Safeguard Our Customers and Strengthen Everyday Banking

At Bendigo Bank, our purpose is clear: to feed into the prosperity of our customers and communities, as we work toward becoming Australia’s bank of choice.

We are looking for an experienced and inquisitive Operational Risk Manager to join our first-line risk community within the Customer Enablement division. Reporting directly to the Senior Manager Risk & Compliance, you will serve as a frontline risk expert, trusted advisor, and problem solver—ensuring our daily banking operations remain safe, resilient, and compliant while delivering exceptional customer experiences.

The Role & Your Impact

This is a dynamic, hands-on Line 1 Risk (1LOD) opportunity where your expertise directly influences everyday operational decisions across Business & Agribusiness (B&A) division and its value chain.

Rather than taking a passive compliance monitoring stance, you will actively partner with business unit leaders, investigate operational events, facilitate risk workshops, and build practical controls that protect both our customers and our bank.

Key Accountabilities:

• Embed the Operational Risk Management Framework (ORMF): Drive the day-to-day application of our risk framework across B&A, ensuring operational risks are proactively identified, monitored, and treated.
• Lead Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs): Facilitate comprehensive RCSA workshops for business units and operational changes, challenging assumptions constructively to ensure control designs are effective and tested.
• Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis: Take lead responsibility for investigating high-impact operational events, diagnosing the true root cause, driving customer remediation, and ensuring effective preventative actions are implemented.
• Governance & Executive Reporting: Prepare high-quality reporting and insight papers for the Divisional Operational Risk Committee, giving executive leadership transparency on emerging trends and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs).
• Uplift Frontline Risk Ownership: Coach and educate banking teams to cultivate an "own your risk" mindset, establishing risk awareness as a natural component of commercial excellence.

The Depth of Experience You Bring

To succeed in this role, you bring solid grounding in operational risk methodologies combined with practical knowledge of commercial banking and lending lifecycles. You are curious by nature and work with flexible input listening to others, comfortable diving into complex processes, analysing data, and influencing stakeholders at all levels.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Proven Operational Risk Track Record: 3–5+ years of dedicated operational risk experience within Australian banking, financial services, or management consulting (across Line 1 function).
• Lending & Banking Acumen: Practical understanding of commercial banking, business lending, or consumer credit products, enabling you to assess risk in a genuine business context.
• Event Investigation & Problem-Solving: Demonstrated capability in conducting thorough root-cause investigations, managing remediation processes, and utilising GRC systems (e.g. ServiceNow).
• RCSA & Framework Mastery: Hands-on experience designing, testing, and validating key controls, knowledge and experience with critical operations CPS230 would be highly regarded, as is setting up KRIs, and facilitating interactive risk workshops with operational leaders.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to articulate risk concepts in clear commercial terms, balance competing priorities, and build collaborative partnerships across business units and Centres of Expertise (COEs).
• Education & Certifications: Tertiary qualifications or certifications in Banking, Finance, Commerce, Law, or Risk Management are highly regarded.

Why Build Your Career with Bendigo Bank?

• Meaningful Contribution: Directly safeguard the financial wellbeing of regional and metro businesses and agricultural communities.
• Empowered Risk Culture: Work in a mature Line 1 environment where risk specialists are valued strategic partners, not downstream reviewers.
• Hybrid & Flexible Working: Enjoy flexible arrangements that support work-life integration while staying connected with your team.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Access competitive salary packages, discounted banking products, dedicated health and wellbeing support, and generous parental leave.
• Career Growth: Broad exposure across Business & Agribusiness banking with defined pathways across enterprise risk and customer enablement.

Our culture is driven by people who genuinely care about our communities and each other. We operate with a balanced mindset of risk and reward, guided by our four core behaviours:

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you are a detail-oriented, pragmatic risk professional ready to take ownership of operational risk in one of Australia’s most trusted banking groups, we encourage you to apply.

Internal candidates are required to notify their leader when applying for a new opportunity. Please ensure you apply via your Employee Profile in PeopleHub. 

We believe a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture is central to our success and we actively encourage applications from those who bring diversity of thought to our business. We support candidate requests for adjustment to accommodate an illness, injury, or disability to equitably participate in the selection process.

Still in two minds?

Research suggests 60% of women and underrepresented groups might stop here, even after getting as far as drafting an application. We believe that diversity makes every team stronger, so even if you don’t tick every box we still want to see your application!

Please note shortlisting and interviews may take place prior to the advertised close date, so don't delay apply now!