Risk & Compliance Manager: SOLV Ghana - Standard Chartered Bank

SOLV’s vision is to build a business to business (B2B) Marketplace for Financing and Business Support solutions to simplify and accelerate growth for Ghanaian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by leveraging technology and data in a trusted environment.

MSMEs are the heartbeat of Ghana’s economy and SOLV, in collaboration with multiple financial institutions and business service providers, is working to transform the way MSMEs do business. Come and help us positively and sustainably impact the MSME business ecosystem for good.

Operating out of our base office in Ridge, Accra; we are 100% owned by Standard Chartered Plc., UK and are incubated by SC Ventures (SCV), the innovation investment unit of the Standard Chartered Group. If you are looking to build a Ghana-first digital Marketplace that delivers simplified sustainable growth to MSMEs across Ghana and impacts millions of lives, let’s talk!

Our Values

At SOLV we believe that strong core values, listed below, are the foundation of an inspirational business model.

• Customer First
• Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast
• Win or Lose Together
• Focused Execution
• Value Creation
• Frugality
• Emotional Intelligence & Diversity
• Respect, Humility, and Integrity
• Keeping it Real
• Having Fun

Our people and customers are at the centre of everything we do. In our endeavour to ensure that we prioritize them, our values act as our beacon. Our values are interwoven throughout the cultural tapestry of SOLV and constantly evolves with the contributions each person makes. Internalizing our values has resulted in a powerful team, immensely dedicated to simplifying the growth of our clients.

About SC Ventures

SC Ventures is Standard Chartered’s innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm. We were established to reinvent banking, as the significant technological disruptions to the industry was impacting its ability to serve clients and customers, in the ways they needed to be served.

We are a unique ecosystem of innovators, banking experts, business builders and partners who are focused on rewiring the DNA in banking and bringing breakthrough ideas to scale, together.

We are building ecosystems around four high conviction themes: Online Economy & Lifestyle, SMEs & World Trade, Digital Assets, and Sustainability & Inclusion.

We are a global team of “Members” (excluding individual ventures), including dedicated colleagues from the Group’s support functions, based in Singapore, Hong Kong, London, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Job Summary

Based in Accra and reporting to the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer (CRCO), the ideal Risk & Compliance Manager candidate will be a highly driven and collaborative person with an in-depth knowledge of Risk and Compliance management, poised to help SOLV Ghana achieve its aspiration as a digital Marketplace.

Incumbent Risk & Compliance Manager will support the CRCO in administering Second Line responsibility for the implementation of risk and compliance policies related to SOLV Ghana’s product and process universe.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

• Support the CRCO in driving the Risk and Compliance vision, strategy, direction, and leadership in support of the SOLV Ghana’s strategic direction and growth aspirations.
• Provide support for strategy, advice, analysis (and challenge where appropriate) in relation to SOLV Ghana’s product design, new business initiatives, bespoke projects, remedial activities (including nature, scale, and rigour of past business reviews), and transactional advice.

Business

• Support the CRCO, Senior Management, and all relevant business stakeholders to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Financial Services business model and strategy to provide substantive oversight support and challenge with the intention of enabling appropriate and sustainable outcomes.
• Provide robust challenge to senior management and all relevant business stakeholders where activities are outside risk tolerance/ appetite, escalating as necessary, until appropriate oversight and ownership is achieved including actions and plans to address any remedial action needed to come back within risk tolerance/ appetite.

Processes

• Working with the CRCO and acting under delegation from the respective Risk Framework Owners for the principal risk types of Compliance and financial Crime in discharging the responsibilities contained in the ERMF to the extent that is appropriate, ensure that the right Operational Risk and Compliance environment (effective processes/DOIs, training, advice, and support) is developed, embedded, and maintained.
• Possess a control mindset and adhere to the relevant risk framework for Business Ventures and ensure operational continuity.

Risk Management

• Collaborate with the CRCO and relevant business stakeholders to support a programme for conduct, financial crime and compliance monitoring, surveillance and/or assurance for the SOLV business.
• Collaborate with the CRCO to anticipate horizon risks that may have a significant impact on SOLV Ghana and develop effective strategies to mitigate such risks.
• In accordance with the Ventures’ Enterprise Risk Management Framework, support the CRCO in acting as Second Line Risk Owner for SOLV Ghana.
• Support the CRCO in identifying, assessing, treating, and monitoring significant operational risks and propose risk acceptance requests with justification to the authorized risk acceptance authority.
• Promote the prompt execution of any remediation or risk treatment actions.

Governance

• In collaboration with the CRCO, ensure all relevant reports are submitted in a timely manner to support all Governance, Risk and Compliance committees as well as Senior Management and relevant stakeholders make appropriate decisions related to the identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, mitigating, and compliance of risks across SOLV Ghana.

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across SOLV Ghana. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and Code of Conduct.
• In collaboration with the CRCO and all relevant business stakeholders, promote and embed a culture of openness, trust, and risk awareness, where ethical, legal, regulatory and policy compliant conduct is the norm.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate, and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Data Protection

• In collaboration with the CRCO:
• SC Ventures and the Standard Chartered Group is well informed and advised of and local Privacy obligations.
• Monitor SOLV Ghana’s compliance with local and Group Privacy Standards.
• Act as the contact point for any local data protection supervisory authority engagement.
• Advice and guide SOLV Ghana and relevant stakeholders on Privacy Impact Assessments.
• Ensure appropriate escalation of Privacy Risk issues to the Board, Senior Management, and all relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a first degree, and a master’s degree will be an advantage.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in Operational Risk, Compliance and Governance preferred.
• Experience in management of information security governance, risk assessment, creating customized risk assessment frameworks.
• Experience in conducting risk assessments of hybrid environments, mix of cloud and on-premises applications and systems.
• Experience in business continuity management and information security incident management will be an added advantage.
• Experience of working in Agile development environment.
• Understanding of security risks associated with using AI, ML, NLP and blockchain technologies.
• Ability to see things from multiple perspectives.
• Highly adaptable, quick learner, self-starter with a structured mindset to approaching problem solving.
• Energy and desire to succeed; follows through on commitments; pushes self and others to deliver exceptional results.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.