Operational Risk Manager - Controls

Selby Jennings; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm is seeking a Risk Governance & Operational Resilience Lead in Washington, DC. This role involves enhancing operational risk practices, managing frameworks for fraud risk, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Candidates should have 8-10 years of experience in risk management within banking. The position offers a competitive salary, with a full-time employment contract and a mid-senior level seniority. Ideal for professionals aiming to drive risk governance in international operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8-10 years in risk management, especially operational and fraud risk.
• Experience in financial services or banking, particularly in cross-border operations.
• Deep understanding of risk governance frameworks and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage frameworks for Operational Risk, Fraud Risk, and Business Continuity.
• Deliver updates on risk posture and mitigation strategies to leadership.
• Evaluate new products and services for risk exposure.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Business Administration

Advanced degrees or professional certifications (CRMA, FRM, CISA)

Tools

Risk reporting tools

Data visualization platforms

Job description

Base pay range

$135,000.00/yr - $165,000.00/yr

Risk Governance & Operational Resilience Lead - International Banking Operations

This role supports the Chief Risk Officer for the U.S. entity in strengthening operational and fraud risk practices across international banking operations. The successful candidate will help embed a robust risk governance framework, ensuring alignment with global standards while tailoring it to local regulatory expectations.

Responsibilities

• Governance & Strategic Risk Leadership
• Partner with the CRO to manage frameworks for Operational Risk, Fraud Risk, and Business Continuity.
• Deliver regular updates on risk posture and mitigation strategies to senior leadership.
• Contribute to the development and execution of regional risk strategies aligned with global risk appetite and business objectives.
• Lead the implementation of operational risk policies and procedures across departments.
• Oversee Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), Risk Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), and incident tracking.
• Analyze loss events and ensure corrective actions are properly executed and monitored.
• Prepare regulatory submissions and support capital adequacy assessments related to operational risk.
• Risk Operations & Product Review
• Evaluate new products and services for risk exposure, recommending mitigation strategies.
• Monitor risk metrics and ensure compliance with internal and external standards.
• Assist in crafting and deploying risk policies and controls across the international footprint.
• Promote a strong risk culture through training, collaboration, and technical support.
• Maintain alignment with global risk teams to ensure consistency in methodologies and practices.
• Framework Implementation
• Support the rollout of risk systems and self-assessment programs.
• Act as a second line of defense for operational and fraud risk.
• Lead comprehensive reviews of risk policies to ensure adequacy and responsiveness to changing risk profiles.
• Manage the fraud risk framework in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
• Collaborate with compliance and global fraud teams to identify, assess, and report fraud incidents.
• Drive awareness initiatives and present fraud risk updates to governance committees.
• Coordinate with information security to ensure coverage without duplication.
• Business Continuity Planning
• Lead business continuity efforts, ensuring readiness and compliance with both global and local requirements.
• Support disaster recovery planning and testing in partnership with IT and other stakeholders.
• Maintain incident logs and provide actionable insights for continuity improvements.
• Contribute to change initiatives by enhancing systems and processes in response to evolving business needs.
• Support incident response and disaster recovery efforts, ensuring operational resilience and data integrity.
• Relationship Management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, external partners, regulators, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure timely resolution of critical issues while upholding high standards of professionalism and ethics.
• Reporting
• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of all functional reports, meeting both local and global standards.
• Maintain consistency and quality across reporting outputs to support decision-making and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. Advanced degrees or professional certifications (e.g., CRMA, FRM, CISA) are a strong advantage.
• Experience: Minimum of 8-10 years in risk management, with a focus on operational risk, fraud risk, and business continuity within financial services or banking. Experience in international or cross-border operations is highly desirable.
• Expertise:
• Deep understanding of risk governance frameworks, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Proven ability to implement and manage RCSA, KRI, and incident management processes.
• Familiarity with fraud risk controls, detection methodologies, and regulatory reporting.
• Strong grasp of business continuity planning and disaster recovery protocols.
• Skills:
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across functions and geographies.
• High proficiency in risk reporting tools and data visualization platforms.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with global teams.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Finance