FirstBank UK is a globally recognised, top-tier bank who provide world-class services to various institutions and individuals. Offering a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services/products, this thriving business with over 10 million active customers in over 700 business locations is the oldest African bank in the UK. Due to business requirements, we are now looking to acquire the services of an experienced Business Risk Manager to support a number of business units in the identification, ownership, management and control of risks arising.
- Please note that this role is hybrid with 3 days from the office and 2 days working from home.
This role sits within the 1st Line of Defence and will support the following business units:
-Finance
-Human Resources
-Treasury
-Markets
-Business Transformation
-Governance
-Legal
-Strategy
-Corporate Communications, Brand & Marketing
Key Responsibilities:
- Facilitate and maintain Risk and Control Self‑Assessments (RCSAs), ensuring risks, controls, and mitigations are accurately identified, documented, and kept up to date.
- Support the design, implementation, and ongoing effectiveness of key controls, working with business owners to address control gaps and weaknesses.
- Oversee the identification, escalation, and remediation of operational risk events and issues, including coordination of root cause analysis and tracking of management actions.
- Support the monitoring of the Bank’s risk profile, including key risk indicators (KRIs), emerging risks, and trends, escalating concerns in line with governance expectations.
- Provide practical risk advice and challenge to support risk‑informed decision‑making, change initiatives, and new business activities.
- Support adherence to risk appetite, policies, and standards, embedding them into business processes and ways of working.
- Promote a strong risk and control culture through training, awareness, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders.
- Act as a key liaison with second line risk, compliance, and internal audit, supporting reviews, responding to findings, and ensuring timely closure of actions.
Key Skills/Experience:
- Significant experience in a senior first line business risk, operational risk, or control role, ideally within financial services or another highly regulated environment.
- Deep expertise in first line operational risk management.
- Demonstrated experience leading RCSAs, control assurance, and issues management across a business area or function.
- Proven track record of managing material operational risk events, including oversight of root cause analysis, escalation, and delivery of sustainable remediation.
- Experience overseeing and interpreting risk MI, KRIs, and trend analysis.
- Previous experience having regular engagement with second line risk, compliance & internal audit at senior level.
- Strong experience supporting or influencing strategic initiatives, change programmes, or new activities.
- Strong capability to interpret and apply risk appetite, frameworks, and policies.
- Excellent stakeholder leadership skills.
- Strong analytical judgement, particularly when assessing material risks, emerging issues, and risk interdependencies.
- Experience coaching or mentoring others on risk management practices.
In return we offer a fantastic benefits package including:
- Up to 10% employer pension contribution
- Life Assurance Cover
- Income protection
- Private Medical Insurance plan (upon successful completion of probation period)
- Contribution to glasses/contacts and eye testing
- Gym subsidy (up to £50 per month)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Electric Vehicles (EVs) salary sacrifice
- Employee Assistance Program
- Interest Free season ticket loan for travel
- Birthday Leave
- 25 days annual leave, rising to 28 after 3 years and 30 after 8 years’ service
- Holiday Trading scheme
- Give As You Earn (GAYE)
The Curve Group is First Bank UK’s outsource partner for Recruitment and a “Data Processor”. The Curve Group will hold the information you submit but First Bank UK will have access to it. You can find their privacy policy here: https://www.thecurvegroup.co.uk/privacy-policy/
First Bank is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
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