Banking COO, Front Office Risk & Control SME - Vice President

Profile Summary

The successful candidate will join the Business Change and Governance Team (the Team). The Team sits within the Front Office (FO) of Mizuho EMEA’s Corporate and Institutional Banking Department (CIB Banking). CIB Banking covers Banking activities (including corporate finance, project finance, strategic advisory, leveraged finance, loan syndication) and Capital Market activities (including DCM, DCM syndication, securitised products, ECM).

To achieve its objectives, the Team partners and engages with multiple teams across Mizuho including the COO, FO Bankers, Operations, Chief Strategy Office, Compliance, Operational Risk, Audit, Japanese Head Office (HO) departments and various other support functions across multiple jurisdictions.

The ideal candidate will be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) of CIB Banking FO operational risk management, controls, governance frameworks and procedures, with a proven track record of success in a complex financial services environment. You will play a pivotal role in coordinating 1LOD activities and ensuring that CIB Banking operates with effective oversight and compliance.

Duties and Responsibilities

Governance Framework and Oversight:

• Coordinate operational risk event remediation activities – ensure events are appropriately captured and communicated as per Mizuho’s requirements, coordinate investigation activities, create and manage remediation action plans, develop or enhance existing controls to mitigate the event occurring again.
• Manage the CIB Banking Front Office Supervisory Committee (FOSC) and ensure the FOSC provides effective oversight of CIB Banking activities – prepare committee material, critically assess material provided by committee members, identify risks and issues that need to be escalated to the FOSC and senior management, prepare minutes and actions, prepare FOSC meeting summaries for the EMEA EXCO.
• Oversight of CIB Banking’s Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) framework – collaborate with the FO and support functions to review and critically assess procedures to ensure robust controls are in place, document new controls, identify control failures or weaknesses and coordinate activities to enhance these controls. 
• Identify new risks resulting from initiatives or operational changes, ensure robust controls are in place to mitigate these risks.
• Manage BAU governance related activities across CIB Banking – liaise with HO Departments, support functions and the FO to ensure CIB Banking effectively completes these activities within agreed timelines.
• Oversee cross-functional and cross-jurisdiction governance processes, ensuring consistency and adherence to policies, procedures, and standards.

Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

• Serve as a key point of contact for governance matters for CIB Banking, liaising with senior leaders, FO, Operational Risk, Compliance, Legal, Audit and other support functions. 
• Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on governance priorities. 
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency across the organisation.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• SME of FO operational risk event management, controls, governance frameworks, compliance, and regulatory requirements within a CIB Banking environment (essential).
• Proven ability to assimilate and distil complex information from diverse stakeholder perspectives into concise, coherent insights and clearly defined action plans (essential).
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimal supervision (essential).
• Precise attention to detail and accuracy (essential).
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across multiple jurisdictions (essential).
• Highly organised and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment (essential). 
• Ability to prioritise work to meet tight deadlines (essential).
• Experience working in a FO COO team and with FO Bankers.
• Ability to anticipate governance needs in a rapidly changing financial landscape.
• University Degree or equivalent.

What Mizuho can offer you

Here at Mizuho, there are fantastic progression opportunities and clear paths to promotion. We will give you ample opportunity to affect change and to help grow our business.

In addition to the great opportunity outlined above we are also currently able to offer:

• Competitive starting salary, plus discretionary bonus
• Non-contributory pension
• 27 days’ annual leave
• Core working hours*
• Hybrid working  - office and home based*
• Virtual GP
• Wellbeing benefits, including Mental Health Allies and First Aiders

*For applicable roles only

At Mizuho, we embrace flexible ways of working when the role permits. We offer different working arrangements like part-time, job-sharing and hybrid (office and home) working. Our purpose-led culture and global infrastructure help us connect, collaborate, and work together in agile ways to meet all our business needs.

At Mizuho we are committed to supporting equality, diversity and equality, and seek to create a workplace that is fully inclusive. We welcome applications from all sections of the community that we operate in and from all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, beliefs, gender identities and disabilities.

If you require more information about our equal opportunities policy or wish to discuss any accessibility requirements or reasonable adjustments please contact the recruitment team – recruitment@mizuhoemea.com and we will be happy to help.