Head of Business Controls & Risk Governance

Santander US; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Santander US is seeking a senior risk and controls professional to monitor and govern the Corporate & Investment Bank's operational risk across US businesses. You will identify risk, drive remediation, and ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations while partnering with the second line of defense and business stakeholders.

You will produce executive MIS and committee reports, challenge senior owners, and mentor the team to strengthen risk culture.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of relevant experience in financial services, business controls, operational risk, audit, compliance, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated leadership of complex issues, operational risk events, remediation programs, or regulatory commitments across multiple business lines.
• Proven ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders and drive timely decisions without direct authority.
• Strong knowledge of First Line of Defense responsibilities, enterprise risk frameworks, internal controls, and regulatory expectations.
• Experience producing executive and committee-level risk reporting and presenting complex matters clearly.
• People leadership, coaching, or workstream leadership experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead line of business governance of business issues and operational risk events across CIB US.
• Collaborate with the Issues Management COE to enforce quality standards for issue statements, root-cause analysis, impact assessments, remediation plans, milestones, closure evidence, and sustainability validation.
• Provide credible challenge to business owners and analysis to CIB Business Control Officers, escalating overdue, high-risk, or inadequately remediated items to senior management and governance forums.
• Ensure operational risk events are identified, classified, documented, and escalated promptly in the bank’s designated systems, including assessment of financial, client, regulatory, and reputational impacts.
• Collaborate with the Issues and Events COE to direct portfolio-level monitoring of issues and events, identify recurring themes and risk concentrations, and sponsor preventative control enhancements.
• Produce and present executive MIS and committee reporting that clearly communicates status, trends, emerging risks, dependencies, and decisions required.
• Partner with the Second Line of Defense, Compliance, Legal, Internal Audit, and business stakeholders to support regulatory inquiries, assurance reviews, and remediation commitments.
• Coach and guide team members and stakeholders, promoting accountability, disciplined execution, and a strong risk culture.

Skills

Governance leadership

Root cause analysis

Remediation planning

Regulatory & compliance knowledge

Executive reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree preferred

Risk/compliance certification preferred

Job description

Santander US is seeking a senior risk and controls professional to monitor and govern the Corporate & Investment Bank's operational risk across US businesses. You will identify risk, drive remediation, and ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations while partnering with the second line of defense and business stakeholders.

You will produce executive MIS and committee reports, challenge senior owners, and mentor the team to strengthen risk culture.