Operational Risk Advisor

About the role

Absa Bank Kenya is looking for an Operational Risk Advisor to advise the Head of Operational and Resilience Risk and support business line management across the country. The role focuses on educating business units on operational risk management tools, embedding risk ownership and helping them manage and report operational risks.

Key responsibilities

• Advise business line management on operational risk management and assessment tools, share best practice and risk mitigation techniques, and embed risk ownership in all business units.
• Support the Head of Operational and Resilience Risk in coordinating operational risk activities, give regular feedback to business unit heads and the Head Office, and attend local executive meetings as delegated.
• Guide and train business line managers on event reporting and ensure Group policies on the Operational and Resilience Risk Management Framework are disseminated and embedded.
• Help businesses minimize operational losses through fraud management, information security management and operational loss control.
• Ensure events are reported in the Operational Risk Management System (ORMS), categorized, analyzed and used to drive trend analysis and risk mitigation plans; assess new procedures and changes for emerging risks.
• Take part in Basel II and operational risk initiatives, respond to regulatory consultations, and monitor adherence to ORRMF policies.
• Assist in preparing monthly reports for the Risk Control Forum and quarterly reports for the Executive Risk Committee and Board Risk & Audit Committee.
• Cascade Group and Africa Region risk frameworks and policies, raise operational risk awareness through training and awareness circulars, and report compliance gaps.

Required profile

• Graduate-level qualification; certification in risk management preferred.
• Experience in operational and resilience risk management, control and governance, fraud prevention, performance management and time management.
• Preferred: experience in auditing, compliance, project management and banking of at least 2 years.

Required skills

• Good understanding of Absa's operational and resilience risk policies and the African Region's operational risk strategy.
• Knowledge of bank products, processes and systems, and of banking legislation.
• Ability to write reports, executive summaries and briefs, and data analytics and storytelling.
• Communication, influencing, stakeholder management and teamwork.