Senior Manager, Operational Risk — Hybrid Leader

Transamerica; Cedar Rapids (IA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus for Eligible Employees

Pension Plan

401k Match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Tuition Reimbursement

Medical Insurance

Job summary

Transamerica is seeking a senior risk leader to drive the PS&SI first line risk program. You will embed risk considerations in operations, coordinate assessments, monitoring, and remediation, and partner with leaders to maintain a strong risk profile.

You will guide cross-functional teams, challenge risk decisions, and develop dashboards to communicate trends to executives. The role requires deep knowledge of risk principles and excellent communication across levels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field.
• Eight years of experience in risk management, operational risk management, internal controls, audit or compliance disciplines.
• Experience leading operational risk management, internal controls, audit, compliance, or governance activities.
• Expertise in control testing and operating effectiveness assessments.
• Knowledge of risk management principles, including risk assessments, process flows, control evaluation, testing, monitoring, and remediation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify risk trends and evaluate changing risk levels.
• Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Sound judgment and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to effectively present information and interact with all levels of management.
• Strong relationship‑building and collaboration skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end business risk activities, including risk assessments, control evaluations, control testing, monitoring, and remediation efforts and identification of emerging risks and thematic risk trends.
• Support risk management activities for major PS&SI business initiatives and strategic projects, process changes and transformation efforts including assessment of potential risk impacts and mitigation strategies.
• Recommend process and control improvements to strengthen risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and quality outcomes.
• Manage risk issue activities, including identification, impact assessment, root cause analysis, action planning, validation, remediation tracking and reporting.
• Challenge process and business owners on risk decisions, control design and remediation plans to ensure actions appropriately address identified risks.
• Advise business leaders on complex risk matters and provide recommendations to support informed decision-making.
• Provide guidance on process reviews, process mapping, control design, insufficient documentation or control gaps, process mapping and identification of new controls, and automation opportunities.
• Develop and maintain risk reporting dashboards, and management reporting to communicate key risk information and trends.
• Partner with stakeholders across the organization, including operations, technology, compliance, legal and second line risk to promote a strong risk and control environment and address cross-functional risks and dependencies.
• Support strategic initiatives by evaluating risk impacts, identifying emerging risks and cross-functional dependencies and recommending mitigation strategies.

Skills

Operational risk management

Control testing

Data analysis

Risk assessment

Communication

Decision making

Project prioritization

Problem solving

Presentation to management

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field

Tools

Risk management software

Job description

Transamerica is seeking a senior risk leader to drive the PS&SI first line risk program. You will embed risk considerations in operations, coordinate assessments, monitoring, and remediation, and partner with leaders to maintain a strong risk profile.

You will guide cross-functional teams, challenge risk decisions, and develop dashboards to communicate trends to executives. The role requires deep knowledge of risk principles and excellent communication across levels.