Head Conduct and Ethics

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

Job Summary

The Head of Conduct Risk & Ethics is a senior leadership role responsible for promoting ethical conduct, developing, implementing, and overseeing conduct risk and ethics risk across the organizations. This role is pivotal in ensuring the organization maintains high ethical standards, complies with regulatory requirements, and manages conduct-related risks effectively

Job Description

Accountabilities:

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement a robust conduct risk and ethics strategy aligned with the organization's overall objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight to the conduct risk and ethics teams, ensuring integration a of conduct and ethics, and other risk management and compliance functions.
• Oversight of the organizations ethical framework and ensure integration into all aspects of operations.
• Promote ethical behaviors and conduct that aligns with the organization’s values and objectives.

Policy Development & Implementation:

• Develop and maintain conduct risk and ethics policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Ensure effective communication and implementation of policies across the organization.

Risk Assessment & Management:

• Identify, assess, and prioritize conduct and ethics-related risks across the organization.
• Design and implement risk mitigation strategies and controls to manage and mitigate identified risks.
• Ability to identify inter- relationships and connectedness between ethics risk and conduct risk to enable a more holistic approach to risk management.

Training & Awareness:

• Develop and deliver conduct risk and ethics training programs for employees at all levels
• Promote awareness and understanding of ethical standards and conduct risk management throughout the organization.

Monitoring & Reporting:

• Establish and maintain a robust monitoring and reporting framework to track and report on conduct risk exposures, incidents, and compliance with ethical standards.
• Provide regular updates and reports to senior management on conduct risk and ethics-related matters.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, to ensure alignment and collaboration on conduct risk and ethics matters.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior management and the board on conduct risk and ethics-related issues.

Continuous Improvement:

• Continuously review and enhance the organization's conduct risk and ethics framework and practices to reflect changes in the regulatory environment, industry best practices, and emerging risks.
• Demonstrate a proactive growth mindset to enhance the conduct and ethics program with advancements in technical systems, reporting, and data analytics and use of predictive modelling to increase and optimize conduct and ethics risk monitoring
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement and excellence within the conduct risk and ethics function.

Skills and experience needed:

• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements related to conduct risk and ethics.
• Demonstrated leadership,  strategic planning skills and thought leadership in the field of conduct and ethics.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in automating compliance processes
• Understanding the use of advanced analytics to manage compliance risks
• Success in leading corporate ethics, compliance, and or risk management efforts to remediate regulatory and organizational issues
• Experience in developing and leading ethics programs or risk programs for large corporations
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset to navigate ambiguity and drive progress towards resolution
• Track record of enabling collaborative, respectful, and inclusive environment for all colleagues

Qualifications

Minimum requirements:  

• Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Law, or related field. 
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in risk management, compliance, or a related field, with a focus on conduct risk and ethics.

Competencies

• Strategic thinking and decision-making
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• risk management and mitigation 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Leadership and team management
• Integrity and ethical judgment
• Adaptability and resilience
• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
• Ability to work with multiple teams, enterprise wide leader 
• Systems thinking and ability to see how constituent parts of the organization interrelate and contribute to outcomes 

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised