Director, Business Unit Risk Oversight - Certos

Overall Purpose 

The Director of Business Unit Risk Oversight is responsible for leading a high-performing team in providing risk management and technical expertise in assessing the overall effectiveness of the company’s risk and control environment and ensuring adherence to Operational Risk Management (ORM) Program requirements.  

ORM provides independent oversight of operational risks in support of our vision of a strong risk management culture and that we are proactively identifying and managing risks that may impact our ability to achieve our strategic objectives as a company.  We are part of the company’s second line of defense, and work with our business partners to develop sound risk management programs and processes that are integrated into our business model and that enable business success. 

This role provides independent oversight and challenge over operational risks arising from Early Warning’s CertosSM Identity & Payment Risk business line, including identity verification, payment risk decisioning, fraud detection, and data-sharing activities supported by the National Shared DatabaseSM (NSD). 

Essential Functions  

• Serve as the operational risk lead for the Certos Identity & Payment Risk portfolio, including identity verification, account validation, fraud scoring, and payment screening capabilities.  

• Oversee and challenge risks across key activities, including:  

• Identity verification and synthetic identity detection  

• New account and first-party fraud risk scoring  

• Payment screening and funds availability decisioning  

• Account validation and identity theft monitoring  

• Provide independent oversight of risks related to the National Shared DatabaseSM, including data usage, participant access, and adherence to permitted use cases.  

• Lead second-line oversight activities, including:  

• Risk and control assessments (RCSAs)  

• Product and use case risk reviews  

• Issue management and validation  

• Monitor and assess key risk themes, including:  

• Fraud (e.g., account abuse, payment fraud, synthetic identity)  

• Data and privacy risk  

• Model risk  

• Third-party and participant risk  

• Operational resiliency  

• Use data and reporting to identify trends, emerging risks, and control gaps to inform data-drive and fact-based risk analysis.  

• Provide guidance and training to business partners on operational risk expectations and frameworks. 

• Build and maintain relationships with business partners while adhering to the highest ethical standards required for independent risk oversight. 

• Challenge and guide senior business management and functional leaders in compliance, technology risk, and legal on operational risk matters. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Education and/or experience typically obtained through completion of a bachelor’s degree in risk management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting or related field 

• Minimum of 12+ years of operational risk management experience, preferably in financial services or other highly regulated industries 

• Strong understanding of operational risk programs (i.e., RCSA, Risk Events, Issue Management, Key Indicators) and risk domains (e.g., product and service delivery, process management, business disruption, third-party, fraud, and data) 

• Possesses sound judgment, curiosity, and strong attention to detail and efficiency 

• Team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills 

• Proven leader with at least 5 years in a leadership role with direct people responsibility or equivalent project leadership experience 

• Excellent presentation and communication skills to synthesize and present risk issues clearly and persuasively and respond effectively to senior stakeholders 

• Ability to drive sustainable change, influence and uphold standards 

• Background and drug screen 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in a relevant field 

• Prior financial institution experience 

• Prior experience in independent risk management conducting risk oversight 

• Risk management, internal control, or internal audit certification(s) 

• Experience with data-driven products, fraud risk, or identity/payment risk solutions preferred 

• Strong understanding of operational risk domains as applied to identity verification, payment processing, fraud detection, and data-sharing ecosystems  

•  Experience with data-driven products, scoring models, and decisioning systems (e.g., fraud scores, account risk scores) 

Physical Requirements 

• Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling and reaching.  

• Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently.  

• Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers.  

• Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers. 

• Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation. 

• Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States at the date of hire. 

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor. 

The base pay scale for this position in:
Phoenix, AZ/ Chicago, IL / Washington, DC in USD per year is: $154,000 - $193,000.
New York, NY/ San Francisco, CA in USD per year is: $186,000 - $232,000.
Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.

This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate’s education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes.