Operational Risk Officer at Koins Microfinance Bank

About the job

• The Operational Risk Officer is the executor and analyst within the Operational Risk Management unit. The role supports the Head of Operational Risk Management in the day-to-day operation of the Operational Risk and Control Framework (ORCF), including risk identification, RCSAs, incident and loss data management, KRI monitoring, control testing, business continuity activities, and reporting.

Job Responsibilities

Risk Identification & Assessment

• Support the execution of Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs) across business units, branches, and support functions, including data gathering, workshop facilitation, and documentation of identified risks and controls.
• Review business processes and standard operating procedures to identify control gaps, single points of failure, and emerging operational risk exposures.
• Contribute operational risk inputs to new product and process approval workflows, vendor assessments, and system change reviews.
• Maintain and update the operational risk register, ensuring entries are accurate, current, and aligned with the bank's risk taxonomy.

Incident & Loss Data Management

• Capture, validate, and classify operational risk incidents and near-misses reported by first-line teams, ensuring completeness and consistency of loss data.
• Support root cause analysis on operational incidents (process failures, fraud, system outages, cyber events) and document corrective and preventive actions agreed with process owners.
• Track remediation actions to closure and escalate overdue or unresolved items to the Head of Operational Risk Management.
• Maintain an organized, audit-ready incident database to support trend analysis, regulatory submissions, and management reporting.

KRI & Control Monitoring

• Collect, validate, and update Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) on the agreed reporting cadence, flagging breaches of thresholds and tolerance levels for management attention.
• Conduct periodic control testing and process walk-throughs to assess control design and operating effectiveness across cash, lending, payments, and back-office operations.
• Monitor adherence to operational risk policies, standards, and the bank's risk appetite statement, and report deviations to the Head of Operational Risk Management.

Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare draft inputs for monthly, quarterly, and ad-hoc operational risk reports to management, the Board Risk Committee, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
• Maintain dashboards and trackers for incidents, KRIs, audit issues, and RCSA findings, ensuring data integrity and timely refresh.
• Document policies, procedures, working papers, and meeting minutes related to operational risk activities to a standard suitable for internal audit and regulatory inspection.

Business Continuity & IT Risk Support

• Support the coordination of Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) tests, including scheduling, observation, evidence gathering, and post-test reporting.
• Assist in the assessment of IT and cyber risk exposures, including user access reviews, change management observations, and follow-up on cybersecurity incidents.
• Support third-party and vendor risk reviews, including due diligence questionnaires, control evidence collection, and tracking of remediation commitments.

Regulatory & Audit Support

• Support responses to internal audit, external audit, and regulatory examinations on operational risk matters, including evidence collation and follow-up on management actions.
• Assist in monitoring compliance with relevant regulations and standards, including CBN circulars, NDPA/NDPR, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001-aligned practices, in coordination with Compliance and IT.

Risk Culture, Training & Advisory

• Support the design and delivery of operational risk awareness and training sessions for staff, including fraud awareness, cybersecurity hygiene, and process control.
• Provide day-to-day advisory support to first-line teams (Branches, Operations, IT, Credit Admin, Finance) on operational risk queries, control design, and incident escalation.
• Promote a strong risk culture by reinforcing accountability and timely reporting at process-owner level.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Risk Management, Information Technology, or a related quantitative/analytical discipline.
• Progress toward a relevant professional certification is required. Acceptable paths include FRM, PRM, CRMA, CISA, CRISC, CISM, ACCA, ICAN, ACIB, or RIMAN.

Relevant Work Experience

• 3 to 5 years of relevant work experience in operational risk, internal control, internal audit, compliance, or banking operations within a financial institution.
• Hands-on involvement in at least two of the following: RCSA execution, incident and loss data management, KRI monitoring, control testing, BCP/DR testing, or IT/vendor risk reviews.
• Demonstrable familiarity with the regulatory environment for microfinance banks in Nigeria, including CBN prudential and operational risk expectations, AML/CFT requirements, and consumer protection guidelines.
• Working experience using core banking systems, loan management systems, or payment platforms, with the ability to interrogate transaction and exception data.