Job Description

The Senior Director, Profit Protection & Risk Management provides enterprise leadership and strategic oversight for WHSmith’s Profit Protection, Risk Management, and Compliance functions, including Asset Protection, Investigations, Food Safety, Health & Safety (OSHA), and Store File Integrity. This role ensures disciplined governance of programs that protect people, property, and profit while embedding a culture of accountability, compliance, and continuous improvement. Acting as a trusted business partner to Operations, Finance, and Legal, the Senior Director drives visibility into losses, shrink, and operational risk through analytics, prevention strategies, and end-to-end incident management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight

• Lead the design and execution of WHSmith’s enterprise Profit Protection and Risk Management strategy across retail, food, and corporate operations.
• Develop, publish, and govern standardized loss prevention programs, risk controls, and investigative frameworks.
• Oversee execution of physical inventory counting, reconciliation, and post-audit analysis, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Partner with Finance, Field, and Operations teams to ensure reporting accuracy and timely investigation of variances or anomalies.
• Oversee field investigations, recovery efforts, and asset protection performance metrics.
• Serve as the company’s primary liaison on regulatory and compliance matters related to safety, insurance, and loss prevention.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Lead quarterly operational and safety risk assessments, including Food Safety, OSHA, and insurance audits.
• Maintain and enforce policies that safeguard company assets, intellectual property, and operational continuity.
• Collaborate with Legal, Insurance, and HR on claim management, risk mitigation, and compliance training.
• Conduct root-cause analysis on losses or incidents and develop corrective action plans.
• Oversee governance, reporting, and standard operating procedures for enterprise risk.

Performance Optimization & Business Partnership

• Partner cross-functionally to align risk management with financial and operational goals.
• Benchmark and implement industry best practices to elevate WHSmith’s risk and profit protection maturity.
• Provide data-driven insights and predictive analytics to inform leadership decisions.
• Lead the development of reporting dashboards to monitor shrink, recoveries, and compliance performance.
• Drive a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across all risk and safety programs.

Key Metrics

• Shrink Reduction (%): Year-over-year improvement in controllable losses.
• Inventory Accuracy (%): Alignment between reported and actual stock levels.
• Store Audit Compliance (%): Adherence to field and corporate standards.
• Recovered Value ($): Total recovered funds from investigations and claims.
• Incident Response Time (Days): Average time to resolution for critical events.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Risk Management, or related field (MBA preferred).
• 10+ years of leadership experience in profit protection, asset protection, or operational risk within retail, logistics, or hospitality industries.
• Proven success leading multi-location programs focused on loss prevention, investigation, and recovery.
• Strong understanding of financial reporting, reconciliation, and audit processes.
• Exceptional communication and relationship management skills.
• Professional certification (CFE, LPC, or equivalent) preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Profit protection and risk mitigation strategy.
• Investigation management and compliance leadership.
• Financial analytics, audit, and reconciliation expertise.
• Health, safety, and environmental program management.
• Cross-functional leadership and communication.
• Data-driven decision-making and accountability mindset.

Leadership Attributes

• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong operational judgment.
• Builds trusted partnerships across all levels of the organization.
• Resilient, calm, and decisive during high-risk or complex investigations.
• Results-oriented leader focused on measurable outcomes and cultural alignment.
• Champions integrity, transparency, and ethical excellence.

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