Governance Manager job at Absa Bank

Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

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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.

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Job Summary

To support the Head of Risk and Governance in managing Governance, Risk and Compliance matters within the CIB Function.

Responsibilities or duties

Risk and control – 60%

• Ensure that staff in Corporate Banking are conversant with Absa Policies and standards on governance e.g. Compliance Code of Conduct, Risk management framework, etc.
• Coordinate periodic quality assurance checks, pre-audit preparation, remediation and closure of post audit queries, review of monitoring and control reports.
• Participate in review and localization of country policies and standards to ensure that they address country specific needs and thresholds.
• Supervise activities of KYC, AML & Sanctions screening.
• Attend and participate in process mapping reviews and operational risk assessments.
• Prompt and facilitate the training and development programmes for Corporate Banking and enforce compliance to the HR policies e.g. leave and filling of critical vacancies.
• Design and produce MIS reports to track and report various Control objectives and programs
• Ensure Internal Audit points, Operational Risk actions and Monitoring and Testing points are cleared within the time commitments provided by the respective teams.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies and coordinate closely with the Chief Operating Office, Technology groups and other operations groups to assist in meeting control objectives.
• Partner with business in completing the Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) /Critical Process Assessments in line with Enterprise Risk Management Framework (EMRF) and the Operational Risk Management Methodology.
• Timely completion of Management Control Approach (MCA) and Control Environment (CE) assessments and remediation of any control lapse issues identified.
• Conduct independent periodic testing of the CIB CPAs, document any control lapses identified and follow up for timely closure.
• Maintain Risk and Control registers and assessments as well as progress reports
• Ensure proactive risk based advice is delivered through effective partnership with all relevant business units and Client Engagement.
• Raise issues and actions and remediate control gaps and weaknesses.
• Check and challenge the key controls established by business in the mitigation of risks
• Assist Business in the development of Key Indicators for measuring the utilisation of risk against appetite
• Alternate representative for Corporate Banking on Risk & Control Forum and Financial Crime committees.
• Responsible for providing oversight over Corporate Banking KYC and Customer Experience Support Units.

Staff Management – 30%

• Prepare and provide day-to-day risk and governance training to team members.
• Set up and manage leave plans to ensure no carried forward leave liability.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with internal and external business partners, including but not limited to all delivery channels used.
• Liaise with all business partners to ensure all management information they require is provided to them timeously
• Ensure that regular communication regarding risk management is disseminated to all relevant stakeholders.

Sales and Service – 10%

• Support team members on customer service issues and complaints handling.
• Support team members on sales campaigns and other business promotion events.
• Attend relevant forums where direction is taken in terms of the future development of risk management methodology.
• Consider engagement reports obtained from business and translate them into less complex executive summaries to be discussed at the Supervisory meetings
• Prepare, distribute and present business unit risk and control analysis to the relevant Management Committees.
• Provide reporting for the Monthly risk governance forums as well as address any ad hoc risk-related reporting to stakeholders
• Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Create effective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year.
• Track the delivery of the team and achievements against the team’s annual goals.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Education and experience required

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Knowledge and skills:

• Knowledge of Corporate banking products and services
• Knowledge of Absa processes and procedures
• Knowledge of the AML Act and guidelines from the Central bank
• A good understanding of the Bank’s general policies and procedures
• Detailed Front Office knowledge and experience aligned to Banking, Corporate and Client Engagement.
• High level of PC skills – relevant packages e.g. Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Planning and organizing
• Ability to negotiate and challenge
• Risk and control techniques (risk assessment, mitigation & management)
• Analytical and Problem-solving ability
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Robust understanding of the current regulatory environment that CIB operates in
• Proven experience on risk control related initiatives affecting Front Office

Competencies

• Excellent work ethic and precise attention to detail.
• Ability to take initiative and to take ownership of projects.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate simply and effectively and work well in a team
• Ability to share ideas, listen and take on board other’s ideas
• Willingness and desire to learn and grow
• Achieving personal work goals and results.

Experience needed

• 3years experience in a similar role preferably in a large reputable financial institution.

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

Education

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

• Ensure that staff in Corporate Banking are conversant with Absa Policies and standards on governance e.g. Compliance Code of Conduct, Risk management framework, etc.
• Coordinate periodic quality assurance checks, pre-audit preparation, remediation and closure of post audit queries, review of monitoring and control reports.
• Participate in review and localization of country policies and standards to ensure that they address country specific needs and thresholds.
• Supervise activities of KYC, AML & Sanctions screening.
• Attend and participate in process mapping reviews and operational risk assessments.
• Prompt and facilitate the training and development programmes for Corporate Banking and enforce compliance to the HR policies e.g. leave and filling of critical vacancies.
• Design and produce MIS reports to track and report various Control objectives and programs
• Ensure Internal Audit points, Operational Risk actions and Monitoring and Testing points are cleared within the time commitments provided by the respective teams.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies and coordinate closely with the Chief Operating Office, Technology groups and other operations groups to assist in meeting control objectives.
• Partner with business in completing the Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) /Critical Process Assessments in line with Enterprise Risk Management Framework (EMRF) and the Operational Risk Management Methodology.
• Timely completion of Management Control Approach (MCA) and Control Environment (CE) assessments and remediation of any control lapse issues identified.
• Conduct independent periodic testing of the CIB CPAs, document any control lapses identified and follow up for timely closure.
• Maintain Risk and Control registers and assessments as well as progress reports
• Ensure proactive risk based advice is delivered through effective partnership with all relevant business units and Client Engagement.
• Raise issues and actions and remediate control gaps and weaknesses.
• Check and challenge the key controls established by business in the mitigation of risks
• Assist Business in the development of Key Indicators for measuring the utilisation of risk against appetite
• Alternate representative for Corporate Banking on Risk & Control Forum and Financial Crime committees.
• Responsible for providing oversight over Corporate Banking KYC and Customer Experience Support Units.
• Prepare and provide day-to-day risk and governance training to team members.
• Set up and manage leave plans to ensure no carried forward leave liability.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with internal and external business partners, including but not limited to all delivery channels used.
• Liaise with all business partners to ensure all management information they require is provided to them timeously
• Ensure that regular communication regarding risk management is disseminated to all relevant stakeholders.
• Support team members on customer service issues and complaints handling.
• Support team members on sales campaigns and other business promotion events.
• Attend relevant forums where direction is taken in terms of the future development of risk management methodology.
• Consider engagement reports obtained from business and translate them into less complex executive summaries to be discussed at the Supervisory meetings
• Prepare, distribute and present business unit risk and control analysis to the relevant Management Committees.
• Provide reporting for the Monthly risk governance forums as well as address any ad hoc risk-related reporting to stakeholders
• Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Create effective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year.
• Track the delivery of the team and achievements against the team’s annual goals.

• Knowledge of Corporate banking products and services
• Knowledge of Absa processes and procedures
• Knowledge of the AML Act and guidelines from the Central bank
• A good understanding of the Bank’s general policies and procedures
• Detailed Front Office knowledge and experience aligned to Banking, Corporate and Client Engagement.
• High level of PC skills – relevant packages e.g. Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Planning and organizing
• Ability to negotiate and challenge
• Risk and control techniques (risk assessment, mitigation & management)
• Analytical and Problem-solving ability
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Robust understanding of the current regulatory environment that CIB operates in
• Proven experience on risk control related initiatives affecting Front Office
• Excellent work ethic and precise attention to detail.
• Ability to take initiative and to take ownership of projects.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate simply and effectively and work well in a team
• Ability to share ideas, listen and take on board other’s ideas
• Willingness and desire to learn and grow
• Achieving personal work goals and results.

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)