Senior 1st LoD Risk Manager

Absa Group Limited; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in financial services seeks a Risk Officer for Technology Infrastructure to drive strategic risk management and ensure compliance across technology platforms. This pivotal role involves leading multidisciplinary teams, implementing risk frameworks, and managing various technological risks to support scalable operations. Ideal candidates will possess substantial experience and qualifications in risk management within IT environments.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in risk management.
• Proven expertise in mitigating risks in large-scale IT environments.
• Knowledge of Technology Infrastructure preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a risk management framework for infrastructure.
• Assess and mitigate operational and cybersecurity risks.
• Lead initiatives to improve risk and audit processes.

Skills

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Crisis management

Problem-solving

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology

Bachelor's degree in Risk Management

Master’s degree or certifications (CISSP, CRISC, CISM, ITIL)

Job description

Job Location : Gauteng, Randburg Deadline : July 08, 2025 Quick Recommended Links

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Job Summary

• To develop tactical strategy and delivery plans, formulate associated practice and to ensure operational implementation and adoption across a single practice i.t.o. risk methodology, governance and delivery objectives

Job Description

Job Description Summary

• The Risk Officer for Technology Infrastructure, is responsible for identifying, assessing, mitigating, and monitoring risks associated with technology infrastructure systems, services and products.
• This role is pivotal in ensuring the resilience, security, and compliance of the organization's technology platforms, aligning risk management practices with organizational and regulatory standards while enabling innovative and scalable operations.

Key Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Define and implement a comprehensive risk management framework tailored to infrastructure and cloud environments.
• Align risk strategies with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and technological advancements.
• Review and evaluate compliance, technology policies and procedures, technology and tools to provide insight on how to reduce technology risk.
• Collaborate with infrastructure and architecture teams (Networks, Compute, Cloud, DBaaS, Mainframe and End User) to manage the specific infrastructure risk posture.
• Ensure governance processes adhere to the required standards (for example : ISO 27001 and GDPR), enhancing compliance and quality assurance.

Risk Management and Mitigation

• Ensure that risk is effectively managed and monitored.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks across technology platforms, including operational, cybersecurity, and compliance risks.
• Oversee incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity efforts, ensuring resilience and rapid resolution.
• Monitor vulnerabilities such as system downtime, data breaches, and third-party dependencies, implementing controls to minimize impact.
• Coaching users in risk identification and assessment.
• Provide appropriate and accurate risk reporting to the required stakeholders.
• Review technology and security risks, internal and external, in order to help inform the 2nd line of defense.

Change and Execution Leadership

• Lead multidisciplinary teams to execute strategic Risk and Audit initiatives effectively.
• Manage change processes across infrastructure services to ensure seamless implementation.
• Drive continuous improvement using iterative approaches to deliver measurable value and minimize execution risk.

Collaboration and Communication

• Partner with IT, cybersecurity, and architecture teams to integrate risk management into planning and execution.
• Provide clear and appropriate communication to the relevant stakeholders within the Absa business.
• Structure communication to accommodate for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Serve as the primary liaison for risk discussions with vendors and external partners.
• Creation and maintenance of datasets via strategic platforms while adhering to data governance policies and procedures, and providing guidance to broader business intelligence teams to ensure uniformity and trust in golden sources of information.

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Minimum 7 years experience in risk management / risk consulting and leadership preferably within a technology environment.
• Knowledge of Technology Infrastructure preferred
• Proven expertise in managing and mitigating risks in large-scale IT environments, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Risk Management, or a related field.
• A Master’s degree or certifications such as CISSP, CRISC, CISM, or ITIL is highly preferred.
• Strategic thinking and visionary leadership
• Technical and risk acumen in IT Infrastructure
• Stakeholder management and collaboration
• Crisis and incident management expertise
• Regulatory and compliance knowledge
• Innovative problem-solving
• Planning and organising – Be able to develop clear, efficient and logical approaches to address issues and risks.

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas : Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)