Head of Risk Control Unit

About the Role

This role leads the Risk Control Unit and is focused on strengthening post-sanction oversight, maintaining alignment with credit policy, tracking portfolio performance, and producing strong-quality reporting that supports prudent risk decisions and business outcomes.

About the Employer

The organization brings together more than a century of heritage with local roots and regional as well as international capability. It offers a career path within a growing African financial group that aims to shape the future through opportunity, learning, and development support.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and uphold rigorous standards for post-sanction follow-up, monitoring, and control by building and applying consistent policies and processes across the Risk Control Unit.
• Ensure personal compliance with governance requirements, lending controls, and internal procedures, including strong attention to data accuracy and ownership of assigned responsibilities.
• Partner with central and country credit teams to assess the lending book and risk capability, identify process gaps or weaknesses, and develop action plans to address them.
• Oversee monitoring and control of the wholesale portfolio to confirm adherence to sanction terms and highlight concerns or possible concerns, while ensuring clear communication across reporting lines.
• Conduct quarterly reviews of wholesale credit key risks and related mitigations through critical process assessment testing.
• Track agreed risk performance targets for the RCU team and take corrective steps where needed.
• Manage facility limit changes, including loading, amendments, and cancellations, so published limits remain aligned with the latest sanction and operating procedures.
• Oversee the diary system covering deficiencies, repayment dates, excess clearance dates, dated security, and covenant follow-ups.
• Administer financial covenant and internal risk trigger monitoring, ensuring data integrity, proper advice, and escalation of overdue, failed, or breached covenants.
• Review interest rates and commissions for corporate clients by using sanction records and interest audit reports.
• Work with the legal team on non-standard documentation and any changes to standard commercial terms and conditions.
• Promote knowledge-sharing and good practice across the unit and with business partners.
• Maintain reliable service quality for RCU stakeholders and collaborate with them to anticipate needs and respond effectively.
• Attend discussions with Corporate Credit Managers and Relationship Managers when account issues need resolution.
• Support the Head of Wholesale Credit in executing strategy, improving service, and delivering team outcomes.
• Lead overall team performance and people management within the Risk Control Unit.
• Identify high-potential team members, create development plans, and accelerate their growth through targeted deployment.
• Ensure strong succession planning and build bench strength by preparing the right people for the right roles.
• Drive training and capability-building initiatives to continuously strengthen staff skills.
• Create and sustain a motivated, collaborative team with strong working relationships across the unit and broader organization.
• Model organizational values and encourage their consistent application throughout the team.
• Build awareness of group policies, RCU procedures, and relevant regulations among team members.
• Support job rotation, accurate delivery, and efficient working practices while preparing staff for future leadership responsibilities.
• Contribute to change initiatives that improve processes, quality, cost efficiency, and people development.
• Lead and embed smooth change management and continuous process improvement efforts.
• Represent the unit’s work and importance to the wider business, including consultation on policy and procedure changes.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification in a relevant field is required.
• A postgraduate degree or a relevant professional certification will be considered an advantage.
• At least 3 years of experience in governance and control within the financial services sector is preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of corporate banking and credit risk management is needed.
• Understanding of security/credit documentation and how sanctions and credit issues are interpreted is important.
• Familiarity with the bank’s products, services, policies, procedures, and local lending/security regulations is required.
• Excellent negotiation, influence, communication, and presentation skills are expected.
• Good time management, planning, organization, and cross-functional operating awareness are necessary.
• The ability to build effective relationships at all levels is essential.
• A strong risk-and-control mindset, attention to detail, and the ability to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines are required.

Education

Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma in Business, Commerce, Management Studies, or a closely related area.

Additional Information

The role emphasizes robust governance, portfolio oversight, covenant tracking, legal coordination on non-standard documentation, team development, succession planning, and continuous improvement. It also requires regular interaction with credit managers, relationship managers, and senior stakeholders.