what is a financial risk compliance officer?

As a financial risk compliance officer, it is your responsibility to ensure that your company adheres to financial regulations and laws while assessing potential risks. Your duties go beyond scrutinising financial transactions, as you also identify risks related to non-compliance with government legislation and company policies. By collaborating with the finance manager, you mitigate financial risks associated with investments or other financial decisions. 

Your job is commonly found in large corporations with multiple departments or branches, where operational risks are frequent due to the handling of financial resources by large teams. Your main task is to supervise risk management strategies, review government regulations, and establish company policies that minimise financial risks. You may work in various industries such as mining, manufacturing, and marketing.

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average financial risk compliance officer salary

Financial risk compliance officers earn an average salary of $170,000 per year, with even entry-level positions starting at $121,250 annually. This career path offers high earning potential and experienced professionals can negotiate salaries of up to $205,000 per year.

what factors affect the salary of a financial risk compliance officer?

The salary of financial risk compliance officers is influenced by their level of experience and qualifications. In a junior position, where you have minimal industry knowledge, your earnings will reflect this. However, as you gain expertise in your field, you can negotiate a higher salary. The company you work for also impacts your earnings, with larger companies offering better remuneration packages. While most financial risk compliance officers work in banks and financial institutions, some also work in insurance companies. The location in which you work can also impact your salary, with metropolitan areas offering higher salaries due to the higher demand for financial risk compliance officers in large companies.

Want to know what you will earn as a financial risk compliance? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.

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types of financial risk compliance officers

As a financial risk compliance officer, your expertise lies in various aspects of company finances. You specialise in the following financial risk categories:

  • credit risk: you review the risks arising from clients failing to fulfill their obligations towards the company. In credit, risk can arise from changes in foreign exchange policies or the failure of parties to fulfill obligations after payment.
  • liquidity risks: your role as a financial risk compliance officer involves checking for risks that may arise from the inability to execute transactions due to insufficient funds. You also ensure there are no asset liquidity risks associated with insufficient buyers against sell orders.
  • operational risk: as a financial risk compliance officer, you assess the risks arising from operational failures like mismanagement of funds and technical failures. You develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent fraudulent activities.
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working as a financial risk compliance officer

As a financial risk compliance expert, you require extensive industry knowledge to execute your duties. To become a financial risk compliance officer, check out the duties and career expectations.

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education and skills

To become a financial risk compliance expert, you require the following educational qualifications:

financial risk compliance skills and competencies

Some of the qualities of a financial risk compliance expert include:

  • project management skills: as a financial risk compliance officer, you require project management skills to guide your teams towards a particular goal. With project management skills, you follow the proper protocol and standards in assigning duties and organising work schedules. Project management skills also help you in guiding teams through policy changes and implementations of new company regulations.
  • communication skills: as a financial risk compliance officer, you rely on communication skills to provide information about risks, policies and regulations to other staff members. You also communicate verbally to train other employees on the changing regulations and compliance issues. Communication skills help you communicate using simple language as opposed to technical terms.
  • research skills: as a financial risk compliance officer, you require excellent research skills since you perform extensive research and audits to identify regulatory changes and business risks. Your research skills help you maintain focus on a particular subject for long periods and gain valuable insights.
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FAQs about working as a financial risk compliance

Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a financial risk compliance officer.

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