Enterprise Risk Manager, Absa Regional Operations at Absa South Africa

Job Summary

• To provide specialist advice and support in Enterprise Risk for Absa Regional Operations, enabling the effective implementation of risk frameworks, designing of ARO Risk Strategy, the management of the daily business and delivery of key projects as required by the stakeholders.

Job Description

Overall job purpose ​

• Specialist support role regarding the designing of ARO Risk Strategy, the management of the daily business and delivery of key projects as required by the stakeholders.
• To provide specialist advice and support in business enablement and creation of information to inform decision making.
• Execution and delivery of the ARO Risk strategic, financial and operational plans and people agenda. This includes the responsibility for the profitability of teams through analysis and performance forecasts and supporting the ARO Risk function and senior management to understand their financial and management accounts.
• Creation and maintenance of the ARO Risk service catalogue and transfer pricing processes and engagements and interactions with colleagues, to ensure that appropriate service descriptions, cost allocations and transfer pricing methodologies are implemented enabling high level of cash recovery from countries for said services.
• Act as subject matter expert by frequently communicating financial positions, change procedures, operating standards and guidelines in the function and across the region.
• Support the delivery of optimal outcomes to internal / external audiences under tight deadlines and interact with varied stakeholders across the bank and managing the expectations of stakeholders is essential to the role.

Key Accountability

Accountability: Strategic expertise and support  

• Support the facilitation of the development of an ARO Risk strategy for the next 2-3 years by providing administrative assistance in the process and capturing & synthesising the assessment(s) of the existing situation and anticipated changes (external environment) in collaboration with Risk-type Heads and SMEs. 
• Provide expertise, support and guidance on complex and key strategic change matters, ensuring alignment with business strategy
• Support the design, implementation and embedment of strategic change programmes through input into ARO Risk presentations at change governance (Change Council, CAM) as well as performing oversight activities related to ARO Risk strategic change and efficiency programmes as Risk specialist
• Based on the criteria and frameworks developed by Group Finance and Group Risk, evaluate all strategic initiatives/major projects prior to launch together with the senior leadership to inform Group Risk Exco and RBB Exco’s prioritization of projects and project funding. Support the project sponsors through the development of the business cases.
• Enable the evaluation of identified risks in strategic initiatives and projects through appropriately detailed data and scenarios.

Accountability: Financial Planning, Performance measurement and reporting

• Prepare budgets, special data analysis, and adhoc information reports by collaborating with ARO Risk specialists and business partners (Finance, HR, Technology, Change). 
• Drive the timely preparation of budgets by cost centre owners including financial plans, headcount, IT plans as well as project / programme expenditure across ARO Risk.
• Prepare the consolidated financial plans for ARO Risk (RAF, MTP and STP) for presentation to the Function / Business Unit Exco and Head for approval.
• Monitor and report on ARO Risk management’s timeliness and appropriateness of actions to ensure a rational utilisation of assets through monthly quantitative analyse of financial performance.
• Create and maintain the ARO Risk Services catalogue across consuming Business Units and legal entities, including the identification and classification of activities, cost drivers, allocation methodologies / principles and service level agreements. Prepare & socialise evidence based ratings for the quarterly service reviews.
• Support the process of governance reporting through data gathering, assessment and preparation for ARO Markets at Group and Board (AGL ERC, GRCMC, GACC), for ARO Risk reporting to Executive Management and Regulators (Prudential Authority, Regulatory College) and investors (Project Khula) in cases of capital raising exercise.

Accountability: Risk and Business management

• Be a leading example of a culture of proactive compliance and risk management within the team and the function as a whole. 
• Implement and maintain operational activities to achieve operational excellence.
• Understand and comply with all applicable governance, compliance and risk policies and procedures, ensuring that the relevant documentation is in place.
• Implement and monitor appropriate early warning mechanisms to flag potential consequences to management. 
• Track and report the fulfilment of all required governance activities against a Risk governance calendar across all teams within the functional area.
• Support the overall achievement of performance objectives in the business area in terms of customer satisfaction survey, cost performance, risk, compliance and governance requirements through timely analysis and MI to inform decision making.
• Execute BAU and ad hoc requests relating to Business & Risk management
• Coordinate and distribute documentation and reports to all relevant stakeholders timely
• Develop and deliver comprehensive data and MI analytics using the best tools to ensure robust and very informative reports and outputs.
• Coordinate financial reviews and analysis with Finance business partners on a regular basis and prepare the data for bottom-up budgets, forecasts et al
• Coordinate the bottom up inputs into strategic reviews of any/all Risk and business management activities

Accountability: People Management 

• Ensure development needs are identified and captured for the team, training requirements are identified, budgeted for and executed. 
• Review and update the department’s organisation structure and role description on at least an annual basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and contain all the accountabilities of each team member. 
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to ensure all Strategy & Risk business MI Insights & Reporting requirements can be achieved within required timelines.
• Develop & maintain an effective relationships at the appropriate level across the Business with a view to embedding effective risk management processes

Education and experience required

• B-degree in (Accounting and Finance, Commerce, Economics, Technology, Risk Management)         
• A minimum of 3 years experience in financial services and Risk.

Knowledge and skills:

• Credit & Risk Management Experience
• Risk Function Target Operating Model implementation / Change Delivery
• Knowledge of Bank Risk Policies & Standards, Bank Risk Operations, Risk Governance and Reporting
• Project Management, Budgeting, Process Design
• People management support experience and ability to support the develop a high-performing team
• Excellent risk and controls implementation / execution

Competencies:

• Knowledge of banking legislation, risk regulations and industry standards
• Excellent verbal & written communication and presentation skills
• Analytics and reporting
• Financial management
• Proactive and engaging
• Pragmatic and logical problem solver
• Analytical

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)