Background for expanding the team
The company ‘Volkswagen Semler Finans’ is a newly established Joint Venture between Volkswagen Group and Semler Gruppen, joining forces to stand even stronger in the market.
Changes in Volkswagen Financial Services has increased GRC requirements to comply with European banking requirements. Creating a joint venture tab into the possibility to conceptualize, design and implement processes in compliance ECB and local regulations.
The two joining parties come with extensive knowledge and presence in the mobility market worldwide. Volkswagen Semler Finans is part of Volkswagen Financial Services, a business division of Volkswagen AG. With more than 17,000 employees worldwide in 47 markets across the globe.
The newly established company is also part of Semler Gruppen, the largest player on Denmark's automotive market. Semler Gruppen is the umbrella organization encompassing all business areas within the group, including import of strong car brands and agricultural machinery, retail businesses and innovative mobility solutions.
As of July 1st, 2024, Volkswagen Semler Finans is under supervision of the ECB. This implies complying with IT requirements related to industry standards, European accounting regulations and European Banking regulations. In addition, the department is also subject to the requirements from the DORA regulations.
This means that we are looking for a highly capable new colleague to join the team.
Job description
Core tasks
The IT department is handling all tasks related to IT in our newly established company ‘Volkswagen Semler Finans’. We are following an outsourcing strategy which means that all operational tasks are outsourced. Therefore, the teams’ core task is primarily a steering task.
Your primary task will be to ensure that all our suppliers are compliant with IT regulations and standards. Therefore, you will often participate in meetings with our suppliers making sure we are on the right track.
We work with a very broad set of IT related tasks covering running, optimizing, and changing (developing) our business. The work is done in close cooperation with our colleagues from all parts of the business (including colleagues from Semler Group and Volkswagen Financial Services), a broad set of service providers, customers, and other stakeholders.
The team
The core IT team, which you will be part of, consists of 6 employees, growing to 8 during 2024.
The work and the responsibility in the department is structured around approximately 20 processes covering 700+ requirements (excluding DORA) related to either governing, planning, building, or running IT.
A PMO (project management office) with 4 employees also reports to the Head of IT and thereby integrates the company wide project portfolio management into the daily work of IT.
You will refer directly to the IT Director, who approaches leadership with trust, believes in freedom under responsibility, and is ambitious on behalf of both himself and the team.
In total Volkswagen Semler Finans employs 85 people at the main location in Brøndby, which will be your workplace as well.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the whole department cover all types of tasks related to Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC), including having assigned formal roles such as LISO (local information security officer), AIM authority, Outsourcing officer and/or Compliance officer.
The main responsibilities are within various IT governance processes such as managing security, managing identity and accesses and managing outsourcing. In addition, there will also be responsibilities related to GRC with various plan, build, and run processes such as e.g., managing continuity.
In practice, the GRC topics will be divided between the GRC team's 3 employees.
Your main responsibilities
As a specialist, in addition to being responsible for your own processes, you also have the common responsibility for the GRC topics overall progress and results together with the GRC team.
Your responsibility will be compliance in a regulated environment. You must adhere to the principle of "you say it, you do it, and you prove it." Naturally, you can document what you say – it might even be your default way of thinking.
We often face unstructured challenges that we need to find solutions for (or invent methods that work for Volkswagen Semler Finans). It is a responsibility you are not afraid to take on.
Department culture
As a financial services company soon to be integrated into Volkswagen Bank under ECB supervision, we manage a broad set of tasks in a highly complex and demanding environment.
And this is where you come in to help your colleagues tackle the tasks together.
We foster a collaborative environment, prioritizing professionalism, transparency, and honesty in our work. Each of us has primary responsibilities, yet we remain flexible and ready to assist one another as needed. We address issues openly, making decisions based on risk assessment and business priorities.
We believe work should be both engaging and enjoyable, promoting a friendly and respectful atmosphere. Socializing, sharing meals, and having meaningful conversations are important to us. We especially appreciate it when someone brings cake to share!
Criteria for success in the job
- Getting a good grip of the policies, controls, tasks and boards within your area of responsibility.
- Ensuring timely handling of periodical controls, agreed tasks and closure of findings.
- Having a good overview of team status.
- Ensuring overall progress on assigned responsibilities in the gap inventory.
- Establishing a good daily cooperation within the GRC team, with the IT colleagues and with other all other stakeholders.
- Building a network within Financial Services and Semler Group.
- Establishing a good working relationship with relevant parties at our service providers.
- Ensuring successful execution of periodical audits and pen tests.
- Ensuring overall good progress on self-assessments and IT relevant KPI’s.
- Continuously contributing to the development and streamlining of the IT department’s processes.
Development possibilities
As a newly established and growing company, we continuously encounter new chances for development. Being part of two large organizations offers numerous long-term opportunities.
This role provides a unique learning opportunity in IT GRC within an ECB-regulated company. You will gain access to a distinct set of competencies from colleagues within Volkswagen Financial Services in Germany and across Europe, all while being part of an international environment.
Candidate profile
Professional competencies
We value experience in IT GRC, particularly within regulated industries, but are also open to those who are still building their expertise. Familiarity with information security, especially within an ISO27001/02 environment, is a plus. Additionally, experience with ITIL processes and an understanding of risk management principles would be beneficial.
Preferred experience
Optimally, you have previous experience working with IT in the financial sector and specifically COBIT processes. Planning and perhaps managing smaller projects are also tasks you have completed with success in the past.
IT competencies
Preferably you possess experience with operation and/or development of IT solutions in the financial sector.
You have a very good understanding of computer science topics and is eager to continuously learn more. Furthermore, you have a good understanding of business IT systems and business processes in general.
Personal qualifications
You can see yourself described in the following statements.
- Thrive in the intersection of systems, processes, and people. Persistent, solution-focused, and capable of driving tasks to completion and beyond.
- Analytical thinker with the ability to think outside the box, while maintaining a good overview with a natural attention to detail.
- Adaptable to changing plans and handling flexibility without frustration.
- Solution-oriented and a strategic thinker with an eye for opportunities.
- Ambitious for both personal and company growth and not afraid to challenge the organization professionally to contribute to continuous development.
- Trustworthy, driven, motivating, and capable of clear and direct communication with individuals at all levels – both externally and within the organization.
- Prioritize good cooperation with suppliers, colleagues, and partners in other countries.
- Naturally positive and consistent in word and action.
- Fluent in English, both spoken and written (previous experience working with English as the corporate language).
- Please note that you can view these competencies and qualifications as guidelines, as we celebrate both development and the desire to learn more.
Volkswagen Semler Finance is collaborating with an external partner, KEJSER, for the recruitment process. We encourage you to upload your CV today. Interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis, and the position will be filled once the right candidate is found.
