Business Continuity & Risk Expert

Role Purpose

The Business Continuity & Risk Management Expert is responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating operational, financial, regulatory, and strategic risks, while ensuring the organization can continue critical operations during disruptions. The role focuses on practical business continuity planning, crisis preparedness, and resilience-building aligned with investor, donor, and regulatory expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Business Continuity & Resilience

• Develop, implement, and maintain the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP).
• Conduct Business Impact Analyses (BIA) to identify critical processes, dependencies, and recovery priorities.
• Define recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
• Lead scenario planning and stress-testing (e.g. financial shocks, supply chain disruption, climate events, system failures).
• Coordinate and run continuity simulations and tabletop exercises.

Risk Management

• Establish and maintain an enterprise risk register covering operational, financial, regulatory, ESG, and technology risks.
• Perform risk assessments and assign risk ratings, mitigation actions, owners, and timelines.
• Monitor emerging risks and recommend proactive mitigation strategies.
• Integrate risk management into strategic planning and new initiatives.

Governance, Compliance & Reporting

• Align risk and continuity frameworks with donor, investor, and regulatory requirements.
• Support audits, due diligence, and compliance reviews.
• Prepare clear risk and continuity reports for management, boards, investors, and partners.
• Ensure documentation is current, practical, and implementable.

Crisis & Incident Management

• Support the design and activation of crisis response protocols.
• Define escalation procedures, decision-making authority, and communication plans.
• Coordinate post-incident reviews and continuous improvement actions.

Stakeholder & Capacity Building

• Train staff and partners on business continuity and risk awareness.
• Work with internal teams, vendors, and partners to strengthen resilience across the value chain.
• Advise leadership on risk-informed decision-making.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Risk Management, Finance, Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 5+ years’ experience in business continuity, risk management, operations, or compliance.
• Experience working with SMEs, startups, or development programs is an advantage.
• Familiarity with standards such as ISO 22301, ISO 31000, or similar frameworks.
• Experience in emerging markets or resource-constrained environments is a strong plus.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Practical understanding of operational and financial risk.
• Ability to translate risk concepts into clear, actionable plans.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• High attention to detail with a hands-on, execution-oriented approach.

Deliverables & KPIs

• Approved and tested Business Continuity Plan.
• Updated enterprise risk register with mitigation tracking.
• Successful completion of simulations and drills.
• Timely risk and continuity reports to management and stakeholders.
• Improved organizational resilience and reduced disruption impact.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management