Manager, Finance Policy & Operational Risk - Standard Chartered Bank

We are a leading international bank focused on helping people and companies prosper across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

To us, good performance is about much more than turning a profit.  It’s about showing how you embody our valued behaviours – do the right thing, better together and never settle – as well as our brand promise, Here for good.

We’re committed to promoting equality in the workplace and creating an inclusive and flexible culture – one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. This in turn helps us to provide better support to our broad client base.

The Role Responsibilities

Strategy

• Drive full implementation and adherence to Financial Controls Policy across the West African Cluster (Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and The Gambia) and also serve as a contact point/ Subject matter Expert to the Cost Centre / Account Owners on all requirements of the Financial Control Policy.
• Drive the GL accounts reconciliation process bank-wide ensuring completeness, timeliness of reconciliations at the right quality and ensuring all material risks are identified, assessed, mitigated, monitored, and promptly escalated.
• Foster a culture of risk awareness by communicating clear standards of conduct and driving the message of zero tolerance for operational losses.

Business

• Support the business to minimise operational risks and losses and investigate material operational losses to prevent recurrence per group policy.
• Partner with the business and support units on finance operational risk matters to ensure business growth is balanced with risk management and controls.
• Drive bank-wide adherence to reconciliation requirements of the FCP.

Processes

• Support the day-to-day controls & periodic monitoring of activities, timely identification and reporting of significant risks & losses, and effectiveness of risk mitigation actions.
• Continuously improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of processes and drive the adoption of standardized reporting across West Africa.
• Maintain the PeopleSoft Financial Control System to ensure a robust reconciliation environment by ensuring that all accounts are appropriately owned and mapped,
• Ensure strong GL controls are in place by ensuring all dormant cost centres and accounts are monitored and closed at the FCP required frequency.
• Review of Manual Entries in TP Control Accounts.
• Ensure TP/ GL reconciliations are being tracked and resolved by TP owners.
• Drive the account maintenance process by ensuring proper FINETL rule engine and PSGL Rule Maintenance.
• Perform reasonableness review of high-Risk Accounts and ensure the prompt escalation of any exceptions

People and Talent

• Set appropriate tone and expectations in terms of ensuring effective financial controls.
• Work in collaboration with all reconcilers, approvers, and control partners.
• Serve as Secretary to FORTM and ensure all minutes are promptly circulated and action plans are tracked.
• Work with the colleagues to deliver specific projects and deliverables, as determined by the Country CFO, FCU Unit Head.
• Develop and embed a high-performance culture with a specific focus on capability, effectiveness, and productivity.

Risk Management

• Responsible for the timely identification, assessment, mitigation, reporting and escalation of all identified Operational Risk exposures. Assist in the identification of operational risk for new products and new business, regulatory and thematic risks, and implementation of appropriate controls to mitigate those risks.
• Execute an effective risk management framework and promote strong risk management and compliance culture.
• Drive adherence to the operational risk management framework i.e. the identification, assessment, mitigation, control and monitoring of operational risk and control issues. In addition, monitor all material Operational Risk exposures and key external trends following Operational Risk Policies and Procedures and any directives, policies, and procedures.
• Ensure that material gross and residual risk exposures, control weaknesses, losses and near misses are reported to the FORC and Unit managers as appropriate.
• Responsible for the implementation and execution of the Control Sample Testing (CST) process, sampling and testing the population of controls to ensure compliance with agreed control standards and facilitating the monitoring/collection of any Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and ensuring that proper action plans are in place for recurring breaches.
• Monitor and ensure timely completion of ORF checks by the finance Teams, ensure the escalation of exceptions noted if any, through the appropriate forum.
• Perform reconciliation monthly on all Phoenix operational losses versus GL entries to ensure that all losses/recoveries are correct and/or accounted for on both sources and the Bank’s books and records.

Governance

• Serve as the Back up to the Functional Operational Risk Manager and Secretary of Functional Operational Risk Committee (FORC).
• Assist in managing the Finance Operational Risk Forum (Country, Cluster, Region) by preparing all relevant reports.
• Ensure absolute adherence to country BAU FCU/OR reporting deadlines and effective business escalation from FORC to the Country Operational Risk Committee (CORC), Process Governance Committee etc.
• Create awareness and understanding of the regulatory framework in which the Bank operates and the regulatory requirements and expectations relevant to the role.
• Coordinate with Internal and Statutory Auditors in terms of all Financial Control and Risk related activities/frameworks and ensure all issues identified are promptly resolved.
• Ensure that all DOIs within the Finance is updated regularly to comply with the FCP manual.
• Manage peer reviews within the finance function; this may involve travelling to other markets to conduct such reviews and share best practices.
• Develop control enhancements to ensure that any known risks are controlled within acceptable boundaries and consistent standards.
• Liaise with finance staff as required to ensure that Risk Acceptance Templates (RATs) are completed for material risks or control failures identified and passed to Senior Operational Risk Officer (SORO) for approval before submission to CORC for acceptance.

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Lead the
  teams in West Africa to achieve the outcomes set out in the Bank’s Conduct Principles: [Fair Outcomes for Clients; Effective Financial Markets; Financial Crime Compliance; The Right Environment]
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate, and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key Stakeholders

• Selected partners, including CEOs.
• Regional and Country Finance Heads.
• Function Heads.
• Partners aligned to [product, segment, or function] in Risk, Legal & Compliance, Finance and Group Technology and Operations.
• All Staff with FCS responsibilities across West Africa.
• Country SORO for all countries in West Africa Cluster.
• BORMs for all countries in West Africa Cluster.
• Country Audit and Compliance Team.
• Country CIOs.

Other Responsibilities

• Embed Here for Good and Group’s brand and value across West Africa.
• Perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Business or Functional policies and procedures

Our Ideal Candidate

• First Degree in BSc. Accounting, Finance, Economics, or similar degree.
• Desirable – Professional certifications in Accounting, Professional Memberships in ICAN, ACCA.
• Work experience in financial control / operational risk functions of, internal audit of FIs or external audit from Big 4 firms.
• Cross-team collaboration and leadership experience skills – proactive engagement with various units across different geographies.
• Languages: English, French.