Chief Risk officer – COFACE RE SA

Company Description

Coface is a team of 5,200 people of 80 nationalities across nearly 60 countries, all sharing a corporate culture worldwide. Together, we work towards one objective: facilitating trade by helping our 50,000 corporate clients develop their businesses. With 80 years of experience, Coface is a leader in the credit insurance and risk management market. As a close-knit, international organization at the core of the global economy, Coface offers enriching work experience on several levels: relational, professional, and cultural.

Based in Lausanne, Coface Re SA is the Group's dedicated Swiss reinsurance company. Our team of more than 20 professionals, representing around 15 nationalities, brings together expertise in reinsurance, finance, actuarial science, risk management and regulatory affairs.

As the reinsurance platform of the Coface Group, Coface Re provides reinsurance solutions to Coface entities worldwide while developing a third-party reinsurance portfolio with a particular focus on surety business.

Job Description

The ROLE

As Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and FINMA-recognized key control function holder, you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the sound governance, financial strength and long-term resilience of Coface Re.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Coface Re and functionally to the Group Chief Risk Officer, while maintaining an independent reporting line to the Board of Directors, you will serve as both a trusted advisor and an effective independent challenge function to Executive Management and the Board.

You will provide an objective and forward-looking assessment of the Company's risk profile, solvency position and control environment, supporting informed strategic decision-making while ensuring compliance with regulatory expectations and alignment with Group risk policies and standards.

Operating within a highly regulated insurance and reinsurance environment, you will oversee the enterprise risk management framework, perform second-line oversight activities, contribute to key regulatory processes such as the Swiss Solvency Test (SST), ORSA and liquidity assessments, and actively promote a strong risk culture across the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain, develop and continuously enhance the Company's risk management and internal control framework
  • performs second-level controls within its scope, works with the different departments to identify additional controls, records and analyzes operational incidents, initiates action plans in coordination with business units, and maps operational risks  
  • Support and participation in the work and analyses initiated by the Risk function at the Group level that directly impact Coface RE
• Monitor, assess and challenge the Company's overall risk profile, risk appetite and emerging risks.
• Conduct second-line oversight and provide independent challenge to business activities, models, assumptions and methodologies.
• Lead the production process of the SST, ORSA, and liquidity reports
  • project coordination (while this production process is largely outsourced, it requires close coordination and active involvement in communications with the service provider, as well as the performance of several related independent checks)
  • Review and challenge solvency assumptions, stress-testing scenarios, capital projections and risk analyses.
  • Prepare and present risk reports and recommendations to Executive Management, the Board of Directors and regulatory authorities.

• Promote risk awareness and support business functions in the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks. Collaborate closely with the Responsible Actuary, Compliance Officer, Internal Audit and relevant Group functions.
• Monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing alignment with FINMA requirements and best practices applicable to the Risk Management function.

Qualifications

YOUR PROFILE

• Master's degree in Actuarial Science, Risk Management, Finance, Economics or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in insurance, reinsurance, actuarial, risk management, capital management, solvency or other control functions.
• Strong knowledge of the Swiss Solvency Test (SST), ORSA, Solvency II, risk governance frameworks and regulatory expectations applicable to key control functions.
• Proven ability to understand, oversee and effectively challenge quantitative analyses, models, assumptions, scenarios and risk assessments.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with Executive Management, Boards of Directors and governance committees.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical specialists and non-executive board members.
• Strong personal integrity, independent judgment and the confidence to provide constructive challenge when required.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and R.
• Fluent in both French and English.

Additional Information