Director of 1st Line Assurance Planning, Evidence Coordination and Customer Assurance

Location: London, England (Angel Lane)

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

The newly established Vocalink Limited (VLL) 1st Line Controls Office is seeking a Director of 1st Line Assurance Planning, Evidence Coordination and Customer Assurance to lead the strategic planning and coordination of control assurance activities, ensuring timely and accurate evidence management and customer-facing assurance deliverables. This role will be pivotal in supporting Vocalink’s position as a Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) provider by embedding a robust assurance framework that meets regulatory, contractual, and customer expectations.

The Director will oversee planning and governance for control testing and certification programs, manage evidence collection and validation processes, and ensure high-quality management of VLL customers’ audits. This role will drive operational excellence, transparency, and confidence in Vocalink’s control environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategy

•  Lead the Planning and Evidence Coordination team, ensuring effective scheduling, resource allocation, and governance for all control testing and certification activities.
•  Develop and maintain the annual 3LoD assurance calendar aligned to regulatory requirements, customer commitments, and internal priorities.
•  Develop the strategy for the evolution of evidence management processes and tooling to enable reuse across multiple audits and certifications and evolve the customer assurance frameworks.
•  Support and deputise for the Head of Control Testing and Certification Assurance as required.

• Planning & Coordination

•  Oversee planning and tracking of all control testing and certification activities, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with contractual and regulatory obligations.
•  Coordinate evidence collection and validation across 1LOD teams to support internal and external audits, certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, PCI DSS), and customer assurance requests.
•  Maintain a central repository of validated evidence and ensure readiness for audits and customer reviews.

• Customer Assurance

•  Lead the preparation and delivery of customer assurance reports, responses to RFPs, and evidence packs for customer audits.
•  Act as a key liaison with customer assurance teams, ensuring transparency and timely communication of control effectiveness and remediation progress.
•  Support thematic reviews and trend analysis to provide insights into control performance for customers and senior stakeholders.

• Governance & Continuous Improvement

•  Establish and maintain governance processes for evidence management and customer assurance reporting.
•  Champion automation and innovation in evidence collection and reporting to improve efficiency and accuracy.
•  Stay abreast of emerging regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and customer assurance trends.
• Knowledge, Skills and Expertise (technical / role specific)

Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience in planning and coordinating assurance activities within technology, cyber security, or operational risk in a regulated environment.
• Experience managing evidence for audits, certifications, and customer assurance programs.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with ability to influence at senior levels.
• Professional certifications such as CISA, PMP, Agile Certifications, or equivalent desirable.

1 Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Familiarity with evidence management tools and governance frameworks.
• Understanding of control frameworks and standards (e.g., ISO 27001, PCI DSS, NIST, COBIT).
• Strong organisational and project management skills with ability to prioritise and deliver under pressure.
• Proficiency in MS Office and data analytics tools.
• Intellectually curious, proactive, and committed to continuous improvement.

Corporate Security Responsibility

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.
• Additional Locations: Harrogate, England (Vocalink)