VP/Risk Officer

About AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals and private wealth clients in major world markets. Our corporate headquarters is based in Nashville, Tennessee and we currently have over 4,500 employees based in 54 locations across 27 countries including a significant presence in major financial centers like New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

At AB, we’re fully invested in being a firm that clients can trust to deliver better outcomes. To be successful, we foster a diverse, connected, collaborative culture that encourages different ways of thinking and differentiated insights. We embrace innovation to address increasingly complex investing challenges. We realize that it's our people who give us a competitive advantage and drive success in the market, investing in the next generation of investment professionals is our priority. We want to empower you—which is why we offer training, and a culture of mentorship and mobility, so you can cultivate the tools you need to build your career. If you're passionate, driven and ready to develop new ideas, we want to help you challenge your limits.

About AB’s Risk Management Department

AB operates a “Three Lines” model where Risk Management is an independent function in the “second line”. The department has dedicated teams for operational risk and investment risk, as well as specialist risk directors for model risk, liquidity and valuation, and counterparty and credit risk. The risk department is led by AB’s Chief Risk Officer (CRO) who is a direct report of AB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The central risk team is also supported by first-line Risk Managers who operate as Risk Officers in AB’s business units. Together, the Risk Officers, specialist risk directors, investment and operational risk teams form AB’s Risk Management department. AB’s Risk Management team works closely with AB’s Infrastructure Risk team, part of AB’s Global Technology and Operations department.

About AllianceBernstein (Europe) Ltd

As AllianceBernstein’s portfolio management footprint expands across Europe we have established a MiFID entity based in Dublin called AllianceBernstein (Europe) Ltd (ABEL) to support this expansion. This entity is the hub for a branch network across the EU where we have portfolio management teams operating.

Role Summary

AllianceBernstein is seeking an Ireland-based Risk officer to oversee the risk framework for the MIFID Investment firm in Ireland. The Risk Officer will be a key member of the ABEL PCF team responsible for maintaining oversight frameworks investment and operational risk management, IT and cyber security risk oversight and for financial and operational resilience.  The Risk Officer will work closely within AB Group Risk, AB Group Infrastructure Risk and AB EMEA Risk to ensure a consistent and robust framework. The Risk Officer will be accountable for reporting and escalation on risk items to the AB Europe Board of Directors, as well as to AB Group or AB EMEA committees (as applicable).

The Risk Officer will be an integral part of the AB EMEA Risk team, and have support from EMEA and global frameworks, systems and teams for investment risk oversight, operational risk oversight, financial and operational resilience, IT and cyber risk oversight.

Primary Role Responsibilities

• Perform the role of PCF-14 – Chief Risk Officer for ABEL (subject to Central Bank of Ireland approval)
• Provide ownership and delivery of the ABEL risk management framework.
• Deliver risk analysis, reporting and insights to the ABEL Board of Directors.
• Oversee day-to-day elements of the ABEL) risk framework including:
  • Risk identification and assessment;
  • Investment Error reporting, remediation and escalation;
  • Risk Management framework activities in branch offices.
• Deliver the Internal Capital Adequacy and Risk Assessment Process (ICARAP) for the entity.
• Deliver the Operational Resilience Self-Assessment (ORSA) for the entity.
• Oversee IT and cyber risk frameworks for the entity, including EU DORA, and support AB’s Cyber and Operational Resilience frameworks in EMEA including:
  • ICT incident review
  • ICT matrix review
  • KPIs monitoring
  • Annual Reports
  • Policy & Procedure updates
• Together with ABEL’s Compliance team, ensure changes are identified, including changes to Irish and European risk regulation, which may impact ABEL or AB Group services and clients, and work with AB Group Risk and Compliance to ensure embedding of new regulations or other legal entity change projects (e.g. opening of a new branch) is successful.
• Oversee ABEL’s Outsourcing Framework

Additional Role Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of the firm’s risk oversight framework across EMEA.
• Collaborate with AB’s EMEA Risk Team and global risk team members on projects that help to deliver efficiencies, utilize emerging technologies or deepen risk frameworks.
• Attend industry forums and events to stay current on industry best practise, sharing that information with AB’s global risk functions.

What is the professional development value of this role?

We will make a strong commitment to your development, and give you opportunities to gain visibility, responsibility, and advancement across the firm.

Key Behavioural Competencies

• Executes in line with responsibilities and seeks to deliver positive outcomes;
• Creates opportunities for commercial impact, client relationships and cost reduction;
• Displays clear leadership and grows talent;
• Leads change;
• Communicates with clarity and impact;
• Positively influences the environment and culture of the firm and drives inclusivity.

Role Requirements

• At least 5 years’ Experience at a manager level in a broad range of risk management disciplines including operational risk and resilience.
• Experience implementing risk management policies and procedures.
• Experience implementing risk systems, reporting and management information.
• Experience delivering risk reporting to senior management, governance committees and boards.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, demonstrating clarity and accuracy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certificate in risk management, investment management or a related discipline, (e.g. IoB’s Professional Designated Person Certification).

Travel

• The successful individual will be expected to travel to the branch offices (currently Germany and Denmark) of ABEL on a periodic basis. In addition, occasional travel to other AB offices may be required to support the global risk team.

Dublin, Ireland