Head of Risk and Compliance Assurance - Singapore

This is the senior in-country leadership role for Risk and Compliance Assurance in Singapore. It provides independent, risk-based assurance over the design and operating effectiveness of controls managing Regulatory Compliance (RC), Financial Crime (FC) and Resilience risks across all relevant businesses and legal entities in Singapore. The role leads delivery of the global Risk and Compliance Assurance methodology in accordance with HSBC’s Risk Management Framework (RMF), applicable Singapore regulatory requirements and global functional standards, ensuring material risks and control weaknesses are identified, assessed, reported and escalated consistently.

The role sits within the global Risk and Compliance Assurance structure and functionally reports to the Global Head of Risk and Compliance Assurance, with a strong in-country relationship to the Singapore Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. The role holder is accountable for developing and delivering the Singapore assurance plan across RC, FC and Resilience risk themes, including risk assessment, scoping, fieldwork, quality assurance, reporting, issue validation and follow-up.

The role holder leads assurance coverage across all relevant businesses, functions and legal entities operating in Singapore. The assurance plan must reflect the Singapore risk profile, regulatory obligations, emerging risks, control performance and material business change. The role may also contribute expertise to regional or global reviews where this supports effective coverage, consistency and efficient use of assurance capability.

The role holder is a subject matter expert in evaluating the effectiveness of risk management activities against industry standards, local regulatory obligations and HSBC policies, and in translating assurance outcomes into clear, actionable insights. This includes identifying systemic themes, control weaknesses and root causes; assessing the potential impact on customers, the bank and regulatory outcomes; and escalating material risks promptly through appropriate governance and reporting channels.

The role holder builds and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (CRCO) Singapore, relevant first- and second-line business and risk leaders in-country, Internal Audit and local regulators, as required. These relationships enable effective coordination across the three lines to reduce duplication, address assurance gaps, align priorities and drive timely remediation and sustainable risk reduction.

Principal Accountabilities:

Impact on the Business

• Own and execute the Singapore Risk and Compliance Assurance strategy and annual plan, aligned to the global methodology, country risk profile and regulatory priorities.
• Act as the senior in-country representative for Risk and Compliance Assurance, maintaining the function’s independence and ensuring relevant standards, policies and procedures are applied.
• Provide Risk Owners, Control Owners and Risk Stewards with clear conclusions on control design and operating effectiveness, including root causes and implications.
• Escalate material control deficiencies, emerging risks and overdue or ineffective remediation promptly through country and global governance.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of Singapore regulatory developments, emerging risks and business change, and adjust assurance coverage where necessary.
• Coordinate with Internal Audit and other assurance providers to optimise coverage, minimise duplication and identify gaps.
• Deliver outputs that are accurate, timely and consistently of a high standard of quality and completeness.
• Operate inline with the RMF.

Customers/Stakeholders

• Build trusted, appropriately challenging relationships with the Singapore Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, country and business leadership, Risk Owners, Control Owners and Risk Stewards while preserving assurance independence.
• Represent Risk and Compliance Assurance at relevant Singapore governance forums and in regulatory engagements where requested and appropriate.
• Lead consultation on the Singapore assurance plan, review scope, findings, issue closure and thematic insights.
• Provide timely, concise and decision-useful management information on assurance coverage, outcomes, trends and remediation.
• Coordinate effectively with regional and global Assurance colleagues, Internal Audit and other assurance providers.

Leadership& Teamwork

• Provide visible leadership for Risk and Compliance Assurance in Singapore and foster a high-performing, inclusive and collaborative culture.
• Set clear expectations for quality, professional judgement and constructive challenge, and provide effective review and coaching throughout the assurance lifecycle.
• Deploy available resources and subject-matter expertise effectively, including colleagues assigned from regional or global teams.
• Set the highest standards through personal behaviour and interaction with others.

Operational Effectiveness and Control

• Maintain effective governance, quality assurance and operational controls over the Singapore assurance portfolio.
• Ensure assurance work is evidence-based, independently concluded and performed to a standard on which senior management and other assurance providers can place appropriate reliance.
• Manage delivery, resource, data, model, conduct and information risks arising from the assurance activity, escalating concerns promptly.
• Promote innovation, analytics and proportionate use of technology in delivering effective assurance.

Qualifications:

• Extensive senior-level experience in risk, compliance, audit or assurance within a complex financial-services organisation, including leading risk-based assurance or control-testing activity.
• Strong current knowledge of Singapore’s regulatory environment and the expectations applicable to financial institutions, together with broad RC, FC and Resilience risk knowledge.
• Clear understanding of risk governance and the three lines model within global financial services.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a country portfolio, exercise independent judgement, address senior stakeholder challenge and escalate material concerns.
• Strong stakeholder-management, communication, interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to adapt communication for executive, governance and regulatory audiences.
• Highly motivated and collaborative, with strong attention to detail, sound decision-making and the resilience to deliver in a complex environment.
• Ahigh level of professional and personal integrity.
• Relevant degree and/or recognised professional qualification in risk, compliance, audit, financial crime or a related discipline is preferred.
• Strong written and spoken English.