Head, Risk Management Department

Private Advertiser; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Pernas Group seeks an experienced Head of Enterprise Risk Management to lead the establishment and oversight of an enterprise-wide risk framework spanning credit, market, operational, and compliance risks. The role supports the Board Audit & Risk Committee and Management.

You will embed risk culture, approve risk appetite, supervise policy development, and ensure consistent risk reporting across subsidiaries.

Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise-wide risk management frameworks.
• Ability to advise Board and senior management on risk strategy.
• Strong knowledge of credit, market, operational, and compliance risk.
• Proven track record in policy development and internal controls.
• Experience with BCM/DRP and business continuity testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and governance of ERM philosophy and framework.
• Oversee risk policies and appetite statements across the Group.
• Provide independent risk advisory to Board, Management and committees.
• Monitor and report material risk exposures with timely escalation.
• Develop risk reporting dashboards and KRIs.
• Coordinate with Internal Audit on risk assessment alignment.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Risk management

Governance oversight

Stakeholder management

Board liaison

Education

Degree in Finance, Banking, or related field

Professional risk management certifications

Tools

ERM software

SQL

Data analytics tools

Job description

To lead and oversee the enterprise-wide risk management framework for the Pernas Group, encompassing strategic, credit, market, operational, financial, compliance, and emerging risks. The role supports the Board Audit & Risk Committee and Management by ensuring that risks arising from Pernas’s investment, financing, franchising, SME development, and subsidiary operations including credit and operational risk exposures are systematically identified, assessed, mitigated, monitored, and reported in line with approved governance standards and best practices.

B. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGY & GOVERNANCE

Lead the development and implementation of Pernas Group’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) philosophy, framework, and strategy for endorsement by the Board and ongoing oversight by BARC.

Oversee and maintain risk management policies to ensure alignment with organisational strategies, risk appetite, and governance frameworks.

Provide independent risk advisory to the Board, BARC, and Management on corporate strategy, business plans, budgets, investments, joint ventures, franchise programmes, and new business initiatives.

Advise on the establishment and review of Pernas Group’s risk appetite and tolerance levels at enterprise and subsidiary levels.

Assess and provide risk opinions on proposals for new products, services, investments, and business ventures prior to approval.

Monitor changes in Pernas Group’s overall risk profile and elevate material risk issues to Management and BARC in a timely manner.

Cultivate and embed a strong risk management culture across the organisation, ensuring risk considerations form part of day-to-day decision making.

ORGANISATION & ENTERPRISE RISK OVERSIGHT

Coordinate and oversee enterprise-wide risk management activities covering Credit Risk, Market Risk, Operational Risk, Financial Risk, Compliance Risk, and Emerging Risks across Pernas and its subsidiaries.

Provide specialist risk advisory and support to business divisions and subsidiaries to enhance risk identification, assessment, and mitigation practices.

Establish consistent risk definitions, methodologies, and reporting standards to ensure clarity and comparability across the Group.

Recommend and support appropriate risk governance structures, reporting lines, and organisational alignments to BARC where required.

Continuously enhance and embed the enterprise risk framework to ensure it remains fit for purpose and aligned with Pernas’s evolving business model.

CREDIT & INVESTMENT RISK

Oversee the review and enhancement of credit and investment risk assessment processes, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in line with market best practices.

Develop, review, and recommend credit risk policies, guidelines, procedures, and risk limits for approval by BARC.

Conduct portfolio monitoring, concentration analysis, stress testing, and provisioning assessments for financing and investment assets.

Provide independent credit risk evaluation and support credit referral processes for financing, investment, and strategic proposals.

Identify and analyse key credit risk factors affecting PERNAS’s financing, investment, and franchise-related exposures.

Review and recommend relevant policies and guidelines, including Shariah-related matters where applicable.

OPERATIONAL RISK, INTERNAL CONTROLS & BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Establish, communicate, and embed appropriate operational risk management methodologies, tools, and techniques, including Risk & Control Self-Assessment (RCSA).

Monitor and report operational and financial risks relating to people, processes, systems, fraud, compliance, and regulatory requirements.

Review and enhance internal controls, SOPs, and governance processes to strengthen operational resilience.

Support and coordinate the development, maintenance, and testing of Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP) at operational and strategic levels.

Contribute to the enterprise-wide business continuity programme, including tools, guidelines, and awareness initiatives.

ANALYSIS, REPORTING & ASSURANCE

Prepare periodic risk reports, dashboards, and analysis for Management, BARC, and the Board, highlighting portfolio performance, key risk exposures, trends, and mitigation effectiveness.

Identify and analyse key market risk issues, including liquidity and currency exposures, relevant to PERNAS’s operations.

Collaborate with Internal Audit to align enterprise risk assessments with audit planning and monitor corrective action plans.

Identify system and process improvements to ensure availability of accurate and timely risk data for decision making.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

Propose annual manpower planning, competency development, and budget requirements for the Risk Management Department.

Lead, manage, coach, and develop Risk Management staff to achieve departmental objectives and performance targets.

Implement continuous training and awareness programmes to strengthen risk management capability across PERNAS Group.

Support succession planning and long-term capability development within the Risk Management function.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

Member of the Management Investment Committee (MIC).

Perform any other duties as assigned by Management or the Board in relation to risk governance and oversight.

C. ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Degree in Finance, Banking, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Risk Management or a related discipline.

Relevant professional qualifications in risk management or credit assessment, such as AICB certifications, are an advantage. Knowledge of Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP), including BCM principles, exercises and disaster recovery testing, is beneficial.

Demonstrated strong i. Demonstrated strong hands‑on experience in Credit Risk, Operational Risk and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), including risk identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring and reporting across enterprise‑wide operations

Proven ability to develop, implement and enhance risk frameworks, policies and internal controls covering credit, operational, financial and strategic risks in a diversified organisation.

Strong knowledge of credit risk management, including credit underwriting standards, counterparty and franchisee assessment, portfolio monitoring, impairment analysis, provisioning and early warning indicators.

Good working knowledge of ERM practices, including risk appetite, risk registers, Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), stress testing and risk reporting to Senior Management and the Board Audit & Risk Committee.

Ability to independently review, challenge and advise business units on credit and operational risk exposures, ensuring alignment with the Group’s risk appetite and governance framework.

Strong analytical, judgement and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate complex risk issues into practical mitigation actions and management recommendations.

Experience in managing risk incidents, operational losses and credit issues, including root cause analysis, development of corrective action plans and monitoring of remediation effectiveness.

Ability to support investment, franchising, financing and subsidiary operations by providing independent credit and operational risk assessments to support sound decision-making.