could we make it smoother?' It's about showing that you're thinking beyond just ticking boxes.

5Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Learning the Ropes of Finance

You'll be exposed to different financial processes, systems, and regulations every day. You'll get to see how a bank or financial institution actually functions from the inside, which is a fantastic learning curve.

One day you're reviewing client onboarding controls, the next you're looking at how we manage our treasury operations. It's a constant stream of new knowledge.

Making a Tangible Impact (by preventing errors)

Your work directly helps us avoid mistakes, stay compliant, and protect the business. You might not see a huge 'win' every day, but you'll know your accurate checks are contributing to stability.

Catching a missing approval on a transaction means that potential fraud or error is prevented before it becomes a problem. Your attention to detail genuinely matters.

Structured Problem Solving

You'll be given clear methodologies and frameworks (like COSO or 3LOD) to follow. If you enjoy taking a problem, breaking it down, and applying a logical process to find answers, you'll like this.

When testing a control, you follow a defined set of steps: identify the control, select a sample, gather evidence, test the evidence, document the result. It's very methodical.

What frustrates people
  • Chasing people for evidence they promised 'yesterday'.
  • The sheer volume of documentation required – it can feel endless.
  • Repeating the same control test across different departments.
  • Being seen as a 'box ticker' rather than a value-add partner (though you are, in time!).
  • The pace can sometimes feel slow and methodical, not 'fast-paced' in the tech sense.
What this role does not give you
  • High-level strategic decision-making on day one.
  • A constant stream of brand-new, complex problems to solve independently.
  • A role where you're always the most popular person in the room (sometimes you're asking for things people don't want to give).
  • A job where you can avoid detailed, repetitive tasks.

6Who you work with

Your work helps ensure the integrity of our financial reporting and operational processes. Basically, you're a vital cog in making sure we don't trip up, which protects our reputation and keeps us compliant with all the rules. Get it wrong, and we could face financial penalties or reputational damage. Get it right, and you're helping us build a more robust and trustworthy business.

Inside the business
  • Your Manager (Risk & Assurance Specialist)
  • Other Risk & Assurance team members
  • Finance Operations teams (the folks whose processes you're reviewing)
  • Internal Audit (they'll be reviewing our work sometimes)
Outside the business
  • External auditors (you'll help gather evidence for them, but won't interact directly)
  • Regulators (again, indirect support, no direct contact)

7What you need before you start

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

  • A foundational understanding of accounting or finance principles, usually from a degree or entry-level qualification.
  • Some experience (even if academic or internship-based) with data entry, documentation, or process adherence.
  • Demonstrable ability to learn new software systems quickly and effectively.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, suitable for a professional environment.

8What to practise next

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

Basic SQL for Data Extraction

As data volumes grow, relying solely on pre-built reports or manual data pulls becomes inefficient. Being able to write simple SQL queries will let you get exactly the data you need for control testing or analysis, faster.

SELECT statements for retrieving data · FROM and WHERE clauses for specifying tables and c · JOINs for combining data from different tables (si · Understanding basic database structures

  • This week: Find a free online SQL tutorial (Codecademy, SQLZoo) and complete the first few modules.
  • This month: Ask your manager if there are any simple, existing SQL queries you can try to run or modify.
  • Month 2: Try to write a simple query to extract a list of users from a test database.
  • Month 3: Work with a more senior colleague to understand how they use SQL in their daily work.

Quick win: Learn how to read existing SQL queries, even if you can't write them yet. It's a great first step to understanding how data is pulled.

Enhanced GRC Platform Utilisation

GRC platforms like ServiceNow are constantly adding new features. Moving beyond just data entry, you'll need to understand how to get more out of the system, like customising views or understanding workflow logic.

Understanding different modules within ServiceNow · Configuring personal dashboards and reports for be · Understanding basic workflow states and how issues · Using advanced search and filtering functions effe

  • This week: Explore all the different menus and options within ServiceNow GRC, even if you don't use them.
  • This month: Ask your manager to show you how they use their personal dashboard or custom reports.
  • Month 2: Try to create a custom filter or view to track your own tasks more efficiently.
  • Month 3: Read up on any new features released for ServiceNow GRC and discuss their potential with your team.

Quick win: Customise your personal dashboard in ServiceNow GRC to show your most important tasks and metrics. It makes your daily work easier.

9Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attend internal training sessions on our risk framework, policies, and systems.
  • Shadow more experienced colleagues during control testing or business interviews.
  • Participate in industry webinars or online courses related to financial risk or compliance.
  • Read relevant financial news and publications to stay informed about the industry.

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 for Finance Analysts

AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are becoming incredibly powerful for tasks like summarising documents, drafting emails, and even helping with initial analysis. Analysts who can 'talk' to these AIs effectively will be far more productive.

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

Your PlanIllustration

Built for Risk & Control Analyst

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

  1. Risk in Financial ServicesChartered Institute for Securities & Investment · covers 5 of 10 standardsLevel 3
  2. Risk context, objectives and assessmentInstitute of Risk Management · covers 8 of 10 standardsLevel 5
  3. Risk Management for Financial ManagersAwarding Body for Vocational Achievement (AVA) Ltd · covers 3 of 10 standardsLevel 7
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 for Finance Analysts

AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are becoming incredibly powerful for tasks like summarising documents, drafting emails, and even helping with initial analysis. Analysts who can 'talk' to these AIs effectively will be far more productive.

  • Clear, concise prompt writing for specific tasks
  • Using AI for summarisation of complex documents (e
  • Leveraging AI for first drafts of email communicat
  • Understanding AI's limitations and how to validate

Basic Data Storytelling

It's not enough to just find the data or test the control; you'll increasingly need to explain what it *means* in a simple, compelling way. Even at your level, you'll be asked to summarise findings for your manager, and being clear and impactful will set you apart.

