Head of Risk - Financial Services

• Join a highly engaged, professional and collaborative team 

• You will be a key leader in driving effective risk management and compliance frameworks for our Financial Services business  

• Permanent role based in Melbourne 

We're REA 
  
With bold and ambitious goals, REA Group  is changing the way the world experiences property. No matter where you're at on your property journey, we're here to help with every step - whether that's finding or financing your next home. 
 
Our people are the key to our success. At the heart of everything we do, is a thriving culture centred around high performance and care. We are purpose driven and collaborative, which drives innovation and our ability to make a real impact. As such, we’re proud to have been named in Australia’s “Top 5” Best Workplaces two years in a row, as well as being recognised as a Best Workplace for Women.  

Where the team fits in 

The Risk & Assurance team sits within the Finance & Business Services Group, headed up by Janelle Hopkins our CFO. The Finance and Business Services Group, or FaBS as we like to call them, is the engine room of REA Group. The team is comprised of Finance, Risk, Workplace & Procurement, Pricing, Customer Collections, Payments, Group Reporting, Corporate Comms, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. 

As the Head of Risk, you will be supporting our Financial Services Business. The Financial Services purpose is to offer home finance and other financial services to those using realestate.com.au for their property search. The financial services team is accountable for strategy development and execution, working with our banking and mortgage broker partners to build our capability and product offerings, leading sales management and engaging across the other lines of business in REA. We currently run a full-service mortgage broking business in Mortgage Choice and our vision is to provide the highest quality brokerage business that is professional, values driven and leverages REA’s unique property advantage to provide quality advice to consumers. 

What the role is all about 
As the Head of Risk, your focus will be to continually improve, develop and evolve the Financial Services risk maturity, so that the network of brokers deliver the highest quality of credit assistance to support customers through their property journey.  Work closely with the Financial Services leadership team to ensure change is delivered effectively; compliance and regulatory requirements are maintained and continually look for improvement opportunities to uplift the control environment. 

• Provide guidance and input into the development of the annual Internal Audit plan 

• Provide support to the businesses you support by ensuring the facilitation of risk workshops to identify, assess, and report on key risks and mitigation strategies (primarily for proposed strategic initiatives and/or changes in business/operations 

• Working with the businesses you support and Legal to ensure that all identified regulatory changes have undergone a Business Impact Assessment and that the regulatory change is executed and embedded into business by the required date.  Assist the business to implement operational procedures (and any controls) that support compliance. 

• Co-ordinate/assist/facilitate reviews performed by internal or external parties, including regulators where appropriate 

• Via your team, manage the ACL & AML obligations, including the obligations for Responsible Managers for the Campaign Agent business.  Ensure that there are appropriate frameworks in place to manage NCCP compliance and other key compliance obligations 

• Execute Secretariat responsibilities for the Executive Risk Committee including ensuring meetings are locked in, agendas are reflective of Charters, pack preparation and delivery, minutes and actions 

• Preparation of Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee reporting and papers 

• Manage the GRC tool on behalf of the Risk & Assurance team 

Who we’re looking for 

• Strong business/commercial acumen - experience in financial services organisation and leading people/teams 

• Experience in mortgage broking industry  

• Demonstrated ability to translate Regulatory requirements into Frameworks and Policies, as well as ensuring these can be understood at all levels and embedded into business practices 

• Experience in undertaking audits and compliance reviews including controls testing, internal audits and compliance assessments 

• Excellent track record in providing risk management services as a trusted advisor or business partner 

• Solid understanding of good risk and corporate governance practices 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills – ability to prepare engaging and persuasive messages to internal and external senior stakeholders. Ability to communicate with people at different levels and with contrasting levels of technical knowledge and skills 

• Excellent business writing skills, including for Executive and Board reports 

• Excellent ability to deal effectively with conflict and difficult situations involving key/senior stakeholders whilst maintaining an effective and collaborative working relationship 

• Able to act as a trusted advisor to the CRO, R&A and the Financial Services LT on matters relating to the strategic and operational planning of the team 

• Experience in dealing with regulators 

The REA experience 

The physical, mental, emotional and financial health of our people is something we’ll never stop caring about. This is a place to learn and grow.  

Some of our Perks & Benefits include:  

• A hybrid and flexible approach to working 

• Flexible leave options including, birthday leave and purchase additional leave 

• Flexible parental leave offering for primary and secondary carers 

• Our Because We Care program offers employees volunteering leave, community grants, matched payroll giving and our Community Café donates 100% of revenue to charity 

• Hackdays so you can bring your big ideas to life   

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion   

We are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe teams with diverse ideas and experiences are more creative, more effective and fuel disruptive thinking. If you've got the skills, dedication and enthusiasm to learn but don't necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch. 

Join our Talent Neighbourhood 

Keen to be part of REA but didn't find a perfect match with this opportunity? Perhaps the timing isn't right? You should join our Talent Neighbourhood!  

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