Senior Divisional Risk Advisor (Retirement/ERISA)

Vanguard; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard's Workplace Solutions team seeks a Senior Divisional Risk Advisor to shape and elevate our risk strategy within ERISA‑driven retirement services. You will lead risk programs across operations, technology, and client service, partnering with senior leaders to strengthen controls and ensure fiduciary standards are met for sponsors and participants.

You will embed ERISA fiduciary risk management, align divisional controls with enterprise frameworks, and foster a risk‑smart culture that

Qualifications

• Eight years of related work experience, with at least 5 years in risk management within retirement services, trust/custody, or fiduciary operations.
• Deep command of ERISA, IRS rules, and DOL oversight.
• Exceptional communicator and strategic thinker who shapes outcomes with strong judgement and stakeholder buy-in.
• Natural explorer who asks sharp questions and brings external insight into discussions.
• Savvy connector who links ideas, people, technology, and processes across a complex organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the divisional risk strategy: set the vision, roadmap, and continuously evolve risk capabilities.
• Embed ERISA-centric fiduciary risk management: provide authoritative guidance on fiduciary standards and regulatory requirements.
• Strengthen controls and assurance: establish risk oversight, adherence to standards, metrics, and remediation.
• Advise on change and innovation: engage early with teams on new services and operating model changes with risk mitigation.
• Provide credible challenge and oversight: offer independent perspective on risk acceptance decisions.
• Cultivate a risk-smart culture: build relationships and promote enterprise risk frameworks adoption.
• Represent the division: collaborate with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, and external stakeholders.

Skills

Risk management

ERISA knowledge

Strategic thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Problem solving

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree required

Graduate degree preferred (JD, MBA, MS in Risk/Finance)

Job description

The Workplace Solutions mission is simple and bold: deliver investment success to millions of workers participating in employer‑sponsored retirement plans. We do this by designing smart, tailored plans for sponsors and delivering high‑quality participant experiences.

Vanguard’s Workplace Solutions team supports defined contribution plan sponsors and participants through recordkeeping, administration, and trust/custody services. Operating at the heart of a complex fiduciary environment—anchored in ERISA and aligned with IRS and DOL requirements—we’re seeking a Senior Divisional Risk Advisor to shape and elevate our risk strategy.

In this role, you’ll bring deep ERISA expertise to guide business decisions, build trusted partnerships with senior leaders, and strengthen a control environment that spans operations, technology, and client service. You will be a trusted risk advisor—designing and leading the Workplace Solutions risk program, providing credible and effective challenge, fostering a risk‑smart, forward‑looking culture. Leveraging Vanguard’s operational and strategic risk frameworks, you’ll align divisional controls with enterprise standards, help teams anticipate emerging risks in retirement services, and ensure we deliver for sponsors and participants with confidence and care.

Responsibilities

• Lead the divisional risk strategy: set the vision, roadmap, and continuously evolve risk capabilities.
• Embed ERISA‑centric fiduciary risk management: provide authoritative guidance on ERISA fiduciary standards, IRS requirements, and trust/custody controls.
• Strengthen controls & assurance: establish risk and control oversight, adherence to standards, metrics, reporting, and drive remediation.
• Advise on change & innovation: engage early with teams advancing new services, solutions, and operating model changes, ensuring control design and risk mitigation.
• Provide credible challenge & oversight: bring independent perspective to risk acceptance decisions and enable risk‑informed decision making.
• Cultivate a risk‑smart culture: build relationships and serve as a thought partner while stewarding adoption of enterprise frameworks.
• Represent the division: partner with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, external stakeholders and participate in special projects and industry forums.

Qualifications

• Minimum eight years related work experience, with 5 years in risk management within retirement services, trust/custody, or fiduciary operations and deep command of ERISA, IRS rules, and DOL oversight.
• Hands‑on mastery of operational risk frameworks and control assurance (design, testing, monitoring, reporting).
• Exceptional communicator and strategic thinker who shapes outcomes through strong judgement and stakeholder buy‑in.
• A natural explorer who asks sharp questions, seeks context, learns fast, and brings external insight into conversation.
• Savvy connector who links ideas, people, technology, and processes across a complex organization.
• Informal leader who role‑models a culture of investor zeal, inclusion, tenacity, and integrity, and invests in developing the team.
• Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree preferred (JD, MBA, MS in Risk/Finance).

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.