  • Identifying the key message from a set of findings
  • Using simple charts (even in Excel) to illustrate
  • Structuring a narrative: problem, evidence, impact
  • Avoiding jargon when explaining technical concepts

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Three Lines of Defence (3LOD) Model
  • COSO Framework Awareness
  • Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) Process
  • Regulatory Compliance Basics (e.g., SOX)

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 / Internship Programme

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Structured learning, exposure to various departments, foundational understanding of business operations and risk concepts.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully completed all rotations or project assignments.
    • Received positive feedback from managers and mentors.
    • Demonstrated a clear interest and aptitude for risk and control activities.
  2. 2

    Junior Finance / Operations Role

    1-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Experience with data entry, process adherence, reconciliation, and understanding of operational workflows within a financial context.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently accurate and reliable in day-to-day tasks.
    • Proactively identified and suggested improvements for routine processes.
    • Expressed a desire to move into a more control-focused role.
  3. 3

    Audit Assistant (External or Internal)

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Understanding of audit methodologies, evidence gathering, documentation standards, and basic financial statement analysis.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Completed initial audit engagements with positive reviews.
    • Familiarity with audit software and workpaper management.
    • Desire to move from 'checking' to 'building' risk frameworks.

11Where this role leads

The long view:Your journey starts here. This Risk & Control Analyst role is a fantastic place to build a solid, rewarding career in finance. We're looking for someone keen to learn, meticulous in their work, and ready to contribute to keeping our business safe and sound. If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

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 & Control 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 & Control 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 & Control 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.

  • Control Test Documentation AccuracyHow accurately you document the results of your control tests and the evidence you've gathered.If you complete 100 control tests in a quarter, we'd expect no more than two minor errors in your documentation or evidence logging. A missing screenshot or an incorrectly referenced policy would count as an error.98%+ accuracy
  • Assigned Test Completion RateMaking sure you get through all the control tests and checks that are assigned to you within the agreed timescales.If you're given 15 controls to test in a month, we'd expect all 15 to be finished and documented by the end of that month, not pushed into the next.100% of assigned tests completed
  • Finding Logging SpeedHow quickly you log any issues or control deficiencies you spot into our GRC system.If you find a control weakness on Tuesday afternoon, we'd expect to see it logged in ServiceNow GRC by Wednesday afternoon at the latest, so we can start tracking it.Average time to log a finding: <24 hours from identification
  • Adherence to MethodologyFollowing the established procedures and methodologies for control testing and evidence collection, without taking shortcuts.You've followed the step-by-step guide for testing a specific reconciliation control, including all required sample sizes and checks, rather than just doing a high-level review.No significant deviations from documented methodology
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 & Control Analyst to Risk & Assurance Specialist (L2), and whatever you decide comes after.

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

Your journey starts here. This Risk & Control Analyst role is a fantastic place to build a solid, rewarding career in finance. We're looking for someone keen to learn, meticulous in their work, and ready to contribute to keeping our business safe and sound. If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration
Risk & Control Analyst
  • Three Lines of Defence (3LOD) Model
  • COSO Framework Awareness
  • Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) Process
  • Regulatory Compliance Basics (e.g., SOX)
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 & Control Analyst is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Risk & Assurance Specialist (L2)

    2-3 years in the Analyst role

    This is the most natural next step, where you'll start to take ownership of specific control portfolios and manage smaller assurance reviews independently.

    • Conducting full control walkthroughs end-to-end.
    • Drafting initial findings reports with proposed remediation actions.
    • Using GRC platforms to manage a portfolio of controls and track issues.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, some parts of risk and assurance can feel a bit repetitive. But what if you could get a digital assistant to help with the heavy lifting? AI isn't just for data scientists anymore; it's a game-changer for how we do our day-to-day work in Finance.

As a Risk & Control Analyst, you'll spend a fair bit of time gathering evidence, summarising information, and documenting findings. Imagine if a smart tool could do some of that grunt work for you, freeing you up to focus on learning and understanding the 'why' behind the controls. That's where AI comes in, and we're actively exploring how it can make your job more efficient and frankly, more interesting.

Automated Evidence Collection

Picture this: instead of manually sifting through system logs or pulling multiple reports, an AI agent could automatically fetch and organise the evidence you need for routine control tests. It's like having a super-fast admin assistant for your data gathering.

Regulatory Change Summariser

New regulations come out all the time, and they're usually dense. Use an AI tool to quickly read through new FCA or PRA publications, getting a concise summary of the key changes that might impact our controls. It saves you hours of reading and helps you understand the important bits faster.

First-Draft Documentation

Got a bunch of findings and evidence? Feed the key points into a generative AI tool and get a first draft of your control test summary or a basic finding description. You'll still need to review and refine it, of course, but it cuts down on staring at a blank page.

Smart Policy Search

Instead of endlessly scrolling through internal policy documents, use an AI-powered search tool to find specific clauses or requirements instantly. Ask it a question like 'What's our policy on client money segregation?' and get an immediate, relevant answer.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Risk & Control Analyst?

Common routes in include Graduate Scheme / Internship Programme (1-2 years), Junior Finance / Operations Role (1-3 years) and Audit Assistant (External or Internal) (1-2 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Risk & Control Analyst progress to?

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

What level is a Risk & Control 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 & Control Analyst?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering for Finance Analysts and Basic Data Storytelling. 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 & Control 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 10 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 & Control 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 in this role are highly transferable across the entire financial services sector – from investment banking and asset management to insurance and fintech. Risk management is a universal need, so your expertise will always be in demand.

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.