Operational Risk Manager

Bendigobank; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid & flexible working

Competitive salary packages

Discounted banking products

Health & wellbeing support

Generous parental leave

Job summary

Bendigo Bank is seeking an experienced Operational Risk Manager to join our Customer Enablement risk community. You will act as a frontline risk expert, partner with business leaders, and ensure daily banking operations remain safe, resilient, and compliant while delivering outstanding customer experiences.

Across Line 1, you will lead RCSA workshops, investigate incidents, and develop practical controls. The role emphasizes coaching frontline teams and providing insightful, executive-ready

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of operational risk experience within Australian banking, financial services, or management consulting (Line 1).
• Experience with commercial lending or consumer credit risk.
• Proficient in risk investigations and remediation using GRC tools such as ServiceNow.
• Designing, testing, and validating key controls; knowledge of CPS230 is a plus.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and clear commercial communication across units.

Responsibilities

• Embed the Operational Risk Management Framework (ORMF) across B&A to identify, monitor and treat risks.
• Lead RCSA workshops with business units and changes, ensuring effective control design.
• Investigate high-impact operational events, diagnose root causes, drive remediation and preventative actions.
• Prepare governance reports and KRIs for the Divisional Operational Risk Committee and executives.
• Coach frontline teams to own their risk and embed risk awareness in operations.

Skills

Operational risk

Banking knowledge

Event investigation

RCSA & framework

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Tertiary qualifications in Banking/Finance

Tools

GRC systems (ServiceNow)

Job description

Safeguard Our Customers and Strengthen Everyday Banking

At Bendigo Bank, our purpose is clear: to feed into the prosperity of our customers and communities, as we work toward becoming Australia's bank of choice.

We are looking for an experienced and inquisitive Operational Risk Manager to join our first-line risk community within the Customer Enablement division. Reporting directly to the Senior Manager Risk & Compliance, you will serve as a frontline risk expert, trusted advisor, and problem solver—ensuring our daily banking operations remain safe, resilient, and compliant while delivering exceptional customer experiences.

The Role & Your Impact

This is a dynamic, hands-on Line 1 Risk (1LOD) opportunity where your expertise directly influences everyday operational decisions across Business & Agribusiness (B&A) division and its value chain.

Rather than taking a passive compliance monitoring stance, you will actively partner with business unit leaders, investigate operational events, facilitate risk workshops, and build practical controls that protect both our customers and our bank.

Key Accountabilities:

• Embed the Operational Risk Management Framework (ORMF): Drive the day-to-day application of our risk framework across B&A, ensuring operational risks are proactively identified, monitored, and treated.
• Lead Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs): Facilitate comprehensive RCSA workshops for business units and operational changes, challenging assumptions constructively to ensure control designs are effective and tested.
• Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis: Take lead responsibility for investigating high-impact operational events, diagnosing the true root cause, driving customer remediation, and ensuring effective preventative actions are implemented.
• Governance & Executive Reporting: Prepare high-quality reporting and insight papers for the Divisional Operational Risk Committee, giving executive leadership transparency on emerging trends and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs).
• Uplift Frontline Risk Ownership: Coach and educate banking teams to cultivate an "own your risk" mindset, establishing risk awareness as a natural component of commercial excellence.

The Depth of Experience You Bring

To succeed in this role, you bring solid grounding in operational risk methodologies combined with practical knowledge of commercial banking and lending lifecycles. You are curious by nature and work with flexible input listening to others, comfortable diving into complex processes, analysing data, and influencing stakeholders at all levels.

• Proven Operational Risk Track Record: 3-5+ years of dedicated operational risk experience within Australian banking, financial services, or management consulting (across Line 1 function).
• Lending & Banking Acumen: Practical understanding of commercial banking, business lending, or consumer credit products, enabling you to assess risk in a genuine business context.
• Event Investigation & Problem-Solving: Demonstrated capability in conducting thorough root-cause investigations, managing remediation processes, and utilising GRC systems (e.g. ServiceNow).
• RCSA & Framework Mastery: Hands-on experience designing, testing, and validating key controls, knowledge and experience with critical operations CPS230 would be highly regarded, as is setting up KRIs, and facilitating interactive risk workshops with operational leaders.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to articulate risk concepts in clear commercial terms, balance competing priorities, and build collaborative partnerships across business units and Centres of Expertise (COEs).
• Education & Certifications: Tertiary qualifications or certifications in Banking, Finance, Commerce, Law, or Risk Management are highly regarded.

Why Build Your Career with Bendigo Bank?

• Meaningful Contribution: Directly safeguard the financial wellbeing of regional and metro businesses and agricultural communities.
• Empowered Risk Culture: Work in a mature Line 1 environment where risk specialists are valued strategic partners, not downstream reviewers.
• Hybrid & Flexible Working: Enjoy flexible arrangements that support work-life integration while staying connected with your team.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Access competitive salary packages, discounted banking products, dedicated health and wellbeing support, and generous parental leave.
• Career Growth: Broad exposure across Business & Agribusiness banking with defined pathways across enterprise risk and customer enablement.

Our culture is driven by people who genuinely care about our communities and each other. We operate with a balanced mindset of risk and reward, guided by our four core behaviours:

Ready to Make a Difference?

We believe a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture is central to our success and we actively encourage applications from those who bring diversity of thought to our business. We support candidate requests for adjustment to accommodate an illness, injury, or disability to equitably participate in the selection process.

Still in two minds?

Research suggests 60% of women and underrepresented groups might stop here, even after getting as far as drafting an application. We believe that diversity makes every team stronger, so even if you don't tick every box we still want to see your application!