Operational Risk Manager

What is this role about?

As the Operational Risk Manager, you will lead and further develop the second line of defence Operational Risk function within Bondora Group.

Your role will be to shape, strengthen, and operationalise the Operational Risk Management framework, ensuring Bondora can continue to grow safely while meeting increasingly stringent regulatory expectations. In this position, operational risk is not just a compliance requirement – it becomes a practical decision-making tool that supports business growth and resilience. Reporting directly to the Chief Risk Officer, you will play a key role in influencing how operational risk is identified, assessed, and managed across multiple jurisdictions, business lines, and functions.

As Bondora continues its international expansion and prepares for a potential banking licence, this role will directly contribute to building a robust and scalable risk governance framework for the company’s next stage of growth.

Your main responsibilities: 

• Lead the second line Operational Risk function and define operational risk strategy and standards. 
• Develop and continuously improve the Operational Risk Management Framework (policies, risk taxonomy, appetite, KRIs, incident management, reporting). 
• Own the operational risk incident lifecycle – triage, assessment, root cause analysis, and lessons learned. 
• Run the Risk & Controls Self-Assessment (RCSA) process and maintain the operational risk profile. 
• Oversee remediation and action plans, ensuring effective mitigation of incidents and control gaps. 
• Provide second-line risk review for new products, markets, and major initiatives. 
• Deliver clear management reporting on risk profile, trends, and key risk issues. 
• Build and strengthen the Operational Risk capability to support first-line ownership and risk awareness. 

Please note that the role is based in Estonia.

What would ensure success in this role?

• Deep expertise in operational risk frameworks – including risk taxonomy, inherent vs. residual risk, control design, operational risk appetite, KRI design and implementation, split of responsibilities under a three lines of defence (3LoD) model in risk management. 
• Hands-on experience managing operational risk incidents in a regulated financial environment, covering capture, classification, severity assessment, root cause analysis, and remediation governance. 
• Strong ability to assess operational readiness for new products, markets, and major changes, ensuring sound processes and controls are in place from day one.  
• Data-driven risk management mindset, with experience defining KRIs, dashboards, and clear management reporting on trends, top risks, and remediation progress (SQL literacy is a plus). 
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including presenting to senior management and constructively challenging the first line of defence while maintaining clear accountability. 

What can you expect at Bondora? 

• Contribute to Bondora’s ambitious goal of reaching 1BN in revenue. Your skills and efforts will directly impact our growth trajectory and shape the future of our company.
• Our employees deserve the best. We recognize our people with a competitive salary and a generous benefits package (5 weeks of vacation, private healthcare compensation, hobby grant, mental healthcare support, share options and much more!)
• We provide an environment that encourages your personal and professional growth. As we constantly evolve and innovate, you’ll have endless opportunities (and budget) to expand your skills and skyrocket your career.

The next steps

If you have the guts, ideas, and a team vision, apply now! 

Our hiring process: 

• Meet Kerli, our Recruiter: Your first interview with Kerli will give you the chance to share your experiences and aspirations. 
• Meet Vytautas, our hiring manager, to learn more about the role.
• Assessments: Tackle a home task and complete our personality and logic assessments to showcase your strengths. 
• Engage with the main stakeholders. 
• The celebration begins: If the stars align, receive an offer to join the Bondora team!