Director Of Risk

About the Company

First Circle is a financial technology company transforming small business commerce in the growth economies of Southeast Asia. Our mission is to radically improve economic circumstances for millions of people, whilst building a multi-billion peso business.

Our digital Revolving Credit Line product has already revolutionized access to finance for thousands of SMEs in the Philippines. We’ve powered thousands of SMEs with over PHP10bn ($175m) of funding, supporting 50,000 jobs and helping to grow our customers’ businesses by an average of 80%.

Now we are developing SME digital bank accounts and payments to address the chronic pain that small business owners face when trying to move transfer between their customers and suppliers.

We are backed by world-class investors like Insignia, Accion, Fasanara & Venturra, who have helped us to build one of the few actually profitable fintechs in South East Asia. Our team will continue to transform the fortunes of small businesses, and the people that run them, in Southeast Asia for years to come.

About the Role

First circle is hiring a Director of Risk, to lead the best performing SME risk operation in South East Asia into a new scale. Our lending business disburses billions of pesos of loans per year, and is growing annually at >100%. This role presents the opportunity to lead the team through an incredible period of expansion as we become the dominant provider of SME finance in the Philippines, and will open the door to role expansion as we develop our banking and payments products.

The Director of Risk will be responsible for adhering to government regulation, internal risk policy and our customer product SLAs - whilst leading and developing the teams across the risk operation.

They will report to our Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Chris Burgess, who has developed the number one SME credit product in the Philippines since 2018. It offers the lowest interest rates on the market, and yet generates significant profit for First Circle, because of the unrivalled quality of the risk systems. Chris has a world-class background in risk management, having worked as a Fixed Income Trader at Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater in New York.

The performance objectives of the role are:

• Run impeccably tight risk operations process, meeting both internal risk policy and customer product SLAs

• Lead and develop the teams carrying out all risk processes

• Adhere to all regulatory & compliance requirements - especially AMLC

• Interface with regulator - principally SEC and later BSP

• Contribute to risk analysis and internal policy setting, in partnership with our CIO and data team

If you are like Chris and you love risk management, and you have a deep motivation to improve the lives of ordinary people with your skills, please apply.

Characteristics of a Great Candidate

• 5+ years of experience running risk operations

• 2+ years leading people/teams

• Bachelor's degree