Group Head of Risk Management at Acorn Holdings Africa

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance or Business-related field) from a recognized university.
• Master’s Degree will be an added advantage.
• Holder of at least one of the following certifications: CRMP or, RMI-PMI or CRMA or CPA.
• Professional Certification in ISO 22301 and ISO 31000 will be an added advantage.
• At least 10 years proven working experience with at least,3 years in a Senior Management role.
• Membership to Institute of Risk Management or Global Association of Risk Professionals or Institute of Internal Auditors or ICPAK.
• Detailed knowledge of Investment Management and Real Estate is essential.
• Skills and Competence Requirements
• Technical skills to effectively perform risk assessment techniques and principles.
• A firm understanding of international risk management standards and best practices.
• Effective analytical skills and critical thinking to understand processes, controls and risks of areas.
• Experienced in taking responsibility for executing risk assessments by producing high quality deliverables to stakeholders in line with strict timelines.
• Proficient data analysis.
• Report writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiating and problem-solving skills.

Job role

• Organizational Brief
• Acorn Holdings Limited (AHL) is a vertically integrated Developer, Operator, and Manager of rental housing with a mission to transform and improve the living conditions of the people of Africa by creating sustainable and resilient urban communities coupled with innovative capital markets investment products.
• As of 2025, the company oversees the largest portfolio of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in Africa of approximately 20,000 units 8,500 of these being fully operational and the balance under development.
• Acorn has significant growth prospects. The PBSA sector in Kenya is still nascent with opportunities in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area and Tier 2 university towns. Acorn is also rolling out other rental housing segments such as Young Urbanites. The Company has also initiated plans to expand its offering into other African cities in the East and Central Africa region. Finally, the management platform that Acorn has established over the past decade has significant monetization opportunities. The combination of the massive market demand for rental housing for young people and this management platform means that Acorn will remain a growth company for the next 10 – 20 years. 

Purpose of the role

• Reporting to the Group CEO Administratively, and to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board, the Group Head of Risk Management will drive the creation and implementation of the Enterprise Risk Management Framework and the Business Continuity Management System. The Group Head of Risk Management will lead risk management activities throughout the organization including identification, assessment, evaluation, treatment, monitoring and reporting of risks and coordinate the Business Continuity Management activities.

Responsibilities

Risk Management

• To review the ERM Framework and ensure alignment to ISO 31000: 2018 and other laws, regulations and standards in relation to risk management.
• Draft the Risk Appetite and Risk Tolerance statements for Board approval.
• Monitor Group’s operations to ensure they are in line with the Board approved risk appetite and report on risks accepted by Management which are outside the approved risk appetite by setting risk tolerance limits and key risk indicators in line with the policies.
• Coordinate monitoring of high risks, new and emerging risks; identifying inter-functional risks; and ensuring risk management principles are extended and integrated within all Group’s processes.
• Facilitate strategic, operational, project and ad hoc risk identification & assessments and offer risk advisory services as & when needed by providing guidance in the identification and evaluation of risk events.
• Coordinate with other assurance providers in the review of the risk management process and ensure recommendations are implemented.
• Support Function Heads to continuously update the risk register and prepare quarterly risk reports to Management and the Audit and Risk Committee and ensure safe custody of the same.
• Conduct risk management awareness initiatives across the business to ensure risk appreciation and upscale the risk culture within AIML.
• Monitor and escalate high priority risk matters on a regular basis to the Management and the Audit and Risk Committee.
• To collate the quarterly risk summary to be presented to Management and the Audit and Risk Committee.

Coordinate Business Continuity Management:

• Review the Business Continuity Management (BCM) Framework and ensure alignment to ISO 22301: 2019 and other laws, regulations and standards in relation to business continuity management.
• Manage the implementation and coordination of Group’s Business Continuity Management (BCM) Framework and support the Management on BCM policies and practices, to identify, evaluate, and address the entire portfolio of strategic & operational risks and vulnerabilities that presents risks to the continuity of business in the event of various impacts.
• Coordinate the Annual Business Impact Analysis for all units and ensure documented Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) are in place and updated in line with the Company’s BCM policy and International best practice.