Head Internal Controls at Standard Bank Group

Job Purpose 

Maintain an optimal control framework for the Group that facilitates a proactive approach to issue identification, resolution, escalation and implementation of actions to manage control gaps in order to mitigate any risk that could occur and cause losses to the Group.

Key Responsibilities

• Determine the Control Strategy
• To determine the control strategy for the Group in consultation with business / enabler partners, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit aligned to the Group and ROA strategies.
• Develop effective, collaborative relationships with the country’s senior management team, business lines and all relevant stakeholders.

Execution and Monitoring
 

• Development of the annual control assurance reviews universe in collaboration with the Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit stakeholders.
• Perform appropriate monitoring activities to provide assurance on the effectiveness and state of the control environment of risk in the Group to the executive management and all relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that formal planned reviews and spot checks are conducted across the Group in line with the risk based engagement methodologies, including the production of reports.
• Facilitate the translation of regulatory directives into operational processes & controls.
• Monitor implemented risk and compliance management processes – as identified and assessed by Risk and Compliance to ensure adherence to standards, policies and procedures.
• Identify inadequate processes and controls and provide Operational Risk and Compliance and/or Business Units/ Enablers with the irregularities to facilitate the modification of processes where required.
• Ensure that formal root cause analysis for control failures is conducted across the Group and appropriate remedial actions are identified and implemented.
• Conduct special reviews upon specific request by business unit/ enabler management as appropriate.
• Monitor that tracking of remedial actions from internal audits, regulatory reviews, FCC investigations, control reviews and other such assurance reviews is undertaken as agreed with the business units. This will involve validation of implemented interventions prior to closure of the issues.
• Ensure that appropriate training initiatives towards improvement of the control environment are planned and executed as required. Ensure that coaching & support opportunities are properly identified and the appropriate interventions are implemented.
• Participate in the bank’s business initiatives, forums, committees, policy / process development or reviews, e.g. risk & compliance committees, new products, projects etc. to ensure that control requirements are appropriately considered executed and reported.
• Effective implementation of the operational risk framework i.e. loss control, incident management, RCSA & KRIs, BCM, IRM roles as per the approved risk management framework.
• Foster an environment of innovation for simpler, better and yet effective solutions to enhance key control capabilities within the control function and across the bank.
• Allocate available resources to individual engagements on a risk based perspective in line with the Unit and bank’s overall strategy.
• Timely provision of routine dashboards as per determined frequency, monthly and quarterly reports on activities and the state of the control environment to executive, business / enabler unit management, risk, compliance, internal audit and ROA risk partners.
• Present routine monitoring and control review reports to business / process owners and ensure their understanding and commitment to the report and agreed action plans.
• Escalate breaches and incidents for more serious control breaches that require senior management direction as per the appropriate escalation processes, including active participation in the remedial actions.

People Management & Administration

• Lead and manage the Control function and ensure effective management of human capital.
• Agree performance contracts, monitor, review and appraise performance of staff within the unit. Develop and maintain a talent development plan.
• Evaluate and manage the performance of the team to achieve a high standard of competence, motivation and service orientation, focusing on the development and retention of promising staff.
• Identify knowledge/skills/ development needs, capability gaps ensure that appropriate training initiatives and or interventions are determined and executed in collaboration with the pertinent stakeholders.
• Manage the annual leave planning and utilisation.
• Monitor, manage budget and expenditure for the Control function.

Other Oversight Functions

• Provide oversight for effective management of user access on all applications for appropriate levels and limit of authority are profiled and assigned to the users.
• Ensure adequacy of control around transaction surveillance by instituting business rules for monitoring and prevention of loss through the fraud monitoring solutions
• Stabilize the new Investigation Unit and ensure timely, prompt, clear and concise investigation into reported process breaches with recommendations to prevent re-occurrences.
• Develop collaborative measures to support improvements in KYC rating bank-wide by enforcing total compliance with the KYC guiding principles / policy.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Type of Qualification: First Degree
• Field of Study: Business Commerce
• Type of Qualification: First Degree
• Field of Study: Finance and Accounting
• Type of Qualification: First Degree
• Field of Study: Risk Management
• Formal qualification such as ACIB, CIA, CISA, CFSA, ACCA or CPA will be an added advantage.

Experience Required

• Risk Management
• 7-10 years
• Experience Description: At least 5 years’ experience in a control / audit environment with a proven track record. Stakeholder management and negotiation experience. Risk & control experience within a banking environment

Human Capital

• Experience Description: Exposure to managing teams and delivering against tight deadlines.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Behavioral Competencies:

• Challenging Ideas
• Convincing People
• Developing Strategies
• Directing People
• Documenting Facts
• Establishing Rapport
• Examining Information
• Interacting with People
• Providing Insights
• Showing Composure
• Team Working
• Upholding Standards

Technical Competencies:

• IT Knowledge
• IT Risk Management
• IT Systems
• Promote Good Governance, Risk & Control
• Quality Assurance
• Risk Management