Principal Risk and Assurance Advisor

About the role

The Principal Risk and Assurance Advisor will strengthen KiwiRail’s enterprise risk and assurance framework, ensuring that risks are clearly understood, owned, and managed across the organisation. This senior advisory position provides data‑driven visibility of risk performance to support executive decision‑making.

Key responsibilities

• Embed the Managing Risk Policy in practice by providing tools, frameworks and guidance for consistent application.
• Connect strategy to execution, aligning risk appetite, enterprise risks and operational risk management.
• Develop and maintain assurance mapping, confirming that risks and controls operate effectively.
• Lead high‑quality risk and assurance reporting to the Executive Leadership Team and Risk Assurance Committee, including insights, escalations and performance against appetite.
• Partner with leaders to build risk‑management capability and strengthen risk culture.
• Identify systemic issues, assess control effectiveness and provide evidence‑based assurance for informed decisions.
• Manage relationships with auditors, regulators and external assurance providers to maintain external credibility.

Required profile

• 7+ years of experience in risk management, assurance or internal audit within large, complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of risk frameworks, governance and assurance practices.
• Proven experience preparing Board or Committee‑level reports (ELT, RAC or equivalent).
• Ability to manage large, complex data sets and communicate findings to diverse stakeholders.

Required skills

• Risk management and assurance methodology
• Enterprise risk framework implementation
• Data analysis and reporting
• Stakeholder engagement at senior levels