Senior Manager, Governance & Controls

JOB PURPOSE

The job holder will be responsible for providing leadership and oversight of the Operations governance and control framework. The role oversees Operational Excellence, including Business Process Re-engineering and Quality Assurance; Central Reconciliations for all internal accounts except profit and loss accounts; Transaction Monitoring and Exceptions Management across all channels; and centralized Registry and Records Management, including the custody and archiving of KYC and other operational documentation. The role also coordinates first-line Operational Risk Management across Operations, ensuring effective controls, timely resolution of exceptions, process compliance, records integrity, risk remediation, and continuous improvement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance and Control Framework: Establish, maintain, and continuously strengthen the Operations governance and control framework, ensuring clear ownership, effective controls, regulatory compliance, and timely remediation of identified gaps.

Operational Excellence: Lead the Operational Excellence function, including Business Process Re-engineering and Quality Assurance, to improve process efficiency, standardization, control effectiveness, service quality, and turnaround times.

Central Reconciliations: Oversee the accurate and timely reconciliation of all internal accounts, excluding profit and loss accounts, ensuring prompt investigation, escalation, and resolution of outstanding and aged items.

Transaction Monitoring: Direct end-to-end transaction monitoring across all channels to ensure timely identification and resolution of failed, delayed, duplicated, unmatched, suspicious, or otherwise exceptional transactions.

Exceptions Management: Maintain a robust exceptions management framework that ensures effective tracking, root-cause analysis, escalation, resolution, and prevention of recurring operational exceptions.

Registry and Records Management: Oversee the centralized custody, indexing, retrieval, retention, archiving, and secure disposal of KYC and other operational records in accordance with legal, regulatory, and internal requirements.

First-Line Operational Risk Coordination: Coordinate first-line Operational Risk Management across Operations, including risk and control assessments, control testing, incident reporting, loss-event management, and implementation of risk mitigation actions.

Quality Assurance and Compliance Monitoring: Implement risk-based quality assurance reviews to assess adherence to approved policies, procedures, service standards, regulatory obligations, and established operational controls.

Issue and Audit Remediation: Ensure timely closure of operational risk, audit, compliance, quality assurance, and regulatory findings, with sustainable corrective actions and appropriate evidence of closure.

Management Information and Continuous Improvement: Provide accurate and timely governance, risk, reconciliation, transaction monitoring, records management, and operational performance reports to support management decisions, accountability, and continuous improvement

DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY

The role has authority, within approved policies and delegated limits, to enforce operational controls; direct corrective actions; prioritize and escalate reconciliation breaks, transaction exceptions, control failures, and operational risk events; place operational holds on high-risk transactions; approve supported reconciliation adjustments and exception closures; and implement non-material process and quality improvements. Material risk acceptance, write-offs, policy exceptions, system changes, and financial commitments shall be escalated to the designated approving authority. All decisions must maintain segregation of duties and maker-checker requirements.

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Economics, Operations Management, or a related field from a recognized university.

A master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, or a related discipline is an added advantage.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

Relevant professional certification in Accounting, Banking, Risk Management, Internal Audit, Compliance, Quality Management, or Business Process Improvement is desirable.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Minimum of 8 years’ progressive experience in banking operations, operational governance and controls, reconciliations, transaction monitoring and exceptions management, quality assurance, business process re-engineering, records management, or operational risk management, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.

Demonstrated experience leading operational governance and control functions, including central reconciliations, transaction monitoring and exceptions management, quality assurance, business process re-engineering, records management, operational risk coordination, and remediation of control deficiencies.

Proven experience leading cross-functional control remediation, operational change, business process improvement, quality assurance initiatives, and executive-level governance and risk reporting

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Strong knowledge of banking operations, operational governance, central reconciliations, transaction monitoring, exceptions management, records management, and internal control frameworks.

Expertise in operational excellence, Business Process Re-engineering, quality assurance, root-cause analysis, control testing, issue remediation, and continuous improvement.

Strong understanding of first-line operational risk management, regulatory requirements, KYC documentation standards, data protection, information security, audit requirements, and records retention obligations.

Advanced analytical ability, including interpretation of reconciliation, transaction, exception, risk, quality, and process-performance data to identify trends, control weaknesses, and improvement opportunities.

Strong ability to design, assess, and strengthen operational controls; establish measurable quality standards; and drive timely resolution of audit findings, reconciliation breaks, exceptions, and recurring process failures.

Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, sound judgement, written communication, and executive-level governance and risk reporting skills.

Ability to remain objective and composed when addressing material exceptions, control failures, operational risk events, and competing priorities, while coordinating timely and sustainable corrective action.

Minimum qualifications

BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA , Professional Certificate

How to apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Sidian Bank on sidianbank.co.ke to apply

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