Operational Risk Analyst (Group Benefits and Retirement)

Lincoln Financial; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO/ parental leave

401K and employee benefits

Financial counseling & health coaching

Job summary

Lincoln Financial is seeking an Operational Risk Analyst to design and test financial and operational controls across vendor services. You will partner with internal and external stakeholders and auditors to ensure control environments align with the vendor audit program.

You will lead SOC-1/ SOC-2 audits, develop action plans, and provide risk mitigation recommendations for complex projects. Strong communication and cross-functional influence are essential.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of experience with SOC-1 or financial/operational controls in a compliance or audit team.
• 4 year degree or equivalent work experience in Accounting, Finance, Compliance, or Risk Management.
• Licenses/designations: CPA and/or CFE (nice-to-have)

Responsibilities

• Serve as SOC 1 Program Owner: maintain control inventories and document ownership.
• Coordinate annual SOC1 & SOC2 audits with internal partners and external auditors.
• Manage report development, validation, and distribution; maintain records.
• Help strengthen control environment with action plans and monitor progress.
• Act as Internal Audit liaison for engagement, requests, and action plans.
• Identify process improvements to reduce workload or improve quality.

Skills

SOC-1 experience

Audit coordination

Risk assessment

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Compliance/Risk Management

Job description

Alternate Locations:

Charlotte, NC (North Carolina); Fort Wayne, IN (Indiana); Omaha, NE (Nebraska); Radnor, PA (Pennsylvania)

Work Arrangement:

Hybrid : Employee will work 3 days a week in a Lincoln office

Relocation assistance:

is not available for this opportunity.

Requisition #:

76612

The Role at a Glance

As an Operational Risk Analyst within our Group Protection and Retirement Plan Services (RPS) organization, you will provide subject matter expertise on design and effectiveness of financial and operational controls for various vendor services. You will partner with internal and external stakeholders and auditors to ensure the control environment aligns with the service vendor audit program. You will develop and execute on more complex audit testing to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and controls, reliability of SOC-1 reporting, and compliance with applicable law. You will also provide control expertise, risk assessment analysis, and implement risk mitigation recommendations for complex projects, processes, and major financial and operational control initiatives.

Success in this role requires a balance of technical depth, cross-functional influence, and clear communication as well as strong accountability to deliver positive outcomes. You will drive the evaluation of the control environments, coordinate closely with external auditors on SOC-1 outcomes, and shape risk assessments for senior audiences. From executing complex audit testing to driving risk mitigation across major initiatives, you'll play a key role in keeping the ORM team's control environment sound, informed, and audit ready.

What You'll Be Doing

• You will serve as the business unit SOC 1 Program Owner, responsible for maintaining accurate control inventories, ensuring control ownership is appropriately documented, and leading interactions between external auditors and internal control owners and subject matter experts.
• Serves as the liaison for the annual SOC1 & SOC2 audit work between the business and external stakeholders by working with internal partners to develop action plans as needed, updating the report for issuance, and communicating report outcomes with business partners and management.
• You will manage report development, review, and issuance; manage report validation and distribution process; and maintain all business records.
• You will assist internal stakeholders to strengthen the control environment by establishing complex action plans to address financial & operational control deficiencies. You will track and monitor progress against these action plans to ensure timely risk mitigation resolution.
• You will act as the Internal Audit liaison for the business units by ensuring business engagement, responsiveness to audit requests, issue management, communication management, and management action plan execution.
• Maintains knowledge on current and emerging developments/trends, assesses the impact, and collaborates with management to incorporate new trends and developments in current and future solutions.
• Champions and enhances organizational initiatives by positively influencing and supporting change management and/or departmental/enterprise initiatives.
• Serves as a resource to team members and applicable internal/external stakeholders on more complex assignments/projects.
• Identifies and recommends process improvements that significantly reduce workloads or improve quality.
• Maintains and maps key procedural controls to defined risk scenarios for each operational risk category and documents process flows as defined through interviews with subject matter experts.
• Partners with appropriate internal stakeholders and management to strengthen the control environment and to address financial and operational control deficiencies.
• Tracks and monitors progress against corrective action plans. Develops and reviews test plans to ensure mitigation strategies are consistently followed.
• Works with management across departments to implement key initiatives to ensure the proper financial and operational controls are contemplated, initiated, executed, and maintained.
• Carries out duties in compliance with all state and federal regulations and guidelines. Complies with all company policies and procedures.
• Proactively liaises with internal stakeholders and management to anticipate and address internal risks before they become an issue.
• Serves as a first alert system to keep management and other internal stakeholders aware of unanticipated problems to be addressed and/or opportunities to be considered.
• Communicates with management on internal control activity and serves as a resource during projects & process reviews to advise on implications regarding internal controls.
• Partners with internal stakeholders to educate and implement industry best practices on existing and new quality assurance programs, including system support.

