Senior Manager, Risk

Aceli Africa is a market catalyst focused on mobilizing finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector across East Africa. The organization uses original data on agri-SME lending economics to align capital supply and demand, aiming to mobilize $500M in lending and foster a more sustainable marketplace.

Aceli Africa is seeking a Senior Manager, Risk to spearhead its enterprise risk management, business continuity, and organizational controls across five countries and multiple legal entities. This pivotal role involves leading the development and implementation of Aceli's enterprise risk framework and crisis preparedness strategies. The successful candidate will also be responsible for overseeing the legal, compliance, and policy control environment, including information security governance, and will directly manage the Legal & Compliance lead. The ideal candidate is a proactive, hands-on leader with excellent judgment, capable of translating strategic frameworks into actionable plans and ensuring that all identified material risks and their agreed mitigations are effectively managed to completion.

1. Manage and maintain Aceli's enterprise risk management framework and the organization-wide risk register.
2. Facilitate the Risk Management Group, including setting agendas, reporting risks, tracking actions, and escalating critical issues.
3. Develop consolidated risk reports for the Leadership Team and Global Board, highlighting key exposures, emerging risks, and necessary actions.
4. Incorporate risk analysis into strategic decisions, such as market entry, product development, and partner engagements.
5. Lead the development and testing of business continuity plans across all operations, ensuring they are practical and current.
6. Establish and maintain clear procedures for incident reporting, escalation, and crisis response, including information security incidents.
7. Supervise the Legal & Compliance function, covering data protection, regulatory compliance, and legal entity governance.
8. Manage the organization's policy framework, including ethics, integrity, safeguarding, and data policies, ensuring proper ownership, reviews, and staff training.
9. Coordinate a comprehensive calendar of statutory, regulatory, and policy obligations across all Aceli entities.
10. Track and ensure completion of actions from risk reviews, audits, and internal control assessments, addressing any identified control gaps.
11. Oversee the organization's insurance program, including coverage, renewals, and claims.
12. Provide governance oversight for information security, collaborating with IT and the Legal & Compliance lead to maintain current policies and procedures.
13. Ensure staff awareness, training, and attestation for information security, and track vulnerability remediation.

1. Hold a Bachelor's degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Law, or a related field, or possess equivalent practical experience.
2. Possess a minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in risk management, governance, or operational control, with proven responsibility for enterprise risk and control frameworks.
3. Demonstrate experience in a growing, mission-driven organization, specifically in implementing enterprise risk frameworks, managing risk registers, developing mitigation plans, and reporting to senior leadership and Boards.
4. Have hands-on experience in developing, implementing, and testing business continuity plans, as well as managing operational disruptions.
5. Exhibit experience in managing organizational policies, compliance processes, and operational controls.
6. Possess a strong record of accomplishment in cross-functional delivery, stakeholder management, and staff supervision.
7. (Preferred) Multi-country experience in East & Southern Africa, particularly within international development, financial services, or donor-funded organizations.
8. (Preferred) Professional training or certification in risk management or business continuity.
9. (Preferred) Familiarity with insurance, legal and regulatory compliance, procurement, and information security governance.
10. (Preferred) Experience in enhancing risk management and control systems within expanding organizations.