Head of Risk Assessment & Governance

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Job Summary

To lead the strategic oversight and execution of risk assessment and control governance across Absa Bank Kenya. This role ensures robust risk identification, consistent control evaluation, and effective remediation aligned with regulatory expectations, audit standards, and strategic objectives. The role is central to embedding a strong control culture and driving operational resilience

The job holder is a key member of the first line of defence in the Controls Team in ABKE. The role holder will support the Head of Controls to enhance risk management and controls within the first line of defence in order to support the strategic plans of the business and meet and sustain requirements of the ERMF.
• Implementation of Operation Risk Policies / ERMF.
• Ensuring that all Significant Control and Material Issues are managed effectively and efficiently across the business.
• Ensure Root causes are effectively identified, and lessons learnt are embedded.
• Provide, where appropriate, independent evaluations of the business’ risk profile to the senior management, local board, and regulators.
• Coordination of Controls reports and meetings.
• Coordinate Management Control Approach (MCA) and Control Environment (CE) review and reporting for Absa Bank Kenya
• Coordination of the Specialist Risk Type Road to Satisfactory plans for Absa Bank Kenya

Job Description

Key accountabilities/Deliverables/Outcomes

Risk Assessment & Governance Execution-30%

• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of RCSA (Risk & Control Self-Assessment), CPA (Control Performance Assurance), MCA (Management Control Approach), and CE (Control Environment) frameworks.
• Lead operational risk assessments across business units, ensuring consistency and quality in execution.
• Coordinate and track country-level “Road to Satisfactory” plans for Specialist Risk Types (SRTs).

Governance & Reporting: 25%

• Drive effective tracking, monitoring, and closure of control issues and audit findings from Combined Assurance Reviews.
• Lead root cause analysis and embed lessons learned into business processes.
• Coordinate controls reporting and governance forums, including monthly controls forums.
• Maintain control dashboards, MI repositories, and Open Pages database for MCA/CE/RCSA/CPA/Risk Events.
• Review and challenge risk identification and prioritization to ensure risks are well understood and quantified.
• Promote synergies across control mechanisms and identify opportunities to improve the control environment.
• Train business teams on risk and control management practices..

Relationship Management: 25%

• Promote a culture of risk awareness and control ownership across the business.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to business units on control and governance matters.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including Compliance, Audit, and Enterprise Functions.
• Educate teams on risk indicators and control expectations to enhance performance.
• Develop and execute influencing strategies tailored to various stakeholder groups.

People Management: 5%

• Ensure effective working relationships within the team and share experience and knowledge with team members.
• Champion a culture where open and constructive feedback is encouraged throughout the team

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Facilitate alignment between CIB, CBB, Enterprise Functions on MCA/CE reporting
• Working with Operational Risk lead the refresh of CPA/RCSA across all functions to ensure alignment with current risk and control framework.
• Support new product assessments, market trend analysis, and change initiatives from a control perspective

Control Accountability: 15%

• Own and ensure the control programme for the Unit is robust and maintained across all operations in the department.
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Policies and Policy Standards. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role
• Support   Head of Controls in driving a positive risk and control culture in the department.

Role/person specification

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in (Commerce or equivalent qualification)

Experience

• 8 years (Technical/Managerial) experience

Knowledge and Skills

• Business Skills: Including Deliver Solutions and Decision Making
• Management & Leadership: Including People Development
• Personal & Interpersonal Skills: Including Communication & Influence and Collaboration
• Proven experience and application of risk management policies and detailed knowledge of current risk policies and regulatory change impacting the financial sector
• Auditing/Assurance/Risk/Rigour and investigative skills under a risk-based methodology
• Understanding of key risks faced by banks and core control environment
• Knowledge of the Bank’s governance requirements

Absa Bank Kenya is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards the achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

***Application Deadline – 5th January 2026**

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)