Wholesale Banking Operational Risk Manager

Position Purpose: The role is part of the second line Operational Risk function supporting Wholesale Banking, with a primary focus on credit products, credit policies, credit processes, credit operations and credit audit. The role independently reviews the design and operating effectiveness of the risk and control environment, identifies material gaps, provides an integrated risk view, and supports timely remediation and risk-informed decision-making. Key Position Responsibilities: - Plan and conduct independent Operational Risk Reviews of wholesale credit products and end-to-end credit processes, including policy governance, underwriting interfaces, documentation, disbursement, limit setup, collateral and covenant controls, monitoring, servicing and closure. - Carry out periodic and trigger-based risk assessments for existing and new credit products, processes, policy changes and material business changes. Assess inherent risk, control effectiveness, residual risk and remediation priorities. - Design and facilitate execution of a risk-based control testing plan. Test both control design and operating effectiveness, document evidence, agree observations with stakeholders and track corrective actions to closure. - Facilitate root cause analysis of operational loss events and near-miss events. Identify control failures, process weaknesses and recurring themes, and recommend sustainable preventive and corrective actions. - Design, calibrate and monitor Key Risk Indicators for wholesale credit activities. Define thresholds, analyse trends and breaches, and escalate material deterioration with clear management commentary. - Facilitate scenario analysis for severe but plausible operational risk events affecting wholesale credit. Assess potential impact, key vulnerabilities, control preparedness and management actions. - Review credit policies, procedures, standard operating procedures and approval frameworks from an operational risk perspective. Challenge unclear ownership, manual dependencies, override controls, data quality issues and gaps in segregation of duties. - Provide independent oversight of credit operations and control execution, with focus on accuracy, timeliness, maker-checker controls, system access, documentation, exception management and audit trail. - Prepare concise risk reports for senior management and governance forums. Escalate material risks, overdue actions, repeated control failures and threshold breaches to the appropriate stakeholders. - Work closely with Wholesale Banking, Credit, Credit Operations, Policy, Internal Audit, Compliance, Technology and other control functions while maintaining independent second-line challenge. - Recommend improvements in controls, workflows, data, automation and management information to reduce operational risk and strengthen the credit control environment. Qualifications and Experience Requirement: - Essential: 7 - 10 years of relevant experience in wholesale banking credit, credit operations, credit risk, operational risk, internal audit, credit audit or a related control function. - Essential: Bachelor's degree in commerce, finance, economics, business, accounting or a related discipline. - Preferred: Chartered Accountant (CA), (FRM/PRM equivalent qualification preferred). Technical Skills: - Wholesale credit expertise: Thorough knowledge of credit products, product programmes, policy frameworks and end-to-end credit operations. - Operational risk methods: Risk and Control Self-Assessment, control testing, issue validation, root cause analysis, loss event review, near-miss analysis and scenario analysis. - Risk monitoring: Ability to define Key Risk Indicators, thresholds and escalation triggers, and analyse trends and control performance. - Audit and assurance: Ability to interpret credit audit findings, assess control implications, identify themes and challenge closure evidence. - Data and reporting: Strong analytical capability and proficiency in spreadsheets and presentation tools; ability to convert data into clear risk insights and governance reporting. - Communication: Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, constructive challenge and senior-management presentation skills. Behavioural Skills: - Professionalism: Exercise sound judgement, integrity, objectivity and confidentiality in all reviews and interactions. - Independent challenge: Question assumptions constructively, remain evidence based and escalate material concerns without delay. - Ownership: Take responsibility for end-to-end delivery, documentation quality and timely follow-through of agreed actions. - Collaboration: Work effectively across business, credit, operations and control functions while preserving second-line independence. - Attention to detail: Maintain high standards of accuracy, evidence and traceability in testing, analysis and reporting. - Continuous improvement: Look for practical ways to simplify processes, strengthen controls and improve risk visibility.