Senior Risk Manager, Card Risk

Capital One; McLean (VA); Hybrid; USD 178,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based incentives

Job summary

Capital One in McLean, VA is seeking a Senior Risk Manager for its Card Risk Team. You will serve as the primary 1LoD SME, applying deep risk judgment to identify and mitigate operational risks across card initiatives.

The role is hybrid with required on-site presence at the designated office. Key responsibilities include leading RCSAs, partnering with business leaders on product launches, and guiding audits and regulatory exams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or Military experience.
• At least 5 years of 1LoD Operational Risk or related roles in a financial institution.
• At least 4 years partnering with internal business clients.
• At least 2 years with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks and control transformation.

Responsibilities

• Provide 1LoD risk SME leadership for card business units, applying critical judgment on control design and risk/return trade-offs.
• Lead and execute Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), mapping threat vectors and identifying control gaps.
• Collaborate with business leaders on product launches to ensure proactive risk identification and proper control architecture before go‑live.
• Evaluate KRIs and process maps to advise on emerging control weaknesses before breakdowns occur.
• Serve as strategic advisor for internal audits and regulatory exams, guiding responses and defending controls.
• Guide business through root‑cause analysis and remediation design, acting as final approval gate for fixes.
• Support Control Testing teams with scope design and interpretation of test results.

Skills

1LoD Risk SME

RCSA ownership

ERM frameworks

Audit defense

Control testing

Education

Bachelor's Degree or Military experience

Master's Degree

Job description

As a Senior Risk Manager on Capital One’s Card Risk Team, you will serve as a primary First Line of Defense (1LoD) Risk Subject Matter Expert (SME) for our highest-profile card initiatives. In this role, you will apply deep technical risk judgment, control expertise, and business acumen to identify, evaluate, and mitigate operational risks across the line of business.

This role is designated as a hybrid position. You are expected to adhere to Capital One's hybrid policy regarding required on-site presence at your designated office location.

Key Responsibilities

• 1LoD Risk Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as the primary 1LoD Risk SME for assigned card business units, providing critical judgment on control design, operational risk identification, and risk/return trade-offs.
• Hands‑On RCSA Ownership: Lead and execute comprehensive Risk and Control Self‑Assessments (RCSAs), evaluating process workflows, mapping threat vectors, identifying control gaps, and authoring precise, testable business controls aligned with enterprise risk frameworks.
• New Product & Strategy Review: Partner with business leaders on strategic changes, product launches, and workflow modifications to ensure proactive risk identification and proper control architecture prior to go‑live.
• Control Environment Optimization: Proactively evaluate key risk indicators (KRIs) and process maps to advise business partners on emerging control weaknesses before breakdowns occur.
• Audit & Exam Defense: Serve as the strategic advisor for internal audit engagements and regulatory exams, shaping response strategies, managing audit challenges, and guiding business partners on demonstrating control operating effectiveness.
• Issue Remediation Guidance & Final Gatekeeping: Partner closely with the dedicated Issue Management team to guide business stakeholders through root‑cause analysis and remediation design. Leverage deep domain experience in execution mechanics to serve as the critical advisory consultant and final approval gate for the business, ensuring fixes meet bank severity and quality standards prior to issue closure.
• Control Testing Consultation & Stakeholder Communication: Serve as the consultative SME to dedicated Control Testing teams during scope design and testing routines. Interpret testing failures, translate technical results into actionable business insights, and guide line‑of‑business partners on corrective action plans.

What We’re Looking For In An Ideal Teammate

• Risk Judgment Over Process Tracking: You bring substantive technical risk perspective, you know how to evaluate a control, challenge an audit finding, and dissect a root cause, rather than just manage a schedule.
• Constructive Challenge: You possess the confidence and domain authority to effectively push back on business partners, external testing teams, and audit findings with data‑backed judgment.
• Operational Perspective: You understand the end‑to‑end operational mechanics of issue remediation and control testing, enterprise risk management, enabling you to guide business partners through complex execution requirements seamlessly.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or Military experience
• At least 5 years of First Line of Defense (1LoD) Operational Risk, Business Risk, Control Execution, or Internal Audit experience within a financial institution or Big 4 consulting firm
• At least 4 years of experience supporting, partnering and interacting with internal business clients
• At least 2 years of experience with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks, operational risk advisory, and control transformation

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree
• 6+ years of Risk Consulting experience at a Big 4 or major professional services firm, with exposure to Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks, operational risk advisory, and control transformation
• 6+ years of 1LoD Operational Risk Management experience supporting consumer card, lending, or retail financial services
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience authoring business controls, executing RCSAs, and evaluating control design effectiveness
• Direct experience leading internal audit defense routines or managing regulatory examination requests
• Proven experience serving as an advisor or approval gate for operational issue remediation and root‑cause analysis
• Certified Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) or Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM)

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization, or offer any immigration related support for this position (e.g. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-3, and O-1, or any other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

McLean, VA: $177,700 - $202,800 for Sr. Risk Manager

Richmond, VA: $161,500 - $184,300 for Sr. Risk Manager

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well‑being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part‑time status, exempt or non‑exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

No agencies please.

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non‑discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug‑free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

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