Risk Director: Financial Advisor Services - Portfolio & Adviser Solutions

Vanguard; Malvern (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard seeks a Risk Director for Portfolio & Adviser Solutions in Malvern to act as a senior risk advisor to FAS leaders responsible for investment products, portfolio solutions, and client offerings. The role emphasizes embedding risk thinking into product design and strategy.

The ideal candidate will bring deep investment management expertise, leadership experience, and a track record of influencing executives through credible risk insight and strategic thinking.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience across investment management, investment products, portfolio solutions, wealth management or financial advice businesses.
• Deep understanding of investment products, portfolio construction, product governance, advisor solutions and distribution models.
• Strong ability to engage and influence senior executives through expertise, judgement and credibility.
• Demonstrated experience navigating strategic business decisions in complex financial services environments.
• Ability to connect industry, product and client trends to emerging risk themes and business implications.
• Practical, commercially minded approach focused on enabling good decisions and better client outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Hire, evaluate, and supervise crew. Provide guidance, training, and coaching to develop crew; set performance standards and reviews.
• Partner with key stakeholders to establish and implement risk and control management standards; align with strategic priorities.
• Provide independent oversight of Line 1 risk activities; challenge completeness, consistency, and judgment in risk identification and management.
• Perform independent risk assessments for high-impact or thematic risks.
• Monitor compliance with enterprise risk governance policies and develop a program for monitoring risk and control effectiveness.
• Produce independent risk reporting and enterprise-wide insights for leadership forums.

Skills

Investment management

Portfolio solutions

Risk management

Leadership

Strategic advisor

Executive influence

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree preferred

Job description

Overview

Financial Advisor Services (FAS) is a critical growth engine, focused on evolving how we serve advisors and clients through expanded digital capabilities, data-driven insights, and innovative solutions. As FAS accelerates its strategy—including digital distribution, AI-enabled tools, and enhanced client engagement—there is a growing need to embed risk expertise directly into these initiatives.

We are seeking a Risk Director to play a pivotal role in transforming how risk partners with the business. This role is not traditional or operational in nature. Instead, you will operate as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, helping them navigate complex decisions, assess emerging risks, and deliver on strategic priorities with confidence. This is a highly visible, high-impact opportunity to shape the future of risk within FAS and contribute to the evolution of a more modern, advisory-oriented risk function.

The impactyou’llmake

As the Risk Director for Portfolio & Adviser Solutions, you will serve as the senior risk advisor to FAS leaders responsible for investment products, portfolio solutions, advisory offerings and client propositions. You will bring deep industry knowledge and strategic perspective to help the business identify and manage the most important risks affecting product strategy, client outcomes and business growth.

This role requires deep expertise in investment management and product-related risks rather than traditional operational, audit or compliance disciplines. The successful candidate will understand how investment products are designed, governed, distributed and experienced by clients and advisors.

The ideal candidate excels at these top capabilities

• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders responsible for investment products, portfolio solutions and client offerings.
• Identify and assess key risks associated with product design, portfolio construction, distribution strategies, advisor solutions and evolving client needs.
• Provide independent challenge and risk insight on new product development, product changes, strategic initiatives and business decisions.
• Partner closely with product and solution leaders to ensure risk considerations are appropriately integrated into business strategy and execution.
• Evaluate emerging trends, market developments and changing advisor/client expectations to identify potential implications for the FAS business.
• Help leaders understand trade-offs between growth, innovation, client outcomes and risk.
• Ensure strategic risks and key business assumptions are explicitly considered in planning, decision making and execution.
• Operate in a player-coach capacity, leveraging your own expertise to drive impact while helping establish a highly capable, strategically focused risk team.

Responsibilities

• Hire, evaluate, and supervise crew. Provide guidance, training, and coaching as necessary to develop crew. Sets performance standards, reviews performance, and makes informed compensation decisions in accordance with all applicable Human Resources policies and procedures.
• Partner with key stakeholders to establish and implement risk and control management standards within the division’s processes, based on the divisional risk profile and enterprise and divisional policies and standards. Provide vision and leadership regarding existing and emerging risks, in alignment with strategic priorities.
• Provide independent oversight of Line 1 risk activities, with a primary responsibility to challenge completeness, consistency, quality, and judgment in how risks are identified, assessed, and managed. Ensure that the division has an appropriate level of review of key controls, and that key controls are designed in accordance with established standards.
• Partner in risk identification and challenges completeness and consistency of identified risks. Provide industry and enterprise-wide insights to inform the business on current and emerging risks. Performs independent risk assessments for selected high-impact, critical, or thematic risks.
• Monitor and enable adherence to the enterprise risk governance policies, standards, and procedures. Develop, maintain, and evolve a comprehensive program for monitoring and challenging the risk and control effectiveness in the business.
• Produce independent risk reporting and enterprise-wide insights for divisional leadership and governance forums to enable the business to make risk informed decisions.
• Lead and oversee a team of risk practitioners in analyzing risks, applying risk methodologies, and considering business context in advising the business on key risks. Accountable for the timely completion of risk projects and initiatives.
• Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge and awareness of industry, risk management practices, and regulatory and/or policy changes. Takes an active role in industry forums and remains current on issues and regulatory events affecting the division, firm, and industry.
• Embed deep, division-specific acumen into risk management. Provide relevant, tailored guidance and advice to strengthen decision‑making across the division’s complex business operations and strategic initiatives.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned, partnering with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, and internal and external stakeholders as appropriate.

Qualifications: What we’re looking for

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience. Graduate degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience across investment management, investment products, portfolio solutions, wealth management or financial advice businesses.
• Deep understanding of investment products, portfolio construction, product governance, advisor solutions and distribution models.
• Strong ability to engage and influence senior executives through expertise, judgement and credibility.
• Demonstrated experience navigating strategic business decisions in complex financial services environments.
• Ability to connect industry, product and client trends to emerging risk themes and business implications.
• Practical, commercially minded approach focused on enabling good decisions and better client outcomes.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don’t just have a mission—we’re on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients’ lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.