Chief Risk Officer

One of our client, a commodity trade and distribution company based in Dubai is seeking a Chief Risk Officer (CRO) who will be responsible for designing, implementing and safeguarding the enterprise-wide risk management architecture. The CRO will play a pivotal role in ensuring the company growth is profitable, compliant, resilient and aligned with Afreximbank’s governance standards, while enabling the business to scale sustainably across the continent.The Key Focus areas of this role revolves around;Enterprise Risk Strategy & GovernanceDesign, institutionalise and continuously refine company Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework, aligned with the company’s risk appetite, governance mandates and Afreximbank’s oversight expectationsDefine and oversee risk appetite, governance structures, Board reporting mechanisms, and the Delegation of Authority (DoA) across all risk categoriesIntegrate risk considerations into strategy, capital deployment, trading mandates, commercial decisions, and market expansion plansBuild a strong risk culture across the organisation and ensure effective challenge to commercial/operational decisionsTrading, Market, Credit and Financial Risk Oversee all market‑facing risks across commodity exposure, FX, pricing volatility, counterparty strength and hedging effectivenessDefine and monitor enterprise-wide risk limits, exposure thresholds, and credit/financial risk appetite in collaboration with trading, finance and treasuryLead credit assessments, collateral structures, guarantees, insurance programs, and risk‑mitigation tools to protect the company capital and working capital cyclesSupervise liquidity and funding risks, ensuring adequate buffers, disciplined cash‑cycle management and alignment with inventory and trading flowsOperational, Supply Chain, Technology and Compliance RiskOversee end‑to‑end operational risks across warehousing, logistics, procurement, CTRM/ERP processes and trade lifecycle controlsEnsure regulatory compliance across jurisdictions, covering AML/KYC, sanctions, customs rules, tax and cross‑border trading requirementsStrengthening internal controls, cyber‑security readiness, business continuity and disaster recovery frameworksIdentify and mitigate supply‑chain vulnerabilities, country‑level disruptions, and operational breakdowns impacting trading and distribution networksStrategic, Reputational, ESG & Country Risk Provide forward‑looking risk analysis to support expansion, investments, JVs, partnerships, and new‑market entriesEvaluate geopolitical, macroeconomic, country and supply chain risks across company African operating footprintAssess reputational, stakeholder, and political risks associated with counterparties, markets, and government partnershipsEmbed ESG risk frameworks aligned to Afreximbank’s sustainability and governance standardsExecutive Reporting & Board EngagementPresent enterprise risk insights to the Board Risk Committee, with actionable recommendations and scenario‑based decision support.Develop risk dashboards, early warning systems, and predictive analytics to support leadership decision‑making.Serve as the independent risk challenger to the trading, commercial, operations, and finance teamsThe profile We Are Looking For:Master’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Economics, Quantitative Analysis or related field (MBA, CFA, FRM strongly preferred)15-20+ years of experience in enterprise risk roles within commodity trading, trade finance, banking, DFIs, or large multi-jurisdictional institutionsProven experience building or leading end-to-end ERM frameworks in complex, high‑risk, cross‑border environmentsDeep understanding of commodity trading risks, CTRM systems, hedging strategies, derivatives, and full trade lifecycle oversightExposure to African or frontier markets, customs/trade processes, cross‑border logistics, and supply chain risksDemonstrated experience interacting with Boards, regulators, DFIs, multilaterals, sovereign partners, and external risk stakeholdersStrong leadership presence, high integrity, decisiveness, and the ability to operate independently while collaborating with commercial teamsExceptional analytical, communication and executive influencing skillsAbility to build, mentor, and scale a risk organisation from the ground up