Manager, Governance & Operational Risk

Who Are We HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA aims at empowering SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing them with cutting-edge financial and technological tools. HALA currently holds multiple entities in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (including HALA Payments and HALA Logistics) and offers solutions that enable merchants to digitize their payments as well as manage their sales and operations. Founded in 2017, HALA is currently licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank. Job Description Operations Risk & Governance Manager Job Purpose The Operations Risk & Governance Manager ensures that operational processes, controls, and product launches are well governed, compliant, and managed within HALA’s risk appetite. The role works closely with Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, and Internal Audit to identify risks, strengthen controls, manage incidents, and support safe product launches. Key Responsibilities Operational Risk and Controls - Maintain the Operations risk register and track mitigation actions. - Conduct risk and control assessments across operational processes. - Review the design and effectiveness of key operational controls. - Identify control gaps and ensure corrective actions are completed. - Monitor operational risk indicators, incidents, losses, and recurring issues. - Escalate material risks and control failures to management. Product Launch Governance - Manage the governance process for new product and service launches. - Ensure all launches complete the required risk, compliance, operational, technology, security, and customer-impact assessments. - Coordinate launch-readiness reviews with Product, Technology, Compliance, Risk, Operations, Finance, and Customer Experience. - Confirm that operating procedures, controls, training, customer support, reporting, and incident processes are ready before launch. - Maintain launch checklists, approvals, decisions, risks, dependencies, and action logs. - Escalate unresolved critical risks before go-live. - Monitor post-launch performance, incidents, customer issues, and control effectiveness. - Lead post-launch reviews and ensure lessons learned are implemented. Governance and Policies - Maintain Operations policies, procedures, control documents, and approval matrices. - Coordinate Operations governance meetings and track decisions and actions. - Ensure policies and procedures are reviewed and approved on time. - Maintain clear ownership and accountability for operational risks and controls. Incident and Issue Management - Coordinate the investigation of operational incidents and service failures. - Lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action tracking. - Identify recurring incidents and recommend process improvements. - Ensure material incidents are escalated to the appropriate stakeholders. Reporting and Assurance - Prepare operational risk and governance reports for senior management. - Monitor key risk indicators, control performance, incidents, and overdue actions. - Coordinate Operations responses to Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, External Audit, and regulatory reviews. - Track audit and regulatory findings until closure. Third-Party and Operational Resilience - Support risk assessments for critical vendors and outsourced services. - Monitor vendor performance, incidents, and control weaknesses. - Support business continuity planning and operational resilience testing. - Ensure critical processes have recovery plans and operational workarounds. Qualifications and Experience - Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related field. - 5–7 years of experience in operational risk, governance, controls, audit, compliance, or operations. - Experience in fintech, payments, banking, or another regulated industry is preferred. - Experience supporting product launches, risk assessments, control testing, and incident management. - Strong understanding of operational risk, governance, regulatory requirements, and internal controls. Core Competencies - Strong risk judgement and attention to detail. - Ability to challenge and influence stakeholders. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. - Clear communication and reporting skills. - Strong planning and action-tracking capabilities. - Ability to work effectively across Product, Technology, Operations, Risk, and Compliance. - High integrity, accountability, and ownership. What We Offer You We believe you will love working at HALA! - We have an inclusive and diverse culture that encourages innovation and flexibility in remote, in-office, and hybrid work setups. - We offer highly competitive compensation packages, including the potential for shares. - We prioritize perso