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In today’s increasingly complex financial environment, New Zealand and Australian banks are facing a pivotal shift. With regulatory expectations climbing and organisational maturity under the spotlight, financial institutions must plan, maintain, and implement stronger approaches to managing Non-Financial Risk (NFR).

At the centre of this uplift is one clear priority: talent. More than ever, banks need the right people in strategic Line 2 risk roles to guide frameworks, support change, and drive effective risk culture.

Regulatory and Risk Uplift – More Than a Trend

Across both sides of the Tasman, the regulatory environment continues to evolve. APRA’s focus on accountability and governance, and RBNZ’s guidance on operational resilience, are prompting major investment in how risk is managed beyond financial performance.

Boards and executive leaders are under pressure to monitor and govern with greater clarity. This has led to a wave of transformation programmes focused on uplifting frameworks, aligning risk ownership, and embedding enterprise-wide maturity in risk and compliance practices.

But meaningful transformation doesn’t happen without the right people to design, supervise, and implement it.

Strategic Roles Require Strategic Thinking

We’re currently supporting recruitment for two high-impact leadership roles that reflect the growing need for specialised capability in the non-financial risk space:

1. Senior Manager – Non-Financial Risk (Enterprise)

  • Guide the uplift of a refreshed, enterprise-wide NFR framework
  • Collaborate with business leaders to clarify and embed best-practice controls
  • Support transformation efforts using experience from more mature risk environments

This is a hands-off advisory role, you’re not doing the doing. Instead, you’ll influence, steer, and contribute to building maturity across the bank, partnering with senior stakeholders who are invested in getting it right

2. Senior Manager – Non-Financial Risk (Regulatory)

  • Lead enterprise-wide responses to regulatory change
  • Develop frameworks for proactive engagement with regulators and industry bodies
  • Operate at the intersection of compliance strategy and policy direction

This position has high visibility, directly shaping how regulatory conversations are approached and how future policy is responded to across the enterprise.

The Talent Gap Is Real – And Opportunity Is Knocking

Across New Zealand and Australia, we’re seeing a noticeable shift in the types of capabilities banks are actively seeking. There’s strong interest in Line 2 professionals who can create clarity from complexity, contribute to enterprise-wide uplift, and support leaders through ambiguity.

While there is experienced talent in the market, organisations are increasingly focused on individuals who have operated at scale, led or enabled transformation, and understand what great looks like from a practical and cultural perspective.

For risk professionals who have developed in more mature overseas markets or for local talent ready to step up, this is an exciting time to expand your influence and make a genuine impact.

What Future-Focused Risk Professionals Bring

The most sought-after NFR leaders bring a mix of capability and character:

  • Deep experience in Line 2 roles with a practical understanding of frameworks, controls, and ownership
  • Strong advisory skills, able to influence and guide rather than execute
  • A collaborative mindset, capable of working with, not around, the business
  • Comfort in fast-evolving environments, with the ability to develop new approaches and initiate change

These are people who don’t just maintain the status quo, they drive progress.

Final Thoughts

Non-financial risk is no longer a siloed or reactive function it’s fast becoming a strategic lever for long-term trust and resilience in banking.

As institutions continue to build stronger frameworks, respond to evolving regulatory expectations, and embed smarter ways of working, the demand for NFR talent will only continue to grow.If you’re a senior risk professional ready to lead, shape, and collaborate at an enterprise level, or an organisation looking to hire talent that delivers real value, now’s the time to act.

Let’s talk about how we can create, support, and build the future of risk leadership in Australasia.

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