Principal: Operational Risk

ABOUT CELLULANT

Cellulant is a leading Pan African payments technology company that provides locally relevant and alternative payment methods for global, regional and local merchants.

We provide a single API payments platform - Tingg - that enables businesses to collect payments online and offline while allowing anyone to pay from their mobile money, local and international cards or directly from their bank.

OUR STORY:

Since our founding in 2003, Cellulant has evolved from a digital content provider into a leading payments platform with a presence in 35 African countries. For more than 20 years, we've built a robust network that integrates multiple payment methods, addressing the unique challenges of Africa’s diverse payment landscape. We began selling ringtones as a digital content business and quickly realised the need for a more streamlined way to manage payments. This realisation led us to develop a platform that initially allowed customers to check their bank balances and eventually evolved into a comprehensive payment solution. Our journey has seen us partner with more than 1000 businesses, including some of the largest banks and mobile money providers on the continent. Throughout the years, we've continuously adapted and grown, leveraging our experiences to simplify payments for businesses and consumers alike. Today, Cellulant powers online and offline payment processing allowing businesses to collect payments, send payouts, and accelerate business growth. We’re the payment fabric that makes interoperability possible and stitches Africa together for the global economy.

Read more about us, our group leadership team and our country champions.

OUR VISION:

To enable seamless payments across Africa for businesses, banks and consumers.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Role Summary: This role is responsible for identifying, measuring, managing, and reporting both financial (including Credit and Market) and non-financial (Operational) risks. This involves devising and implementing risk mitigation strategies in collaboration with line management and ensuring follow-up for effectiveness. Coordination across all departments and business units is vital to embed an integrated risk management process throughout the organisation.
Key Responsibilities:

•  Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Establish a robust ERM framework, including risk analysis, reporting, and culture embedding. Develop and implement the organisation's risk appetite and tolerance, ensuring adherence in all operations. Set up a robust risk governance framework to ensure thorough oversight and control over Cellulant's risk exposure. Review and update risk policies, tolerances, and appetites in line with business needs and in alignment with oversight requirements of Board and Risk Committee
• Operational Risk Management: Support the documentation and assessment of risks and controls across the company, coordinating the monitoring and reporting of key risk indicators. Maintain risk events and issue logs, and drive improvement actions based on internal and external feedback. Lead risk mitigation strategies that leverage digital solutions and are scalable as the organisation expands.
• Credit Risk Management: Drive the development and implementation of credit risk policies/ frameworks required for the monitoring and management of credit exposure, assessment of creditworthiness for partnerships and customer transactions.
• Market Risk Management: Guide the organisation in understanding and mitigating market, liquidity, and country risks. Ensure compliance with risk appetite and proactively address risks in new product introductions.
• Strategic, Reputational Risk, AMP (Assessment, Mitigation & Performance) and Ethics: Set and enforce standards and procedures that manage stakeholder expectations and company reputation, ensuring performance alignment with these standards.
• Risk Culture and Awareness - Drive initiatives that instill a risk-aware culture, fostering accountability and ownership of risk management across all levels of the organisation. Conduct regular training sessions and awareness programs, ensuring all teams understand and proactively manage risks associated with their functions.
• Reporting - Develop comprehensive reporting, provide Group Head of Risk, Group Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, CEO Board Risk Committee and Board with regular, actionable reports on risk exposures, mitigation efforts, and emerging trends. Oversee the creation of real-time risk dashboards to enhance visibility and monitoring of critical KRIs and risk trends.
• Technology Risk Management and Data Protection - Identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor IT-related risks, such as cybersecurity threats, system failures, data breaches, and compliance violations. In addition, prevent or reduce the adverse effects of these risks on the operations, financial performance, and business reputation. Support initiatives to protect against data breaches and cybersecurity risks, collaborating closely with Information Security and IT to implement safeguards

Educational and Experience Requirements:

• At least 8 years relevant experience within Risk and Assurance roles ideally within reputable financial services or the payments industry. Experience should include:
• Familiarity with risk management international best practice and frameworks (COSO, COBIT, NIST, ISO, etc)
• Familiarity with the African fintech landscape, including credit, market, and operational, etc risk specific to emerging markets.

Experience that will count in your favor:

• Internal Controls, Audit, Data Protection, ISO Certification, Business Continuity, Operational Risk, Technology Risk

Nice to have experience: 

• People and Knowledge Management

Qualification:

• A Bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, technology, law or any other relevant field, certifications in risk management.

Skills:

• Presentation/reporting skills, Interpersonal skill and Analytical skills; communication of complex risk management information to internal teams, management teams, Boards and other relevant stakeholders; collaborative approach to fostering risk culture.

Personal attributes:

• Credibility
• Openness
• Strategic thinker
• Ability to balance growth and risk

Why Work For Us?
At Cellulant, transforming payments in Africa isn't just a job; it is our mission. We believe by simplifying the way people pay and get paid; we are accelerating businesses, opening up markets, bridging wealth gaps and connecting Africa to the global economy.

Some exciting things about us...

• We have an Extensive Footprint: We have an office presence in over 10 countries, and our products serve 35 countries across Africa with a global workforce of about 300 employees. 
  
• We believe that innovation is at the Heart of Fintech: Thousands of companies use our technology to deliver seamless payment experiences. Our customers range from various sectors such as Airlines, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Retail, to Remittances. 
  
• We Support a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce: We focus on the growth and development of our employees through well-developed, individualised career paths ensuring you reach your full potential in a supportive and delivery-oriented environment. 
  
• We Put our Employees First: We offer market-related compensation, generous personal time off and, markets permitting, medical and life insurance benefits. 
  
• We Seek Collaborative Builders: At Cellulant, we believe that great ideas happen when we come together. We, therefore, nurture a collaborative work environment that challenges, engages and empowers each person to contribute to the growth and success of the business. 
  
• We Solve for Africa’s Digital Economy: We’re solving payment challenges on the continent to create opportunities and accelerate economic growth for all of Africa.