Director – Tech Risk & Control

Jobtailor; Arizona; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

American Express seeks a senior Risk Advisory leader to oversee a high-performing team aligned to GCST and USCDT portfolios, mentoring technology leaders and delivering evidence-based risk insights.

You will drive risk reduction, governance for responsible AI, and cross-organizational collaboration across Technology, Security, Product, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and Control Management to sustain strong controls.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in operational risk management or related risk discipline.
• Experience leading technology risk and control teams and setting strategic direction.
• Credibility with senior technology and security leaders.
• Experience supporting broad product, platform, or business-aligned technology portfolios.
• Ability to translate complex technical and risk issues into executive-level business insights and portfolio reporting.
• Experience embedding risk and control considerations into product development, technology change, service delivery, or operational processes.
• Experience applying or enabling AI/GenAI, automation, or advanced analytics with governance and oversight.
• Employment eligibility to work in the United States; visa sponsorship not pursued.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and coach a high-performing Risk Advisory team aligned to the GCST and USCDT portfolios.
• Establish trusted-advisor relationships with senior technology leaders and provide evidence-based challenge.
• Provide strategic risk advice across product, platform, and service areas.
• Assess and report risk posture using data, metrics, leading indicators, and trend analysis.
• Drive pragmatic risk reduction through remediation plans, measurable outcomes, ownership, and sustainable control improvements.
• Oversee complex, large-scale risk management and mitigation initiatives.
• Develop data-driven risk solutions by querying structured data, consuming APIs, automating analysis, and developing dashboards or visualizations.
• Embed Operational Risk Management and control considerations throughout product lifecycles, technology change, and service operations.
• Apply lessons learned and best practices from launches, technology changes, risk events, and control outcomes.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and significant business or technology change from a risk perspective.
• Facilitate risk awareness and education for business and functional leaders.
• Champion responsible adoption of AI, GenAI, automation, and data-driven capabilities.
• Establish governance expectations for responsible AI use in risk assessments, control monitoring, analysis, and documentation.
• Collaborate across Technology, Information Security, Product, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and Control Management.

Skills

Operational Risk Management

Technology Risk

Data-Driven Risk Solutions

Governance for Responsible AI

Risk Awareness and Education

Mentoring

Executive-Level Reporting

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

APIs

Data Visualization

Dashboard Development

Job description

• Lead, mentor, and coach a high-performing Risk Advisory team aligned to the GCST and USCDT portfolios
• Establish trusted-advisor relationships with senior technology leaders and provide evidence-based challenge
• Provide strategic risk advice across product, platform, and service areas
• Assess and report risk posture using data, metrics, leading indicators, and trend analysis
• Drive pragmatic risk reduction through remediation plans, measurable outcomes, ownership, and sustainable control improvements
• Oversee complex, large-scale risk management and mitigation initiatives
• Develop data-driven risk solutions by querying structured data, consuming APIs, automating analysis, and developing dashboards or visualizations
• Embed Operational Risk Management and control considerations throughout product lifecycles, technology change, and service operations
• Apply lessons learned and best practices from launches, technology changes, risk events, and control outcomes
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and significant business or technology change from a risk perspective
• Facilitate risk awareness and education for business and functional leaders
• Champion responsible adoption of AI, GenAI, automation, and data-driven capabilities
• Establish governance expectations for responsible AI use in risk assessments, control monitoring, analysis, and documentation
• Collaborate across Technology, Information Security, Product, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and Control Management

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in operational risk management, technology risk, information security risk, control management, Internal Audit, or a related risk discipline
• Experience leading technology risk and control teams and setting strategic direction autonomously
• Credibility with senior technology and security leaders
• Experience supporting broad product, platform, or business-aligned technology portfolios
• Ability to translate complex technical and risk issues into executive-level business insights and portfolio reporting
• Experience using risk data, metrics, analytical techniques, trends, leading indicators, and scenario evaluation
• Experience leading complex mitigation, remediation, transformation, or control-improvement initiatives
• Experience embedding risk and control considerations into product development, technology change, service delivery, or operational processes
• Experience establishing governance routines, decision forums, escalation paths, and executive risk-reporting mechanisms
• Experience facilitating risk awareness, education, or capability building
• Experience applying or enabling AI/GenAI, automation, or advanced analytics with appropriate governance and human oversight
• Experience working across geographically distributed and diverse teams in a complex matrixed environment
• Financial-services experience preferred
• Bachelor's Degree
• Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required; the company will not pursue visa sponsorship

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Operational Risk Management, Technology Risk, and Information Security Risk, with a strong focus on data-driven risk solutions and governance for responsible AI use. Proven ability to lead and mentor teams while establishing trusted relationships with senior technology leaders.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Operational Risk Management
• Technology Risk
• Data-Driven Risk Solutions
• Governance for Responsible AI
• Risk Awareness and Education

Hard Skills

• Risk Data Analysis
• Metrics and Trend Analysis
• Control Management
• Mitigation and Remediation Initiatives
• Scenario Evaluation
• Product Development Risk Integration
• Automation and Advanced Analytics
• Dashboard Development
• API Consumption
• Executive-Level Reporting

Soft Skills

• Mentoring
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Strategic Direction
• Credibility with Senior Leaders

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree

Industry Keywords

• Financial Services
• Internal Audit
• Governance Routines
• Risk Management Initiatives
• Complex Matrixed Environment