Head of Operational Risk & Resilience

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd seeks a senior leader to head Operational Risk & Resilience. The role will oversee multiple teams, designing and implementing the Operational Resilience Framework across the HKEX Group, ensuring the ability to withstand disruptions and safeguard market participants.

The ideal candidate will drive resilience strategies, regulatory compliance, and cultural adoption of resilience practices across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in financial services with responsibility for Operational Risk.
• Deep knowledge of global regulatory frameworks and resilience standards in APAC/US/Europe.
• Strong understanding of financial markets and technology dependencies.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and regulatory engagement.
• Experience leading crisis response and organizational change.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership to define and execute the firm's operational resilience strategy.
• Regulatory engagement with authorities such as HKMA, SFC, and other regulators.
• Oversee development of resilience frameworks across business continuity, cyber resilience, and third-party risk.
• Map critical services, resources, and testing to ensure robust recovery.
• Chair crisis management activities and coordinate communications during incidents.
• Collaborate with IT, Ops, Listings, Markets, Legal, Compliance and Finance to embed resilience.
• Strengthen third-party oversight and contingency planning.
• Champion resilience awareness through training and simulations.
• Monitor emerging risks and regulatory developments to evolve strategies.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Regulatory engagement

Resilience frameworks

Crisis management

Stakeholder management

Vendor management

Education

Advanced degree in finance or risk management

Job description

Job Summary

The Head of Operational Risk & Resilience is a senior leadership role with oversight of several teams. The role comprises the leadership of these teams with the ability to design, implement and oversee the effective implementation of the Operational Resilience Framework across the HKEX Group. This role is pivotal in ensuring the Groups ability to withstand, adapt, and recover from operational disruptions while safeguarding market participants and minimizing the impact to the HK market. The successful candidate will drive Group resilience strategies, regulatory compliance, and cultural adoption of resilience practices.

Job Duties

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute the firm's operational resilience strategy, embedding resilience into Group business strategy, governance, and related risk management frameworks.
• Regulatory Engagement: Lead compliance with local regulatory requirements (e.g., SFC, HKMA), ensuring timely reporting and proactive dialogue with regulators.
• Resilience Frameworks: Oversee development and implementation of resilience frameworks covering business continuity, technology resilience, third-party risk, cyber resilience, and crisis management. Build an ORR framework that incorporates the output to provide a holistic, comprehensive and consistent view of operational resilience for the Group.
• Critical Business Services: Map the operating model of the Group (exchanges and clearing houses) including critical business services and activities, map the critical resources/assets (teams, systems, data sets, 3rd parties), and ensure robust testing and scenario planning to validate resilience capabilities.
• Crisis & Incident Management: Chair the firm's crisis management committee, ensuring effective response coordination, communication, and recovery during major incidents. Build a program to utilize the business services and activities, and the mapped resources, to identify impacted services and stakeholders to facilitate timely communications and efficient responses.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with senior executives across key divisions and departments including IT, Operations, Listing, Markets, CCD, HR, Legal, Compliance and Finance to embed resilience into decision-making priorities.
• Third-Party Oversight: Strengthen resilience of key vendors and partners through rigorous due diligence, monitoring, and contingency planning.
• Culture & Training: Champion ORR awareness across the organization, fostering a culture of preparedness through training, simulations, and leadership engagement.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor emerging risks, industry trends, and regulatory developments to evolve resilience strategies and maintain competitive advantage.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in senior leadership roles within financial services, with direct responsibility accountability for Operational Risk.
• Deep knowledge of global regulatory frameworks and resilience standards in APAC (HKMA, JFSA, APRA, MAS), US (OCC/Fed, SEC/FINRA, CFTC) or Europe (BoE, CBI, DORA) and/or BCBS.
• Strong understanding of financial markets, critical infrastructure, and technology dependencies.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience engaging regulators, boards, and executive committees.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through crises, drive organizational change, and influence at the highest levels.
• Advanced degree in finance, risk management, or related discipline preferred.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance regulatory compliance and commercial priorities.
• Resilient leader who thrives under pressure and inspires confidence.
• Collaborative, persuasive, and adept at building consensus across diverse stakeholders.
• Committed to embedding resilience as a competitive differentiator and cultural cornerstone.

HKEX is committed as an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity is one of our core values and we look to support, respect diverse perspectives, abilities, culture and experiences within our workplace.

HKEX is committed as an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity is one of our core values and we look to support, respect diverse perspectives, abilities, culture and experiences within our workplace.