Senior Specialist: Operational Risk
Absa Group
Date: 12 hours ago
City: Johannesburg, Gauteng
Contract type: Full time
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, 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
Seeking a strategic, seasoned and experienced Operational Risk Senior specialist to lead and embed robust operational risk management practices across the organisation.
This senior-level role is accountable for driving the identification, assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of non-technology and non-cyber operational risks, ensuring alignment to the enterprise risk and resilience frameworks.
This position plays a critical role in strengthening the Business Unit's Control Environment through oversight of risk events, breaches, dispensations, and waivers; delivery of deep dive reviews, thematic issue analysis, root cause assessments, and emerging risk identification. The role will also provide leadership in risk-based process mapping, enhancement initiatives, mitigation planning, and tracking.
The incumbent will lead the coordination of critical risk activities including RCSA's, KRI's, Operational resilience assessments (OHS/BCM), Combined Assurance integration, and the preparation of executive and committee-level reporting. They will also contribute to shaping the Business Unit's risk appetite, materiality thresholds, and classification frameworks.
This is a high-visibility role requiring strong stakeholder engagement across senior leadership, risk forums, and assurance functions. A solid understanding of digital and business transformation environments is advantageous.
The ideal candidate will have 3–5+ years’ experience in operational risk management within financial services, with a proven track record of delivering strategic and tactical risk outcomes at senior levels.
Job Description
Ready to step into a high-impact role where your operational risk expertise will shape how we protect and grow our business?
We're on the hunt for a Senior Operational Risk Specialist — someone with a sharp eye for risk and a passion for strengthening controls and processes across the business.
This is not your average risk role. You’ll be embedded in the engine room of operational risk, driving proactive risk management across the enterprise — minus cyber, tech and change risk. We’re looking for someone who thrives in complexity and brings structure, insight, and resilience.
What You’ll Be Doing
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
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
Seeking a strategic, seasoned and experienced Operational Risk Senior specialist to lead and embed robust operational risk management practices across the organisation.
This senior-level role is accountable for driving the identification, assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of non-technology and non-cyber operational risks, ensuring alignment to the enterprise risk and resilience frameworks.
This position plays a critical role in strengthening the Business Unit's Control Environment through oversight of risk events, breaches, dispensations, and waivers; delivery of deep dive reviews, thematic issue analysis, root cause assessments, and emerging risk identification. The role will also provide leadership in risk-based process mapping, enhancement initiatives, mitigation planning, and tracking.
The incumbent will lead the coordination of critical risk activities including RCSA's, KRI's, Operational resilience assessments (OHS/BCM), Combined Assurance integration, and the preparation of executive and committee-level reporting. They will also contribute to shaping the Business Unit's risk appetite, materiality thresholds, and classification frameworks.
This is a high-visibility role requiring strong stakeholder engagement across senior leadership, risk forums, and assurance functions. A solid understanding of digital and business transformation environments is advantageous.
The ideal candidate will have 3–5+ years’ experience in operational risk management within financial services, with a proven track record of delivering strategic and tactical risk outcomes at senior levels.
Job Description
Ready to step into a high-impact role where your operational risk expertise will shape how we protect and grow our business?
We're on the hunt for a Senior Operational Risk Specialist — someone with a sharp eye for risk and a passion for strengthening controls and processes across the business.
This is not your average risk role. You’ll be embedded in the engine room of operational risk, driving proactive risk management across the enterprise — minus cyber, tech and change risk. We’re looking for someone who thrives in complexity and brings structure, insight, and resilience.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Managing operational risk end-to-end (excluding cyber, technology, and change risk)
- Handling dispensations, waivers, breaches, issues, and risk events
- Conducting deep dives, horizon scanning, and identifying emerging risks
- Performing root cause analyses and thematic issue identification
- Tracking and monitoring issues to closure
- Leading process mapping, enhancement, and risk mitigation planning
- Supporting Combined Assurance as the point of entry
- Contributing to OHS, BCM, critical process reviews, and operational resilience
- Facilitating RCSAs, KRI development, and appetite threshold design
- Conducting reconciliations of risk events, quality assurance, and 2nd line reviews
- Preparing and presenting to Risk Committees (decks, papers, minutes)
- Supporting risk classification frameworks, materiality thresholds, and governance
- Staying ahead with industry trends and insights
- 3–5 years in an operational risk role in banking or financial services
- Deep understanding of the ERMF/ORMF and regulatory landscape
- Proven experience in risk management frameworks, analysis and controls
- Skilled in report writing, stakeholder engagement, and executive-level communication
- Experience in risk tools and systems (GRC platforms a plus)
- Knowledge of digital processes and risk in digital environments (bonus)
- Proactive and curious — always two steps ahead
- Structured, analytical, and detail-oriented
- A confident communicator who can hold their own in committee forums
- Able to simplify complex risk topics into actionable insights
- A team player who enjoys solving problems collaboratively
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
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