Head of Risk, Commercial Credit

Create your best future and join Westpac as Head of Risk, Commercial Credit

What’s the Role:

This is a critical Line 2 leadership role responsible for shaping and overseeing commercial credit risk across a large, complex banking portfolio. You will provide independent oversight, challenge and strategic risk advice to Commercial Banking leadership, ensuring alignment with risk appetite, regulatory expectations and business strategy.

Leading a sizable and geographically dispersed team, you will drive a high-performance risk culture, strengthen credit governance and influence key decision-making at executive level.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and deliver a modern, scalable data ecosystem that embeds analytics, decision intelligence and AI into customer and business journeys. 
• Provide independent, expert advice and constructive challenge to Commercial Banking leadership on credit risk, portfolio settings and risk appetite. 
• Oversee credit risk across BAU operations, transformation initiatives and change programs, ensuring risks are effectively identified, assessed, managed and escalated. 
• Lead the Commercial Credit Risk function, including credit decisioning across diversified, sponsor, property and target sectors. 
• Shape and maintain the Credit Risk Management Framework (policies, standards, delegations and controls) in partnership with Group Credit and Line 1. 
• Challenge strategic initiatives and regulatory change to ensure robust risk design, control effectiveness and sustainable implementation. 
•  Lead issue identification, reporting and remediation, including regulatory breaches and long outstanding issues. 
• Strengthen risk culture across the business, embedding disciplined risk management practices and data integrity standards. 
• Provide regular portfolio insights and governance reporting to the CRO, including escalation of market-sensitive matters. 
• Drive continuous improvement in the control environment and risk management maturity across Commercial Banking.

What do I need?

You are a seasoned risk executive with deep commercial credit expertise and a track record of leading large teams in complex financial services environments.

Essential Experience

• 15+ years’ leadership experience within banking or financial services
• 10+ years’ commercial credit decisioning across multiple sectors
• Proven experience operating in a Line 2 risk function with strong regulatory awareness
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders and challenge constructively
• Strong track record in building high-performing teams and risk cultures

Capabilities

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Proven ability to drive outcomes through influence and governance
• Customer and outcome focused
• Resilient, decisive and highly credible
• Passionate about excellence in risk management

Personal Attributes

Why join us?

We’re obsessed with becoming our customers' #1 banking partner for life and we’re looking for people who are passionate about helping us achieve that goal. In return, we’re committed to making Westpac the best place to work in the country. Here are just a few of the ways we’re already doing that:

• Special offers on banking products and discounts from top brands, including generous employee only mortgage rates!
• Flexible work arrangements to help you achieve a greater work/life balance, and a variety of leave options including Culture, Lifestyle and Wellbeing leave. 
• Tailored learning and development opportunities to help your grow your career within the bank. 
• Lots of opportunities to ‘give back’ to the Community by getting involved in our many volunteering initiatives.

Create your future today 

To get started, simply click on the APPLY or APPLY NOW button 

We’re all about creating a supportive and inclusive community. We welcome everyone no matter your age, gender, background, or abilities. We also provide additional support to welcome our veterans, Indigenous Australians and neurodiverse community. 

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, you can find out more information and additional contact details by visiting the "People with Disability and/or needing Accessibility Requirements" page on our website.  

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