Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Consultant

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Consultant required for leading financial services firm. The role will lead the development and testing of a comprehensive BC/DR plan for their Critical Applications and Global Executive Office (GEO). You will also need to bring the BC/DR plans in line with DORA regulation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plan Development: Formulate, design, and implement BC/DR strategies for our global applications and GEO, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and financial services industry best practices.
• Risk Assessment: Conduct risk analysis, identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities across our IT landscape, including global applications, data centres, and critical business functions.
• DORA Compliance: Ensure the BC/DR plans comply with the latest DORA regulations and other relevant financial industry standards, maintaining up-to-date knowledge on any regulatory changes or updates.
• Gap Analysis: Conduct detailed assessments of current BC/DR capabilities and identify gaps that may affect the continuity of business operations or the recovery of key IT assets.
• Plan Testing and Simulation: Develop, coordinate, and execute periodic disaster recovery tests, tabletop exercises, and real-life scenario simulations to validate the effectiveness of the BC/DR plan.
• Documentation and Reporting: Prepare detailed documentation for the BC/DR plan, including policies, procedures, and testing outcomes. Provide comprehensive reports for executive and regulatory reviews.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT, cybersecurity, operations, and executive leadership, to ensure cohesive BC/DR strategies. Act as the subject matter expert for BC/DR concerns and provide guidance to business units.
• Incident Response Management: Advise on the integration of BC/DR plans with the organization's broader incident response strategies, ensuring rapid and effective recovery from potential disruptions.
• Global Coordination: Work closely with regional teams to develop consistent BC/DR frameworks that can be implemented globally while accounting for regional variations and requirements.
• Vendor & Third-Party Management: Assess the BC/DR readiness of critical vendors and third parties, ensuring that their contingency plans align with the organization's resilience objectives.

Key Experience:

• Experience: Experience in BC/DR planning, preferably within the financial services sector.
• Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of financial services regulations, with a particular focus on DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act).
• Technical Expertise: Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, global applications, cloud-based services, and cybersecurity principles as they relate to BC/DR.
• Testing Expertise: Proven experience in designing and executing BC/DR tests and simulations, including real-world disaster recovery scenarios.
• Risk Management: Experience in conducting risk assessments, threat modelling, and impact analysis specific to business continuity.
• Stakeholder Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
• Certifications: Relevant certifications in BC/DR (eg, CBCP, MBCI, DRII), IT management (eg, ITIL), and/or risk management are preferred.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills with a track record of successfully leading BC/DR projects on a global scale.