Associate Vice President, Risk Assurance

Job title : Associate Vice President, Risk Assurance

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Risk Assurance, plays a critical role in strengthening our client's second-line oversight of credit risk across the investment lifecycle. The role provides an independent, objective, and risk-based assessment of the effectiveness of credit risk management, early detection of credit deterioration, quality of asset restructuring proposals, and adherence to internal policies, governance standards, and global best practices. The AVP ensures that our client's investments are proactively monitored, emerging risks are identified early, and that decision-makers receive credible, unbiased insights to safeguard portfolio quality and institutional capital.

Principle Duties & Responsibilities:

Credit Risk Assurance & Oversight

• Conduct independent, risk-based reviews of credit processes, risk assessments, underwriting practices, and portfolio monitoring activities.
• Evaluate the design and effectiveness of controls related to credit risk identification, measurement, mitigation, and monitoring.
• Coordinate the process of identifying, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned from our client's investment activities to strengthen our client's policies and the underwriting of future investments.
• Challenge the adequacy and consistency of credit risk ratings and classifications across portfolios.
• Review governance processes supporting credit decision-making, including adherence to credit policies, approval frameworks, and concentration limits.

Early Warning & Emerging Risk Assessment

• Ensure effective and early identification of warning signals of potential credit deterioration to allow ample lead time for remedial action by our client to address identified deficiencies.
• Conduct thematic reviews to identify trends and emerging risks at the portfolio, sector, and counterparty levels.
• Provide management with independent perspectives on deteriorating assets and ensure timely escalation of concerns.
• Evaluate the reliability and completeness of management information systems used for the early detection of credit deterioration.

Transaction Remediation & Workout Oversight

• Independently assess proposed restructuring, workout, and remedial action plans to determine whether they are effective, sustainable, and aligned with risk appetite.
• Challenge the underlying assumptions, financial projections, and recovery strategies.
• Confirm alignment between remedial actions and updated risk ratings or asset classifications.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Chair the Monitoring Committee and coordinate the exploration and evaluation of remedial strategies for stressed and deteriorating assets. 
• Prepare clear, concise periodic assurance reports and dashboards for senior management, relevant board and management committees, and other stakeholders as required.
• Communicate findings, thematic insights, and recommendations in a structured and persuasive manner.
• Track remediation actions and follow up on closure of audit/assurance issues.

Enterprise Risk Governance Assurance

• Review the consistency of credit practices across business units and test compliance with risk management policies, standards, and international best practices.
• Provide recommendations to strengthen risk governance frameworks and ensure effective implementation of corrective actions.
• Maintain robust internal relationships with first and third lines of defence while preserving independence.
• Work with Internal Audit to avoid duplication, share insights, and align assurance outcomes.
• Engage with other risk management units, portfolio management, business units, finance, legal, and research teams to exchange insights and strengthen the enterprise-wide risk culture.

Development Impact Measurement

• Contributing to the measurement of the environmental and social impacts of our client’s investing activities.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as directed by the CRO.

Requirements:   Qualification and Skill

• First degree (BA/BSc) in a relevant subject.
• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in credit risk, senior credit underwriting, portfolio management, restructuring/workout, risk assurance, or internal audit in banks, DFIs, MDBs, rating agencies, or consulting firms.
• Professional certifications in credit underwriting, risk management, accounting/financial analysis or assurance credentials highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience performing assurance or independent credit review in an institution with complex, cross-border credit exposures.
• Bilingual proficiency (English and French) highly preferred.
• Willingness to travel “out-of-station” with minimal prior notice.
• Deep expertise in enterprise-wide risk management, including credit, market, operational, environmental and social (E&S) risks, as well as strong understanding of related processes, controls, compliance requirements, and assurance methodologies.
• Strong portfolio management capabilities, particularly in asset monitoring, performance tracking, early warning analysis, and portfolio-level reporting.
• Demonstrated experience working in emerging markets, preferably across Africa, with the ability to operate effectively in complex, evolving, and multicultural business environments.
• Ability to thrive in high-pressure, dynamic settings, with strong resilience, sound judgement, and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ability to analyze and present complex information clearly.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize large volumes of data into actionable insights.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to articulate complex issues clearly and build productive working relationships across functions.

Benefits and Contractual information:

• Willing and able to relocate to Lagos, Nigeria
• USD Tax Exempt Salary