What We’re Looking For

Must-haves:

• 5-7+ years of experience with SOC-1 and/or financial/operation controls or other control environment experience within a compliance or audit team that directly aligned to the specific responsibilities of this position.
• 4 Year/bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience (4 years of experience in lieu of Bachelor's) in Accounting, Finance, Compliance, or Risk Management

Nice- to-haves:

• License/Designations: CPA and/or CFE
• Direct vendor management and/or risk management experience
• NAIC general knowledge
• Experience creating audit or regulatory work papers
• Ability to identify and recommend process improvements

Application Deadline

Applications for this position will be accepted through 11/20/2026, subject to earlier closure due to applicant volume

What’s it like to work here?

At Lincoln Financial, we love what we do. We make meaningful contributions each and every day to empower our customers to take charge of their lives. Working alongside dedicated and talented colleagues, we build fulfilling careers and stronger communities through a company that values our unique perspectives, insights and contributions and invests in programs that empower each of us to take charge of our own future.

What’s in it for you

• Clearly defined career tracks and job levels, along with associated behaviors for each of Lincoln's core values and leadership attributes
• Leadership development and virtual training opportunities
• PTO/parental leave
• Competitive 401K and employee benefits
• Free financial counseling, health coaching and employee assistance program
• Tuition assistance program
• Work arrangements that work for you
• Effective productivity/technology tools and training

The pay range for this position is $75,000 - $120,000 with anticipated pay for new hires between the minimum and midpoint of the range and could vary above and below the listed range as permitted by applicable law. Pay is based on non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, education, location, licensure requirements, proficiency and qualifications required for the role. The base pay is just one component of Lincoln’s total rewards package for employees. In addition, the role may be eligible for the Annual Incentive Program, which is discretionary and based on the performance of the company, business unit and individual. Other rewards may include long-term incentives, sales incentives and Lincoln’s standard benefits package.

About The Company

Lincoln Financial (NYSE: LNC) helps people to confidently plan for their version of a successful future. We focus on identifying a clear path to financial security, with products including annuities, life insurance, group protection, and retirement plan services.

With our 120-year track record of expertise and integrity, millions of customers trust our solutions and service to help put their goals in reach.

Lincoln Financial Distributors, a broker-dealer, is the wholesale distribution organization of Lincoln Financial. Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln Financial Corporation and its affiliates including The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN, and Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York, Syracuse, NY. Lincoln Financial affiliates, their distributors, and their respective employees, representatives and/or insurance agents do not provide tax, accounting or legal advice.

Lincoln is committed to creating an inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Additional Information

This position may be subject to Lincoln’s Political Contribution Policy. An offer of employment may be contingent upon disclosing to Lincoln the details of certain political contributions. Lincoln may decline to extend an offer or terminate employment for this role if it determines political contributions made could have an adverse impact on Lincoln’s current or future business interests, misrepresentations were made, or for failure to fully disclose applicable political contributions and or fundraising activities.

Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted through our web site or to personal e‑mail accounts of employees of Lincoln Financial are considered property of Lincoln Financial and are not subject to payment of agency fees.

Lincoln Financial ("Lincoln" or "the Company") is an Equal Opportunity employer and, as such, is committed in policy and practice to recruit, hire, compensate, train and promote, in all job classifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or disability. Opportunities throughout Lincoln are available to employees and applicants are evaluated on the basis of job qualifications. If you are a person with a disability that impedes your ability to express your interest for a position through our online application process, or require TTY/TDD assistance, contact us by calling [phone].

This Employer Participates in E-Verify. See the E-Verify notices.

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