Manager, Governance & Operational Risk

HALA; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 360,000 - 480,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote/hybrid work

Shares potential

Learning stipend

Diversity & growth

Job summary

HALA is a leading fintech in the MENAP region seeking an Operations Risk & Governance Manager to oversee risk, controls, and compliance across operations and product launches. You will collaborate with Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, and Internal Audit to strengthen controls, manage incidents, and ensure safe go-to-market of new products and services.

The role emphasizes governance, incident management, and regulatory adherence within HALA's risk

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; risk governance & controls experience
• 5–7 years in operational risk, governance, controls, audit, compliance or operations
• Experience in fintech/payments/banking or regulated industry preferred
• Experience supporting product launches, risk assessments, control testing, incident management
• Strong understanding of operational risk, governance, regulatory requirements, and internal controls

Responsibilities

• Maintain Operations risk register and mitigations.
• Conduct risk and control assessments across processes.
• Review design and effectiveness of key operational controls.
• Identify control gaps and ensure corrective actions.
• Monitor risk indicators, incidents, losses and recurring issues.
• Escalate material risks and control failures.

Skills

Risk governance

Operational risk

Regulatory knowledge

Audit & compliance

Incident management

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Communication & reporting

Planning & tracking

Integrity & accountability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or related field

Job description

HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA aims at empowering SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing them with cutting-edge financial and technological tools.

HALA currently holds multiple entities in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (including HALA Payments and HALA Logistics) and offers solutions that enable merchants to digitize their payments as well as manage their sales and operations.

Founded in 2017, HALA is currently licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank.

Job Description

Operations Risk & Governance Manager

Job Purpose

The Operations Risk & Governance Manager ensures that operational processes, controls, and product launches are well governed, compliant, and managed within HALA’s risk appetite.

The role works closely with Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, and Internal Audit to identify risks, strengthen controls, manage incidents, and support safe product launches.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Risk and Controls

Maintain the Operations risk register and track mitigation actions.

Conduct risk and control assessments across operational processes.

Review the design and effectiveness of key operational controls.

Identify control gaps and ensure corrective actions are completed.

Monitor operational risk indicators, incidents, losses, and recurring issues.

Escalate material risks and control failures to management.

Product Launch Governance

Manage the governance process for new product and service launches.

Ensure all launches complete the required risk, compliance, operational, technology, security, and customer-impact assessments.

Coordinate launch-readiness reviews with Product, Technology, Compliance, Risk, Operations, Finance, and Customer Experience.

Confirm that operating procedures, controls, training, customer support, reporting, and incident processes are ready before launch.

Maintain launch checklists, approvals, decisions, risks, dependencies, and action logs.

Escalate unresolved critical risks before go-live.

Monitor post-launch performance, incidents, customer issues, and control effectiveness.

Lead post-launch reviews and ensure lessons learned are implemented.

Governance and Policies

Maintain Operations policies, procedures, control documents, and approval matrices.

Coordinate Operations governance meetings and track decisions and actions.

Ensure policies and procedures are reviewed and approved on time.

Maintain clear ownership and accountability for operational risks and controls.

Incident and Issue Management

Coordinate the investigation of operational incidents and service failures.

Lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action tracking.

Identify recurring incidents and recommend process improvements.

Ensure material incidents are escalated to the appropriate stakeholders.

Reporting and Assurance

Prepare operational risk and governance reports for senior management.

Monitor key risk indicators, control performance, incidents, and overdue actions.

Coordinate Operations responses to Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, External Audit, and regulatory reviews.

Track audit and regulatory findings until closure.

Third-Party and Operational Resilience

Support risk assessments for critical vendors and outsourced services.

Monitor vendor performance, incidents, and control weaknesses.

Support business continuity planning and operational resilience testing.

Ensure critical processes have recovery plans and operational workarounds.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related field.

5–7 years of experience in operational risk, governance, controls, audit, compliance, or operations.

Experience in fintech, payments, banking, or another regulated industry is preferred.

Experience supporting product launches, risk assessments, control testing, and incident management.

Strong understanding of operational risk, governance, regulatory requirements, and internal controls.

Core Competencies

Strong risk judgement and attention to detail.

Ability to challenge and influence stakeholders.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Clear communication and reporting skills.

Strong planning and action-tracking capabilities.

Ability to work effectively across Product, Technology, Operations, Risk, and Compliance.

High integrity, accountability, and ownership.

What We Offer You
We believe you will love working at HALA!

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that encourages innovation and flexibility in remote, in-office, and hybrid work setups.
• We offer highly competitive compensation packages, including the potential for shares.
• We prioritize personal development and offer regular training and an annual learning stipend to tackle new challenges and grow your career in a hyper-growth environment.
• Join a talented team of over 30 nationalities working in 7 countries and gain valuable experience in an exciting industry.
• We offer autonomy, mentoring, and challenging goals that create incredible opportunities for both you and the company.
• You will be given a lot of responsibility and trust.We believe that the best results come when the people responsible for a function are given the freedom to do what they think is best.