The Head of Risk and Compliance will lead the development and execution of the company’s enterprise risk management and compliance frameworks to support sustainable business growth. This role involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks, implementing and monitoring compliance procedures, and ensuring all company operations adhere to internal policies and external regulations.  The successful candidate will play a critical role in creating, improving, and implementing policies and processes that align with our business objectives and regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate will have substantial experience in enterprise risk management, particularly within the microfinance, lending, or banking sectors, with a strong focus on credit risk.

Reporting Line:

This role will report to the Chief Financial Officer
Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive enterprise risk management framework to identify, monitor, and mitigate operational, credit, and compliance risks.
• Oversee and track the timely and adequate closure of risks, and escalate issues to management and board.
• Investigate risk incidents and provide updates to senior management on risk incidents and operational losses.
• Create and enhance policies and processes to address regulatory requirements, operational gaps, and risk management needs, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
• Oversee operational, credit and portfolio risk by monitoring performance, assessing risk, and recommending strategies to minimize losses.
• Lead compliance efforts, including KYC, AML, and due diligence processes, to ensure adherence to regulatory standards.
• Establish and lead the Risk and Compliance department, recruiting and training team members while defining and achieving departmental goals.
• Act as the primary liaison with regulators, auditors, and stakeholders, leveraging data analytics to drive decision-making and risk assessments.
• Champion awareness of risk management and healthy risk culture across the organisation.

Must Have: 

• 3–5 years of experience in a credit department, lending institution, bank, or similar environment.
• Proven track record of establishing and leading a risk and compliance function in a financial services organization.
• Strong understanding of East African regulatory environments related to lending, savings, and financial services.
• Experience conducting due diligence processes and working with credit data.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive decision-making.
• Familiarity with credit evaluation processes and risk assessment tools.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams.