Chief Risk Officer

GuarantCo mobilises private sector local currency investment for sustainable infrastructure projects and supports the development of capital markets in lower income countries across Africa and Asia. GuarantCo is part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia and Sweden, through the PIDG Trust, the Netherlands, through FMO and the PIDG Trust, France through a stand-by facility and Global Affairs Canada through a repayable facility.

GuarantCo is rated AA- by Fitch and A1 by Moody’s. The company’s vision is to become a centre of excellence for local currency credit solutions for infrastructure finance in lower income countries thereby assisting with the alleviation of poverty.

GuarantCo’s portfolio and the investment strategy, set by PIDG, are managed and executed by the outsourced fund manager, Cardano Development, through GuarantCo Management Company (GMC).

GuarantCo is head-quartered in the City of London with regional hubs in Nairobi and Singapore.

The GMC team is small, diverse, focused, collaborative and action orientated. We are looking for candidates who have the experience to deliver against the responsibilities of the role and who are passionate about making a difference whilst working in an entrepreneurial and innovative environment.

Risk & Compliance

• Ensure an appropriate risk and compliance culture is established, promoted and embedded across the whole of GMC
• Manage the implementation of all aspects of the risk function, including implementation of processes, tools and systems to identify, assess, measure, manage, monitor and report risks
• Review risk appetite, tolerance and strategy taking into account the strategic direction of GuarantCo, PIDG and emerging risks and challenges
• Providing oversight of liquidity risk management
• Establish overall policies for risk management and controls
• Establish, maintain and advise GMC Board of risk exposures.
• Direct compliance and risk assurance assessments overseeing operational risk
• Review and monitor GuarantCo and GMC’s ongoing action planning to implement, improve and maintain adequate risk management processes and systems
• Take ownership of all of GMC’s credit risk policies and ensure (1) regular review to maintain best practice and (2) alignment with PIDG risk appetite and policies
• Judiciously exercise any delegated authorities from GMC Credit and Portfolio Committees to approve transactions
• Oversee that GMC’s policies and procedures comply with PIDG Operating Policies and Procedures (PIDG OPPs) and are updated in line with new legislation, regulation and relevant industry guidance
• Lead the Compliance function based on compliance with relevant rules, regulation and laws in relevant regulation/jurisdictions
• Establishing and maintaining a framework to ensure adequate identification, assessment, communication, control and monitoring of compliance risks
• Act as the nominated officer for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) as well as the Data Protection Officer (DPO) for Singapore.

Essential criteria

• Extensive understanding of credit and a working knowledge of investment, regulatory and strategic risk and specifically counterparty, concentration, liquidity and market risks
• Thorough knowledge and experience of best practice risk management and governance frameworks, methodologies, and emerging practice
• Significant experience of operating at a senior executive level with proven ability to contribute across a wide range of business issues
• Leadership skills, including the ability to manage risk, compliance and control activities in a complex financial operation
• Knowledge of regulatory environment and key regulatory regimes
• Significant financial services experience ideally gained within Principal Investment and/or Infrastructure and Project Finance and/or Development Finance and/or Emerging or Frontier Markets.
• Experience in leading and motivating a team
• High integrity, strong ethical principles and ability to command respect at all levels.
• Preparedness to assert one’s views, including where ethical or legal requirements are being challenged
• Well-developed diplomatic, interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Appreciation of the mandate and the objectives of GuarantCo, GMC and PIDG Group and strong empathy with the Company’s mission

• Self-starter, able to collaborate closely with colleagues.
• Organised and able to manage competing priorities.
• Entrepreneurial, but with a strong ethical foundation.
• Resilient, not put off by set-backs.
• Demonstrable cultural awareness – ideally experience of working in an international environment.
• Passion to make a difference in frontier markets.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification or criteria. At GMC, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and culture, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Valuing diversity is essential to our work. We aim to act in accordance with and promote equality legislation by avoiding unjustified discrimination and recognising discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights. All GMC employees are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with our policies. GMC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and is keen to reflect diversity at every level within the organisation.

Interested in applying for this role? Please submit your CV and cover letter below: https://hr.breathehr.com/v/chief-risk-officer-28087