Risk Officer - Cape Town

Sygnia is an innovative FinTech company based in South Africa and listed on the main board of the JSE. The company provides asset management, stockbroking and administration services, as well as a wide range of savings products, to institutional and retail clients. Everything we do is supported by leading-edge technology platforms. Sygnia offers a dynamic, fast-paced and performance-driven environment that values innovation, accountability and continuous improvement. Employees are encouraged to think independently, take ownership and contribute meaningfully within a collaborative culture.

The Role:

The Risk Officer supports the Head of Risk in the implementation and ongoing improvement of the enterprise and operational risk management framework across Sygnia. The role is responsible for identifying, assessing, monitoring and reporting risks across the business, including operational risk, IT risk, business continuity, third-party risk, capital adequacy, strategic and emerging risks, and project-related risk. The Risk Officer works closely with business, Compliance and Internal Audit to embed a strong and practical risk culture across the organisation.

The duties and responsibilities of this position include (but are not limited to):

Risk Assessment, Facilitation and Reporting

• Plan and facilitate annual risk workshops to identify key risks, trends and priorities aligned to business strategy, and produce clear, actionable outputs.
• Facilitate business Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), including planning, workshops and ensuring high-quality, decision-useful outputs.
• Coordinate IT risk activities with technology teams and ensure these risks are appropriately reflected in risk registers.
• Maintain and enhance risk registers, control libraries and action plans; track progress and escalate overdue or delayed actions where necessary.
• Monitor and review operational risk incidents, identify trends and root causes, and provide recommendations where required.
• Oversee business continuity management by reviewing plans, testing readiness and identifying any gaps in resilience.
• Coordinate the third-party risk management programme, including supporting due diligence and ongoing oversight of third-party risk exposure.
• Provide risk input to project initiatives by ensuring risks are identified early and appropriate controls are implemented.
• Update and maintain the ORSA, including ensuring accuracy and coordinating inputs across relevant teams.
• Prepare clear, practical and decision-useful risk reports and dashboards for management committees.

Combined Assurance and Stakeholder Engagement

• Assist the Head of Risk with combined assurance planning by mapping assurance coverage and identifying gaps in collaboration with Internal Audit and Compliance.
• Build effective working relationships with business stakeholders and assurance providers to ensure timely communication, tracking action and escalation.

Risk Framework, Policies and Embedding

• Assist in the development, review and maintenance of risk management policies, ensuring they are practical, compliant and aligned to the business.
• Support implementation by providing guidance, facilitating training and monitoring adoption across the business.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of risk systems, tools and processes.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum 5+ years relevant experience in risk management, operational risk, internal audit, or a related assurance/control environment in financial services.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Risk Management, Accounting, Finance, Business, Information Systems, or similar.
• Experience supporting business continuity, IT/technology risk, third-party risk and/or project risk assessments is advantageous.
• Professional certification (advantageous): CA(SA), CIA, or similar.

Core Competencies:

• Sound understanding of risk and control principles.
• Working knowledge of technology and operational risks.
• Ability to translate risk into practical business recommendations.
• Understanding of financial services and regulatory landscape.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail.

Closing date: 13 May 2026

Disclaimer: Should you not hear from us within 14 days after submitting your application, please accept your application as unsuccessful. Your personal information will be used solely for recruitment purposes.