The role of the Head of Financial Risk is to oversee and manage the financial risk management function within the bank. He/ She will help to identify, assess, and manage various financial risks that may impact on the bank’s financial stability and performance. The Head of Financial Risk is responsible for developing risk management strategies, implementing risk frameworks, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Risk Management Strategy: Develop and implement the overall financial risk management strategy aligned with the organization’s goals and risk appetite. Identify and assess financial risks, such as credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk, and develop appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Risk Framework and Policies: Establish and maintain a robust risk management framework and policies that align with industry best practices and regulatory requirements. Ensure the framework is effectively communicated and implemented throughout the bank.
• Regularly review and update risk policies to reflect changing business and regulatory environments.
• Risk Identification and Assessment: Identify, assess, and monitor financial risks across Equity Bank Kenya Limited (EBKL). Conduct risk assessments to evaluate the potential impact and likelihood of risks materializing. Implement risk measurement techniques, such as stress testing, scenario analysis, and sensitivity analysis, to quantify risks and inform risk management decisions.
• Risk Reporting: Prepare and present regular risk reports to senior management and the board of directors. Communicate key risk metrics, trends, and emerging risks. Provide recommendations for risk mitigation strategies and necessary actions to ensure effective risk management.
• Regulatory Compliance: Stay up-to-updated on relevant regulatory requirements and ensure EBKL’s compliance with risk management regulations. Monitor regulatory changes and assess their impact on the bank’s risk profile. Coordinate with compliance teams to ensure timely implementation of risk-related regulatory changes.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including senior management, business units, risk functions, and compliance teams, to gather necessary information and ensure effective risk management.
• Engage with external stakeholders, such as auditors, regulators, and industry associations, to stay informed about best practices and industry trends.
• Financial Risk Committee and Governance: Participate in existing risk governance structures. Provide leadership and guidance to risk committees, ensuring effective risk oversight and decision-making. Collaborate with other governance functions, such as Audit or Compliance, to ensure a coordinated approach to risk management.

Qualifications

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, risk management, or a related field. Advanced degrees or professional certifications (such as FRM or PRM) are preferred.
• Extensive experience in financial risk management, risk analysis, or related roles within a financial institution or corporate environment. Previous experience in a leadership or management role is required.
• In-depth knowledge of financial risk management principles, practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of various financial risks, including credit risk, liquidity risk, & market risk

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The Head, Risk Governance is responsible for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive risk governance framework to ensure that all policies, procedures, and risk management frameworks across the bank are well-defined, regularly reviewed, and effectively implemented. This role ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and best governance practices, promoting a strong risk culture across Equity Bank Limited Kenya.

Key Responsibilities 

Policy and Framework Development

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive risk governance framework for the bank.
• Support business process re-engineering to ensure that processes are lean, efficient and effective through the elimination of non-value adding activities and identification of opportunities that support/drive the migration of transactions to economically viable alternative electronic delivery channels.
• Support other subsidiaries within the Group in matters processes, policies and procedures review.
• Establish and continuously review the bank’s policies, procedures, and guidelines to align with best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure that risk governance policies cover all key risk areas, including financial, operational, credit, market, fraud, ESG, and strategic risks.

Policy Review and Improvement

• Lead the periodic review and enhancement of policies to reflect changes in business strategy, regulatory requirements, and risk environment.
• Work closely with business units, legal, compliance, and risk teams to ensure policies are well-embedded within the bank’s operations.
• Conduct gap analysis and benchmarking against global risk governance best practices.
• Provide risk governance insights to support decision-making at the executive level.

Regulatory Compliance and Liaison

• Ensure all policies and governance frameworks comply with CBK (Central Bank of Kenya) regulations, Basel III guidelines, and corporate governance codes.
• Act as the primary liaison with regulators, auditors, and external stakeholders on governance matters.
• Coordinate internal and external audits, ensuring timely implementation of audit recommendations.

Risk Culture and Training

• Foster a strong risk governance culture within the organization through training and awareness programs.
• Develop and implement capacity-building initiatives for staff on governance, compliance, and risk management.
• Ensure risk governance principles are embedded in the bank’s decision-making processes.

Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Support

• Work closely with the Heads of Non-Financial Risk to ensure governance frameworks support effective risk oversight.
• Ensure alignment of risk governance with the bank’s strategic objectives.
• Continuously assess governance processes to identify and mitigate emerging risks

Qualifications

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in law, Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, or a related field.
• A master’s degree in governance, Finance, Risk, or Business Administration is an added advantage.
• 8+ years of experience in risk management, governance, compliance, or policy development in the banking sector.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing governance policies and frameworks.
• Strong background in regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management.

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