First Line Risk Manager

Citizens; Johnston (RI); On-site; USD 84,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Citizens is seeking an experienced First Line Risk Manager to support Commercial Banking risk programs and governance. Location options include Johnston, RI or Westwood, MA, with a focus on independent RCSA execution, risk assessment, and control monitoring.

You will partner with Commercial Banking stakeholders to ensure risks are identified, measured, and remediated, while exercising strong judgment and influencing across Risk, Compliance, Audit, Operations, Product, and Technology.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience in Risk Management, Operational Risk, First Line Risk, Compliance Risk, Controls, or related banking risk disciplines.
• Direct experience leading and executing Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs).
• Experience assessing control effectiveness and documenting risk conclusions.
• Experience managing issues, corrective actions, and remediation efforts.
• Experience supporting governance activities, audits, or regulatory examinations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent risk judgment and challenge assumptions constructively.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs) across Commercial Banking products, services, and processes.
• Identify, assess, document, and monitor risks and associated controls.
• Evaluate inherent and residual risk exposures and recommend risk mitigation strategies.
• Support risk assessments associated with new products, process changes, technology implementations, and business initiatives.
• Apply risk-based judgment to complex business situations and provide thoughtful recommendations to stakeholders.
• Execute control monitoring and control testing activities.
• Assess control design and operating effectiveness.
• Identify control gaps and recommend practical improvements.
• Document results, observations, conclusions, and corrective actions.
• Support audits, regulatory examinations, assurance reviews, and management responses.
• Author, track, validate, and close issues through governance processes.
• Perform root‑cause analysis and evaluate remediation sustainability.
• Challenge remediation plans when necessary and monitor trends.

Skills

RCSA execution

Risk assessment

Control testing

Stakeholder management

Governance reporting

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

GRC platforms

Job description

First Line Risk Manager - Commercial Banking

Location: Johnston, RI or Westwood, MA

Work Authorization This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, now or in the future.

At Citizens, we're building one of the strongest regional banking franchises in the country through disciplined growth, responsible risk management, and a commitment to doing the right thing for our customers, colleagues, communities, and shareholders.

We're seeking an experienced First Line Risk Manager to support Commercial Banking risk management activities. This role is ideal for a risk professional who has direct experience executing risk programs within Commercial Banking, Business Banking, Commercial Lending, Treasury Management, Wholesale Payments, Cash Management, or related banking businesses.

The successful candidate will independently execute Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), evaluate control effectiveness, identify emerging risks, support governance activities, challenge business assumptions, and partner closely with Commercial Banking stakeholders to ensure risks are appropriately identified, assessed, monitored, and managed.

This is a highly collaborative, hands‑on risk execution role requiring strong risk judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to influence business partners while maintaining an effective challenge mindset.

What You'll Do

Risk Assessment & Risk Program Execution

• Lead and execute Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs) across Commercial Banking products, services, and processes.
• Identify, assess, document, and monitor risks and associated controls.
• Evaluate inherent and residual risk exposures and recommend risk mitigation strategies.
• Support risk assessments associated with new products, process changes, technology implementations, and business initiatives.
• Apply risk-based judgment to complex business situations and provide thoughtful recommendations to stakeholders.

Compliance & Controls

• Execute control monitoring and control testing activities.
• Assess control design and operating effectiveness.
• Identify control gaps and recommend practical improvements.
• Document results, observations, conclusions, and corrective actions.
• Support audits, regulatory examinations, assurance reviews, and management responses.

Issue Management & Remediation

• Author, track, validate, and close issues through established governance processes.
• Perform root‑cause analysis and evaluate the sustainability of remediation activities.
• Challenge remediation plans where necessary to ensure issues are fully addressed.
• Monitor issue trends and identify emerging risks requiring escalation.

Risk Governance

• Maintain risk, control, process, and issue inventories.
• Ensure alignment between risks, controls, policies, procedures, assessments, and remediation activities.
• Prepare governance reporting, metrics, and management presentations.
• Participate in risk governance forums and stakeholder discussions.

Business Partnership

• Partner closely with Commercial Banking stakeholders to support responsible growth.
• Provide effective challenge while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Collaborate across Risk, Compliance, Audit, Operations, Product, Technology, and business teams to drive sound risk management decisions.

Key Experiences We're Looking For

Successful candidates will typically demonstrate experience in several of the following areas:

• Executing end-to-end RCSAs
• Risk identification and control evaluation
• Risk‑based decision making and judgment
• Control monitoring and testing
• Issue management and remediation validation
• Governance reporting and committee participation
• New product and change risk assessments
• Commercial Banking risk management
• First Line Risk ownership within a banking environment

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
• Commercial Banking, Business Banking, Commercial Lending, Treasury Management, Wholesale Payments, Merchant Services, Cash Management, or related product experience.
• 4+ years of experience in Risk Management, Operational Risk, First Line Risk, Compliance Risk, Controls, or related banking risk disciplines.
• Direct experience leading and executing Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs).
• Experience assessing control effectiveness and documenting risk conclusions.
• Experience managing issues, corrective actions, and remediation efforts.
• Experience supporting governance activities, audits, or regulatory examinations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent risk judgment and challenge assumptions constructively.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience evaluating risks associated with new products, process changes, or technology implementations.
• Experience maintaining risk and control inventories.
• Familiarity with governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms.
• Experience presenting risk assessments, findings, or recommendations to leadership teams.

Who Will Be Most Successful

This role is best suited for individuals who have direct experience operating within a First Line Risk environment and can independently:

• Build and execute risk assessments.
• Evaluate risks across products, services, and business processes.
• Identify control weaknesses and recommend improvements.
• Apply risk‑based judgment in ambiguous situations.
• Partner with business leaders to support informed decision‑making.
• Navigate changing priorities in a fast‑paced Commercial Banking environment.

Additional Context

While backgrounds in Internal Audit, SOX Compliance, Assurance, Quality Control, Vendor Management, Third-Party Risk, Wealth Operations, or Consumer Banking may provide valuable experience, this role requires direct First Line Risk execution and ownership of risk management activities within a banking environment.

Candidates with demonstrated Commercial Banking and RCSA experience will be strongly preferred.

Hours & Work Schedule

• Hours per Week: 40
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday
• Locations: Johnston, RI; or Westwood, MA

Pay Transparency

The salary range for this position is $84,000- $110,000 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the budget, work location, and relevant skills and experience.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time‑away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits

Why Join Citizens?

Citizens has remained consistently profitable through changing economic cycles and continues to invest in strategic growth initiatives across Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, Capital Markets, and Digital capabilities.

As part of our multi‑year Reimagine the Bank transformation, you'll have the opportunity to help modernize how risk management supports the business while working alongside experienced leaders committed to strengthening the bank's control environment.

If you're energized by solving complex risk challenges, influencing business decisions, and helping drive responsible growth, we'd love to hear from you.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.

Why Work for Us

At Citizens, you'll find a customer‑centric culture built around helping our customers and giving back to our local communities. When you join our team, you are part of a supportive and collaborative workforce, with access to training and tools to accelerate your potential and maximize your career growth