Head of Enterprise Risk Management (Banking)

Location: Taguig City, Philippines

Reporting to: Board of Directors

Scope: Bank-wide risk leadership within a single Philippine banking entity

About the opportunity

Our client is a BSP-regulated Philippine bank with a digital-first operating model. The bank originates and manages its lending activities through its internal business, credit, and risk functions, with third-party providers supporting specific activities where appropriate. The bank is seeking a senior risk leader who combines enterprise-wide governance, substantial credit-risk expertise, and direct experience with BSP regulatory examinations. The mandate is to support prudent business growth by strengthening how the bank identifies risk, sets limits, monitors its lending portfolio, and escalates concerns.

This is an opportunity to improve an existing risk-management framework, not build a function from scratch. It requires someone who can engage confidently with the Board while contributing substantively to the development of credit-risk tools and scorecards.

About the role

You will report directly to the Board, with direct and unrestricted access to the appropriate Board Committee on material exposures, risk appetite, and regulatory concerns. Your authority will include independently assessing, challenging, recommending, and escalating matters relating to lending policies, risk limits, new products, and business initiatives.

You will directly lead the Risk Management function, covering Operational Risk, Financial Risk, Credit Risk, and IT Risk.

Credit, Compliance, Fraud, and Collections have separate functional leaders. Your responsibility is to provide independent oversight and challenge across these functions, not take over their day-to-day operations. The role covers the bank itself, rather than a wider group of businesses.

What you will lead

Enterprise-wide assessment and framework improvement

During the first 6–12 months, conduct a comprehensive assessment of credit, operational, regulatory/compliance, market, liquidity, technology/cyber, and other material risks. Strengthen the existing framework, including the risk appetite statement, risk limits, key risk indicators, escalation protocols, and reporting to the Board and senior management.

Credit-portfolio oversight and early-warning mechanisms

Strengthen portfolio monitoring, assess counterparty risk, and identify actions to keep credit expansion within approved risk appetite. Provide independent risk guidance on lending policies, loan-product design, and collections. Oversight will cover relevant retail/consumer, SME, corporate/commercial, secured, and unsecured lending exposures, as applicable to the bank's products.

Credit-risk tools and scorecard development

Develop credit-risk tools and scorecards that improve lending-risk assessment and portfolio monitoring. Development is an explicit part of the mandate: the role is not limited to reviewing reports or providing governance oversight.

Board engagement and regulatory accountability

Present material risks, significant exposures, emerging concerns, and recommended actions clearly to the Board and senior management. Engage with BSP on risk-management matters and regulatory examinations. Constructively challenge business decisions where necessary, while maintaining the independence of the risk function.

Financial and digital-risk oversight

Oversee stress testing, scenario analysis, and capital-planning processes. Independently assess whether technology, cybersecurity, fraud, and third-party risks are being appropriately managed by their functional owners, remain within risk appetite, and are adequately reported and escalated.

Risk-team leadership and cross-functional coordination

Lead and develop the risk-management team, strengthen risk awareness across the bank, and work with Internal Audit, Compliance, Legal, and business leaders to improve controls and address material concerns while preserving clear responsibilities.

What we are looking for

• 15+ years of risk-management experience in banking or financial services, including work experience within a Philippine commercial bank, with substantial senior-level risk-leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated responsibility for independent enterprise-wide risk oversight, including risk assessments, risk appetite, limits, escalation, and engagement with the Board or senior management. You should be able to explain how you have challenged business decisions—not only reported risks.
• Strong credit-risk expertise, including lending-portfolio monitoring, counterparty assessment, credit-policy guidance, and experience developing credit-risk tools and scorecards.
• Direct experience with BSP regulatory examinations and applying Philippine banking requirements to risk-management practices, supported by a strong understanding of financial instruments, lending practices, and financial and operational risks.
• Proven ability to lead risk professionals, improve frameworks and systems, and communicate complex risk issues clearly. A bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field is required; a relevant master's degree or FRM, PRM, or CFA qualification is preferred.

Benefits and selection process

The package includes guaranteed 14th-month pay, HMO, life insurance, and retirement benefits, alongside 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of vacation leave, with up to five unused vacation days carried forward. Additional benefits include emergency leave, bereavement leave, and bereavement assistance.