Chief Risk Officer

Who are we?

With more than 20 years in mortgage and insurance distribution, NZ Financial Services Group brings together the widest range of support services in the market. We are home to more than 1000 members that offer home loan, insurance, and other financial services across New Zealand.

NZ Financial Services Group was formed in 2013 when two of New Zealand's leading financial services groups, Allied Kiwi and Loan Market, merged to create one of the largest financial services companies in the country. We are proudly a family owned, privately held business built on strong family values.

About the role -

The Chief Risk Officer will have overall responsibility for the development, monitoring, reporting and assurance testing of NZFSG's Compliance Assurance Programme (CAP). A key executive sitting on the leadership team the role will front the advice, risk and compliance activities for NZFSG and will help build a culture of compliance within the business focussing on good customer outcomes. The Chief Risk Officer will ensure that NZFSG's policies, procedures, controls and reporting framework are implemented into its business and remain effective as the business, and the market in which it operates, develops.

The Chief Risk Officer will work closely with the CEO, Group Risk & Compliance teams and NZ Leadership Team as part of their role.

Successful candidates may come from either a similar risk and compliance leadership role in another financial services organisation, with a demonstrated track record of delivering commercially sound solutions to meet both risk and compliance obligations and growth and customer outcomes, or a business leadership/ general management/ COO role, where you held responsibility for managing risks and regulatory relationships in another financial services organisation, with a demonstrated track record of delivering commercially sound solutions to meet both risk and compliance obligations and growth and customer outcomes, with a solid understanding of an advisory practice and how the advice process works

Key responsibilities -

Assurance:

• Implement and maintain the Compliance Assurance Programme.
• Conduct assurance testing in accordance with the Compliance Assurance Programme, report the findings of that assurance testing to the Board and oversee any remedial action.
• Monitor internal risk and compliance activities and investigate any areas of non- compliance. Report and make recommendations to the CEO. Escalate matters to the Board where appropriate.
• Ensure that NZFSG's policies, procedures and controls are implemented into its business and that those policies, procedures and controls are effective.
• Ensure that NZFSG satisfies all external audit and compliance review requirements.

Risk Management:

• Implement and maintain NZFSG's risk management framework. This includes ensuring that adequate procedures are in place to identify the key risks to NZFSG, and in conjunction with the CEO, to manage, communicate and report those risks to the Board.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure that NZFSG satisfies the conditions of its FAP licence, as well as its statutory and regulatory obligations. This function will involve ongoing collaboration and consultation with external advisers, compliance and legal partners.
• This role will be listed as a Senior = Manager on the NZFSG Licence

Reporting:

• Ensure that NZFSG satisfies its internal and external reporting obligations.
• Prepare a Risk & Compliance Report to the Board within the prescribed timeframes. The Risk & Compliance Report is required to detail all material risk and compliance matters facing NZFSG.

Regulator Engagement:

• In conjunction with the CEO, liaise with the FMA on regulatory and compliance matters.

Registers:

• Ensure that the Financial Services Provider Register, Companies Office, and any other registers are up-to-date, accurate and correct.

Training:

• Develop and oversee the implementation of a training plan to ensure that staff and the Board are aware of internal policies, procedures and controls, risk and compliance matters and the statutory and regulatory obligations that NZFSG is required to satisfy on an ongoing basis.

Resourcing:

• In conjunction with the CEO, ensure that NZFSG has the requisite resources and internal processes and procedures to satisfy its ongoing obligations as a FAP.

Complaints:

• Investigate all complaints made and ensure that they are properly handled. Liaise with the CEO in relation to the handling of complaints. .
• Compliance with the conditions of NZFSG's FAP licence, as well as its statutory and regulatory obligations. NZFSG's policies, procedures and controls are implemented into its business and are operating effectively.
• Compliant external assurance and audit testing results. This includes adviser audits.
• Adherence to all reporting timelines (both, internal and external).
• Other KPI's and an individual training plan will be developed at routine performance reviews.

This list is not exhaustive, and the role may be required to undertake additional responsibilities that are reasonably within the scope of the role

Key Performance Indicators -

• Compliance with the conditions of NZFSG's FAP licence, as well as its statutory and regulatory obligations. NZFSG's policies, procedures and controls are implemented into its business and are operating effectively.
• Compliant external assurance and audit testing results. This includes adviser audits.
• Adherence to all reporting timelines (both, internal and external).
• Other KPI's and an individual training plan will be developed at routine performance reviews.

Skills and Experience Required -

• Tertiary educated in finance, business, risk, compliance or law related discipline (preferable, although not compulsory).
• 10+ years in financial services, risk management, compliance, operations and/ or operational excellence.
• Experience working within a licensed financial services business.
• Experience with NZ regulatory requirements

Operational Risk and Compliance Management:

• Experience working with risk management frameworks.
• Experience with internal/external compliance reviews.
• Collaborate with departments to improve internal controls, business continuity plans, and incident response procedures.
• Conduct proactive risk assessments to ensure business operations are resilient, efficient, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Monitor and report on key risk indicators (KRIs) and recommend actions to address emerging risks.

Financial Advice:

• Experience in monitoring and control frameworks for financial advisers
• Experience with advice software and advice process implementation and reviews/audits

Financial Markets laws:

• Good understanding of financial markets law. Including, but not limited to, Financial Markets Conduct Act (and related regulations), Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act (and related regulations and materials), Companies Act, Financial Advisers Act, Financial Services Providers Act.
• Strong understanding of the operational aspects of AML/CFT.

Adviser Compliance:

• Ensure full compliance with applicable adviser regulations, standards, and licensing requirements.
• Establish and maintain policies and procedures to guide adviser activities in accordance with legal and regulatory obligations.
• Lead efforts to monitor and manage compliance risks related to adviser operations, including reporting, audits, and adherence to industry standards.
• Act as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies and external auditors regarding adviser compliance issues.

Commercial Acumen:

• Strong business acumen and solid judgement - able to identify practical and commercially sound solutions for the business and our advisers.
• Experience supporting a business to achieve risk and compliance outcomes whilst also achieving business growth ambitions - working to find solutions to meet all goals
• Strong analytical and investigative skills.

Stakeholder management and communication skills:

• Strong written &verbal communication skills.
• Ability to translate technical risk and compliance requirements into approachable and practical solutions and advice for staff and our advisers
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration track record with both internal employees & leaders, external regulators, lenders and advisers
• Confident presentation skills
• Ability and confidence in having difficult conversations

Leadership:

• Ability to influence peers, team members and stakeholders and take people on the journey of any required changes
• Excellent people/performance management skills.
• Excellent change management skills - experience successfully managing system, process and behavioural changes
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic with the ability to deliver results.
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office. In particular, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
• Able to manage confidentiality at all times.