Senior Risk Manager

The Senior Risk Manager is a Line 2 (Second Line of Defence) role within the Risk & Compliance function. The role supports the Head of Risk Australia in implementing, monitoring, and enhancing the Group Risk Management Framework by providing independent oversight, challenge, and assurance across business as usual activities, compliance obligations, and material change initiatives.

The role holder provides objective risk assessment and challenge to ensure that key risks—including operational, regulatory, compliance, project, and change related risks—are identified, assessed, and managed within the Group’s Risk Appetite, and that effective controls are designed and operating as intended.

Key Accountabilities and main responsibilities

Strategic Focus 

• Act as a senior Line 2 risk leader, stepping in for the Head of Risk Australia when necessary to ensure continuity of leadership and oversight. In this capacity, provide guidance and direction to the risk team, maintain high standards of risk management, and represent the risk function in key meetings and decision-making forums. Take responsibility for upholding the Group’s risk appetite and values, ensuring that risk considerations are integrated into all business activities and transformation projects.
• Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to senior stakeholders across the Corporate Markets business. 
• Support embedding of the Group Risk Appetite across all activities, including transformation and change initiatives.
• Stakeholder engagement and responsibility   implementing, monitoring, and enhancing the risk frameworks in the Corporate Markets business, collaboratively assisting with the achievement of their strategic roles. 
• Actively collaborate with peers to further develop a leading global Risk and Compliance function.
• Assist with embedding the Group Risk Appetite Statement within the Corporate Markets business

Operational Management 

• Work with Business Unit Heads and Line 1 Risk to identify, analyse, mitigate, manage and monitor risks, providing challenge as and when appropriate
• Be a key Line 2 Risk SME on new CM projects and initiatives, offering clear and concise oversight and challenge, opinions throughout the lifecycle of the project
• Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to senior stakeholders, strengthening risk decision making, transparency, and risk culture across the Corporate Markets business.
• Provide independent Line 2 oversight and challenge across operational, regulatory, project, and change risks. 
• Assess and manage complex risk scenarios, including change initiatives, projects, regulatory developments, and emerging risks.
• Review and challenge project risk assessments, control design, residual risk, and alignment to Risk Appetite. 
• Escalate material risks where exposure exceeds appetite or controls are inadequate. 
• Identify emerging risks arising from change activity, including operational resilience, third party, technology, data, conduct, and regulatory risks.
• Review and challenge compliance related risk assessments, controls, and remediation activities. 
• Ability to provide support the Compliance Manager with compliance assessments from time to time
• Support effective breach, issue, and risk event management, including review, challenge, escalation, and reporting in line with Group standards.

People Leadership 

• Work collaboratively with the broader Group Risk & Compliance team, Line 1 Risk and other Group Functions to support the business to embed an effective risk culture
• Build relationships with stakeholders to actively influence decisions and offer constructive guidance that meets their needs
• Drive good governance practices, including the assessment, and report of timely Metrics, Opinion Papers and ad hoc Reviews to CM Senior Management, Board and RiskCo.
• Provide accurate and timely advice on risk matters to key stakeholders
• Support the development of more junior colleagues within the Risk & Compliance team
• Demonstrate positive role model behaviour 

Governance & Risk 

• Ensure the Group Risk Management Framework is effectively implemented and localised where required, including execution and monitoring of legislative and regulatory obligations. 
• Oversee Control Self Assessment / RCSA processes,  
• Initiate and conduct risk and control assurance reviews (thematic, deep dive, and change focused). 
• Provide high quality risk reporting and insights to senior management, Risk Committees, and Boards. 
• Promote a strong risk culture aligned with regulatory expectations, operational resilience, and sound governance.

The above list of key accountabilities is not an exhaustive list and may change from time-to-time based on business needs

Experience & Personal Attributes

• Qualifications in Risk, or a related field are desirable but not essential, combined with ongoing professional development, such as post-graduate or vocational study.
• Proven experience operating in a Second Line of Defence (Line 2) risk management role within a financial services environment. 
• Demonstrated experience supporting change, project, and transformation risk assessments, including providing independent challenge. 
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and obligations management, including oversight rather than ownership. 
• Experience supporting senior governance forums (Risk Committees, Executive Committees, Boards). 
• Knowledge of risk management frameworks, RCSA, issue management, and regulatory expectations. 
• Ability to balance robust challenge with pragmatism and commercial awareness.
• High levels of problem-solving ability, with clear decision-making skills that can analyses complex information, in a way that drives resolution.
• Ability to proactively apply analytical skills to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated capacity to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively, especially when engaging senior leadership.
• Skilled in making well-informed decisions quickly in high-pressure situations.
• Consistently maintains strong attention to detail in all tasks.