Head of Risk - Managing Director, Investment Banking | Tokyo

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for an experienced Head of Risk / Managing Director to lead the risk management function of a prominent European corporate and investment bank in Tokyo.

This senior executive position offers responsibility for enterprise-wide risk governance, credit risk management, regulatory oversight, and risk strategy across the bank's Japan branch and securities entities.

As the Managing Director, Head of Risk, you will oversee a comprehensive risk management framework covering credit risk, market risk, operational risk, structural balance sheet risk, and environmental risk, while maintaining primary accountability for the institution's credit risk portfolio.

You will exercise senior credit decision-making authority, oversee complex corporate lending and structured finance transactions, and ensure that risk policies and governance standards are effectively implemented across the Japanese business.

As a key member of the Japan Executive Committee, you will advise senior management on strategic risk matters, challenge front-office business decisions when appropriate, and represent the Risk function in discussions with regional Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME) leadership.

Beyond technical risk management, you will be responsible for developing a high-performing local risk team, strengthening succession planning, and embedding a robust risk culture throughout the organization.

This role is ideal for an established Managing Director, Executive Director, Chief Risk Officer, Head of Credit Risk, or Senior Banking Risk Executive seeking a leadership opportunity within a major international corporate and investment banking institution.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Risk Management Leadership: Lead the overall risk management function across the bank's Tokyo branch and securities entities, ensuring effective oversight of all material financial and non-financial risks.
• Risk Governance & Policy Execution: Establish, maintain, and implement comprehensive risk governance frameworks, internal policies, and risk control standards aligned with institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Credit Risk Management: Take primary accountability for the bank's credit risk portfolio, including credit assessment, approval decisions, portfolio monitoring, and risk mitigation.
• Credit Approval & Delegation Authority: Oversee lending approval processes, manage credit delegations, and exercise appropriate decision-making authority for complex credit transactions.
• Corporate & Structured Finance Risk: Evaluate and structure sophisticated transactions involving corporate loans, structured finance, trade finance, structured derivatives, and capital markets products.
• Market & Operational Risk Oversight: Provide senior oversight of market risk and operational risk exposures, ensuring effective identification, assessment, monitoring, and escalation.
• Structural Balance Sheet & Environmental Risk: Oversee risk considerations relating to structural balance sheet exposures and environmental risk factors.
• Executive Committee Representation: Represent the Risk function as a core member of the Japan Executive Committee, contributing to strategic decisions and enterprise-wide governance.
• Regional Risk Reporting: Deliver regular risk assessments, portfolio updates, and management reports to regional APME executive leadership.
• Front Office Risk Advisory: Act as a trusted risk advisor to first-line business and front-office teams, providing constructive challenge on transaction structuring, underwriting, and risk-return considerations.
• Risk-Return Optimization: Support commercially informed decision-making while maintaining disciplined credit standards and appropriate risk appetite.
• Quantitative Risk Assessment: Oversee the application of credit assessment methodologies, quantitative risk models, scoring frameworks, and stress testing to support risk decisions.
• Thematic & Emerging Risk Management: Identify and assess emerging risks, portfolio concentrations, and broader market developments that may affect the Japanese banking business.
• Stakeholder Management: Maintain strong working relationships with senior business leaders, regional risk management teams, and other key governance stakeholders.
• Risk Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop the local risk management team, strengthening technical capabilities, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Risk Culture & Organizational Effectiveness: Promote a strong risk culture, clear accountability, and effective collaboration between risk management and business functions.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Experience:

• Proven senior leadership experience at the Managing Director (MD) or Executive Director (ED) level within corporate banking, investment banking, or a comparable international financial institution.
• Extensive experience in banking risk management, credit risk oversight, or enterprise risk governance, with the ability to lead a comprehensive risk function.
• Deep product knowledge across corporate lending, structured finance, trade finance, structured derivatives, and capital markets.
• Strong understanding of complex corporate credit transactions, deal underwriting, lending structures, and portfolio risk management.
• Demonstrated expertise in credit assessment methodologies, risk modeling, credit scoring, and stress testing.
• Experience evaluating sophisticated financing transactions and balancing commercial objectives against institutional risk appetite.
• Ability to oversee multiple risk categories, including credit, market, operational, structural balance sheet, and environmental risks.
• Strong understanding of risk governance, internal controls, policy implementation, and senior management reporting within an international banking environment.
• Experience advising senior executives and providing independent risk challenge to front-office and first-line business teams.
• Proven ability to lead and develop risk professionals while maintaining high standards of governance and accountability.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional executive leadership, strategic judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication and presentation abilities, with the confidence to represent the Risk function at executive committee level.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management capabilities when engaging with senior banking executives and front-office leadership.
• Ability to provide constructive, independent challenge while maintaining productive relationships with commercial business teams.
• Sound judgment and composure when making complex, high-stakes credit and risk decisions under pressure.
• Strong quantitative reasoning and analytical problem-solving capabilities.
• Commercial awareness combined with a disciplined approach to risk governance and regulatory responsibilities.
• Proven people leadership skills, including coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and team capability development.
• High level of integrity, accountability, independence, and professional credibility.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across local and regional management structures in a global banking organization.

Language Requirements:

• Japanese: Native-level proficiency for executive leadership, local business engagement, and risk governance activities in Japan.
• English: Business-level proficiency or above for communication with regional APME leadership and international banking stakeholders.
• Bilingual Japanese-English communication skills are required for this senior executive position.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Head of Risk, Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Head of Credit Risk, or senior risk executive within an international corporate and investment bank.
• Experience overseeing risk management across both banking branch and securities entities in Japan.
• Familiarity with the governance structures and risk management expectations of a major European banking group.
• Experience serving on an Executive Committee or equivalent senior governance forum.
• Exposure to regional risk reporting and collaboration with international executive management.
• Advanced expertise in complex structured finance transactions, corporate credit portfolios, and derivatives-related risk.
• Experience managing credit approval authorities and delegation frameworks.
• Demonstrated success building high-performing risk teams and implementing effective succession planning.
• Knowledge of emerging financial, operational, and environmental risk themes relevant to corporate and investment banking.
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent academic qualification.

About the Company

Our client is a prominent global corporate and investment bank backed by a leading European banking group, providing sophisticated financing and capital markets solutions to institutional and corporate clients worldwide.

The organization operates across international financial markets, combining expertise in corporate lending, structured finance, trade finance, derivatives, and capital markets.

Its Japanese operations include banking and securities entities that serve corporate and institutional clients through specialized financing and investment banking services.

As part of a major international banking group, the institution maintains a strong focus on risk governance, credit discipline, regulatory compliance, and responsible financial decision-making.

The Risk function plays a central role in supporting the organization's commercial activities while ensuring that financial exposures remain aligned with established risk appetite and governance standards.

The Japanese business works closely with regional Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME) leadership and global risk management stakeholders to maintain consistent oversight and effective reporting.

This opportunity offers an experienced banking risk executive the chance to lead the local risk organization, influence strategic decisions, and shape the institution's risk management culture in Japan.

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Executive-Level Leadership Opportunity: Lead the entire Risk function for a leading European corporate and investment banking platform in Japan.
• Competitive Executive Compensation: Receive a compensation package aligned with the seniority and responsibilities of a Managing Director-level position.
• Japan Executive Committee Membership: Serve as a core member of the local Executive Committee and contribute directly to strategic business and governance decisions.
• Senior Credit Decision-Making Authority: Take ownership of complex credit portfolios, lending approvals, and credit risk management decisions.
• Broad Enterprise Risk Responsibility: Oversee credit risk, market risk, operational risk, structural balance sheet risk, and environmental risk across the Japanese business.
• Direct Regional Leadership Exposure: Engage regularly with APME executive management on portfolio performance, emerging risks, and strategic risk priorities.
• High-Impact Front Office Advisory: Influence major financing and investment banking transactions through independent risk assessment and commercially informed guidance.
• Complex Financial Products: Apply your expertise across corporate loans, structured finance, trade finance, structured derivatives, and capital markets.
• Organizational Leadership & Development: Build, mentor, and strengthen a high-performing local risk management team.
• Risk Culture Ownership: Shape the institution's risk governance standards, leadership capabilities, and long-term risk management culture.
• Global Banking Environment: Collaborate with experienced international banking professionals and regional risk leaders.
• Permanent Executive Position: Take on a long-term leadership role within an established international financial institution.
• Remote Work & WFH: Benefit from remote and work-from-home arrangements, subject to business requirements and company policies.
• Flexible Working Hours: Access a flextime system that supports flexibility in managing professional responsibilities.

Don't Miss Out - Apply Now!