Head: Resilience Risk - Business Banking

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Overview

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time. With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise,

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With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Job Summary

The Head of Resilience Risk is responsible for coordinating, embedding, and overseeing the implementation of the Operational and Resilience Risk Management Framework (ORRMF) and Enterprise Risk Management Framework (ERMF) and its supporting policies and standards across Business Banking (BB), from the second line of defence.
Resilience Risk encompasses the risk of disruption to business operations, including but not limited to technology failure, information security compromise, data loss or impairment, unavailability of premises or infrastructure, ineffective disaster recovery, and inappropriate technology or change execution.
The role provides second line independent oversight, challenge, and thought leadership across all Resilience sub risk types, ensuring that effective governance, risk management discipline, and assurance are consistently applied across BB through the development and implementation of an appropriate resilience risk strategy.
Scope of Resilience Risk
The role covers all Resilience Sub Risk Types (SRTs), including, but not limited to:
• Technology risk;
• Information Security and Cyber risk;
• Data and Records Management risk;
• Change risk;
• Business Continuity Management risk; and
• Third Party risk.
Oversight is delivered through close collaboration with Business Unit aligned first line risk teams, BU Executives, Group Operational and Resilience Risk, Group Technology Risk, and relevant functional stakeholders. While certain elements of these risk types are covered in the COO and/or other Enablement areas, this role is expected to be the consolidation point, should the need arise to consolidate a Resilience risk profile, or should any Senior or Regulatory engagements take place.
Reporting Line and Role Context
• Member of the BB Operational and Resilience Risk (ORR) Management team;
• Reports directly to the BB Head of Operational and Resilience Risk;
• Accountable for BB-wide second line oversight of Resilience Risk management processes; and
• Acts as the primary BB subject matter expert, thought leader and coordination point for Resilience Risk across BB.

Own and maintain the BB Resilience Risk management approach aligned to the ERMF and ORRMF
Establish and maintain BB-wide protocols, standards, and guidance to support consistent implementation of Group policies and standards
Define, document, and communicate an annual Resilience Risk management plan for BB
Oversee the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of framework application across Business Units
Provide independent oversight, challenge, and advice on the management of Resilience Risk

Oversee and provide guidance on the effective execution of core Resilience Risk processes, including:

Risk Appetite articulation and monitoring
Risk and Issue Classification
Risk and Control Assessments (RCAs)
Risk Event and Loss Management
Issues and Actions Management
Root Cause Analysis and Lessons Learnt
Risk Indicators, Metrics, and Thresholds, including early warning indicators across emerging threats
Scenario Analysis and Capital Assessment
Management Control Assessment
Combined Assurance coordination
Risk technology enablement

Ensure processes are applied consistently, outcomes are robust, and management actions are effective.

Perform independent monitoring, check and challenge of first line Resilience Risk practices
Evaluate the completeness and accuracy of BB’s end-to-end Resilience Risk profile
Proactively identify emerging risks and conduct horizon scanning
Oversee deep dives, thematic reviews, and lessons learnt exercises for material risks
Review and challenge remediation plans for adequacy, timeliness, and effectiveness

Lead BB Scenario Analysis and Capital Assessment processes for Resilience Risk
Support Business Unit risk teams in executing scenario analysis activities
Monitor and assess the adequacy and optimisation of Operational Risk capital
Enable management insight into control effectiveness and risk exposure

Develop and maintain an annual BB Resilience Risk ongoing monitoring and combined assurance plan, ensuring the Resilience Risk SRTs are appropriately covered in BB combined assurance plans.
Support the BB Combined Assurance effort by checking and challenging a comprehensive 1st line of defence combined assurance plan and supplementing it with appropriate 2nd line assurance, as part of the overall BB Combined Assurance plan.
Coordinate BB combined assurance 2nd line activities in line with Group standards.
Oversee execution and tracking of assurance activities and outcomes.
Key liaison with Assurance providers and or regulators across any independent reviews or assurance activity, being conducted in BB across the resilience risk types.
Participation in BU assurance activities, in line with the combined assurance model and ensuring that independently assessments are performed to evidence the effective implementation and embedment of the ERMF and ORRMF, its associated policies and standards and management of the underlying risks across the organisation
Assist in ensuring Business readiness for assurance reviews and all relevant regulatory and risk deep dives. Play an active role in the discussion of issues to be reported from assurance reviews, ensuring that issues are valid and factually accurate, and actions are well defined and timed appropriately.
Develop and execute, in collaboration with Internal Audit, Group Risk, Group Operational and Resilience Risk, Functions and Compliance, an effective and efficient methodology/working model for combined assurance (assurance and conformance assessment) of operational and resilience risk practices against the framework, policies and standards.
To achieve the required 2LoD assurance responsibilities, perform conformance reviews to provide assurance that Resilience risk frameworks, policies and standards are effectively implemented and embedded within the BU, and perform discretionary control testing, in accordance with the Assurance Standard.
Perform independent risk-based assurance where required

Define and communicate BB Resilience Risk reporting requirements
Review, validate, and challenge risk data and management information
Prepare high-quality Resilience Risk reports for BB and Group governance forums
Provide insight, interpretation, and analytics to senior management
Oversee adherence to Risk Data Aggregation and Risk Reporting (RDARR) standards
Support regulatory and external reporting where required

Establish effective engagement models between BB, Group Risk, and functional stakeholders
Coordinate BB input into Group Resilience Risk initiatives and transformation programmes
Provide expert advice to Business Units on their Resilience Risk profiles
Support risk capability uplift through training, awareness, and guidance
Represent BB in relevant internal and external risk forums

Oversee the implementation and effective use of Group-mandated risk technologies
Act as custodian of BB Resilience Risk data within risk systems
Monitor data quality, completeness, and appropriate system usage
Support the implementation of bespoke or enhanced risk technology solutions where applicable

Oversee Resilience Risk-related change initiatives within BB
Monitor performance metrics, trends, and delivery of risk change programmes
Enable effective adoption of people, process, and technology changes
Assess and coordinate implementation of regulatory change impacting Resilience Risk

Manage the team responsible for 2nd line Risk oversight over the Technology and Cyber Function for BB
Build an engaged, capable, and high-performing Resilience Risk team
Foster a strong risk culture aligned to organisational values

Set clear performance expectations and develop team capability, including adequate succession planning.

Bachelor’s Degree in IT, Information Systems, Risk Management, or related discipline
Postgraduate qualifications advantageous
Minimum 10 years’ experience in Resilience risk types of primarily Technology, Information Security and Cyber risk, Data and Records Management risk and Change risk
- At least 5 years’ experience at an Executive leadership level
Strong knowledge of IT Risk, resilience risk, and relevant ISO/industry standards and regulatory frameworks and requirements
Experience in risk governance, senior management forums, and assurance activities
Third party risk, Change management and Business Continuity experience advantageous
IT Audit exposure advantageous
Professional memberships advantageous

Independent judgement and strong personal accountability
Influential, confident, and able to challenge constructively
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Strategic thinker with ability to engage at a detailed level
High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management capability
Curious, innovative, and future-focused
Resilient, adaptable, and values-driven
Thought leadership and ability to articulate technical acumen into simplified business language.

Education

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

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised