HSBC Group

Role Purpose:

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) Global Internal Audit (GIA functionally reports to the HSBC Group Head of Internal Audit).  The COO is a pivotal leadership role within the GIA Senior Leadership Team (SLT), responsible for the efficient operation of GIA (across strategy, planning and reporting, risk management, operations, procurement strategies, and overall cost and workforce management oversight). The COO will lead a diverse team to ensure operational excellence, resilience, and strategic alignment, leveraging digital technologies to meet evolving needs. The COO must act in accordance with HSBC’s purpose and values, and all applicable laws and regulations. As a member of the GIA SLT, the COO is responsible for supporting the GIA Group Head of Internal Audit in setting strategy and executing it across the function.  

Role Accountabilities:

• Work in partnership with the Group Head of GIA to set and drive the strategy for GIA, informed by the Bank’s strategy, and in-depth understanding of internal audit and external market.
• Support/implement the continuing development and transformation of the function’s operating model to ensure GIA operates increasingly effectively and efficiently and is able to deliver strategic goals. Translate ‘blue sky’ vision into practical deployment.
• Manage the general day-to-day operational requirements, including people strategy and resourcing, financial cost control and planning, governance, strategy and structure. 
• Support the Group Head of GIA to govern the function, coordinating SLT, and following up on agreed actions to ensure project milestones, budgets, resources and employee engagement aspirations are met. 
• Support the Group Head of GIA and SLT in governance and regulatory activities.
• Ensure robust processes in place to deliver on regulatory and management reporting requirements.
• Lead annual audit planning to create risk-based audit plans, monitoring and reporting effective delivery throughout the plan year.
• Drive connectivity of content, initiatives and people across the organisation. Embed the function’s vision and values, to inspire and engage people to create an inclusive, high performing and execution-centric culture.
• Develop/manage the function’s performance scorecards (KPIs) to ensure aspirations are met.
• Develop and lead people initiatives, training and skills development for the function.
• Act as a key strategic partner to internal stakeholders (e.g. functional stakeholders, technology partners) and outsourcing partners.
• Oversee the delivery of audit systems to improve audit ways of working.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive business continuity and incident management plan that ensures the Bank’s resilience in the face of disruptions. 
• Investigate and remedy issues as they arise which could have an adverse effect on the function.
• Deliver high quality, highly responsive operational and administrative support 
• Maintain HSBC risk and compliance internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal quality assurance and external audit/regulatory points together with being one of the primary interfaces with external bodies including regulators and industry groups (as applicable).

Experience:

Leadership 
•    Proven track record of successfully leading teams within a global bank or Financial Services institution. 
•    Prioritizes investment for greater return, aligning operations to deliver the business strategy while creating optionality and agility for future years

Transformation & Innovation
•    Experience in leading complex transformations with a focus on digitization and integration of advanced technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning) to drive operational efficiency and innovation. Advances simplification, automation and connected experiences to create dynamic, agile operations that benefit our stakeholders.

Cost Efficient Operations Management
•    Demonstrated experience of operations leadership in large global organisations, and driving cost efficiency without sacrificing quality or customer experience / satisfaction.

Governance, Risk Management & Frameworks
•    Oversee and manage internal governance and Board reporting. Able to maintain operational excellence whilst mitigating risks and builds controls to enable effective risk management.

Domain Experience
•    Demonstrate an in depth understanding of internal audit or risk management.

Strategic Supplier
•    Uses an enterprise view to partner with the Chief Procurement Officer and ensure the bank’s key supplier relationships align with the organization’s strategic goals, drive innovation and deliver long-term value.

Asian Connectivity
•    Depth and breadth of experience in Asia, including cultural fluency, understanding the interplay between geopolitics and commercial outcomes and connectivity with a range of stakeholders (i.e. customers, regulators, and employees) in multiple Asian jurisdictions.

Key Capabilities:

Business Insight & Decision Quality
•    Applying knowledge of internal audit and risk management to provide insightful proposals/decisions that keeps the function moving forward.

Strategic Vision
•    Develops and articulates a long-term strategic vision for GIA, ensuring alignment with broader GCOO and Group strategy and evolving market trends.

Stakeholder Management
•    Effectively manages relationships with key stakeholders, including the Board, Group Operations Committee, regulators, NEDs and external partners, ensuring alignment of operational goals with broader organisational objectives.

Inspirational Leadership
•    Brings their organisation along the journey by demonstrating an ability to inspire at scale, using purpose and values to generate followership. Consciously invests in developing teams and succession planning.

Finance & Resource Management
•    Skilled in budgeting, resource allocation and financial management (risk, balance sheets, capital and delivering value to the shareholder) within a complex operational context, ensuring optimal use of resources.

Action Orientated
•    Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm

Personal Attributes

Stamina & Resilience
Ability to thrive in a high-pressure environment and meet role demands, including mental and emotional fortitude.

Manages Ambiguity & Ensures Accountability
Ability to thrive in a high-pressure environment and meet role demands, including mental and emotional fortitude.

Influence
Able to connect people together for joined up working and cut through using authority and presence.

" For further queries on the role, please contact Fraser MCGUINNESS <fraser.mcguinness@hsbc.com>, Global Executive Talent Acquisition Lead Global Functions"