Director, Financial Risk & Resilience

Korn Ferry; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Search in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area is seeking a senior risk leader to assess cross-industry risks, engage executive stakeholders, and lead resilience initiatives.

This externally facing role requires translating complex risk topics into actionable insights and driving strategic initiatives. The Director will convene senior industry stakeholders, produce executive briefs, and manage multiple priorities with external participants to shape the organization’s risk and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in financial services, risk management, operational resilience, payments, treasury or markets operations, capital markets, financial market infrastructure, or financial services consulting.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial risk and operational resilience assessments spanning multiple sectors within financial services.
• Analyze emerging risks and translate findings into clear recommendations.

Skills

Executive communication

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

CONFIDENTIAL SEARCH | Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

A mission-driven financial services organization is seeking a senior risk leader to assess complex, cross-industry risks, engage executive stakeholders, and lead high-impact resilience initiatives.

The Opportunity

This externally facing role is ideal for an experienced financial services professional who combines analytical depth, executive presence, strong judgment, and the ability to lead through influence. The Director will translate complex risk topics into actionable insights, convene senior industry stakeholders, and independently drive strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead financial risk and operational resilience assessments spanning banking, payments, capital markets, treasury, and financial market infrastructure.
• Analyze emerging risks and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information into clear recommendations.
• Produce executive-level reports, presentations, and briefing materials.
• Build trusted relationships with senior risk, operations, and industry leaders.
• Facilitate working groups, workshops, and executive discussions, driving alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Own initiatives from scoping through implementation while managing multiple priorities and external participants.

Candidate Profile

• 10+ years of relevant experience in financial services, risk management, operational resilience, payments, treasury or markets operations, capital markets, financial market infrastructure, or financial services consulting.
• Strong understanding of banking, payments, market infrastructure, treasury, operational risk, or related concepts.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior executives.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, facilitate discussion, and build consensus without formal authority.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking capabilities.

What Success Looks Like

• Develop trusted relationships with CROs, COROs, FMU leadership, and other senior executives, presenting complex risk assessments and influencing strategic decision-making across organizations.
• Independently lead complex risk and resilience initiatives.
• Facilitate productive executive-level discussions and collaborative industry programs.
• Deliver high-quality strategic analysis and executive reporting.
• Help shape the organization’s future risk and resilience agenda and take on broader leadership responsibility over time.

Why Consider This Role

This is a highly visible opportunity to work on issues that extend beyond a single institution and affect the broader financial services ecosystem. The role offers meaningful exposure to senior leaders and the ability to translate complex analysis into industry-level action within a collaborative, mission-driven environment.