SVP, Chief Risk Officer & Deputy General Counsel

At VyStar, we offer competitive pay, an excellent benefit package that includes a 401(k) Plan, an extensive paid technical and on-the-job training program, and tuition reimbursement--available to all full and part time employees.  Part time positions start at a minimum of 30 hours per week.

We encourage you to become a part of VyStar Credit Union's family of employees.

SVP, Chief Risk Officer & Deputy General Counsel

ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT

The Chief Risk Officer (CRO) is accountable for the strategic leadership and oversight of the credit union’s enterprise risk management (ERM) framework. This role ensures that all material risks—financial, operational, compliance, strategic, and reputational—are identified, assessed, mitigated, and monitored in alignment with regulatory expectations and the credit union’s mission to serve its members safely and soundly.

The CRO reports administratively to the Chief Legal Officer, but receives independent strategic and directional guidance from the Board of Directors. The CRO works to promote a strong risk culture, ensure regulatory compliance (including NCUA and FFIEC guidelines), and support sustainable growth. The CRO is responsible for maintaining independence in risk oversight while enabling informed decision-making across all business functions.

This position plays a critical role in safeguarding member assets, protecting institutional integrity, and ensuring resilience in a dynamic financial services environment.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage the second line risk function, which receives strategic direction from the Board of Directors, including continuing to upgrade and implement a comprehensive risk management framework tailored to the specific needs of a financial institution credit union, including credit risk, market risk, and operational risk.

• Work closely with the credit union’s senior leadership team to identify and assess potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate and manage those risks effectively.

• Monitor and report on key risk indicators to senior management, the board of directors, and regulatory agencies, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

• Lead the credit union’s response to regulatory inquiries and audits, keeping abreast of changing regulatory requirements and best practices in risk management.

• Provide legal advice and guidance on a wide range of matters, including contracts, compliance, regulatory issues, and governance matters.

• Manage a team of risk management professionals, providing leadership and direction to support the credit union’s risk management and legal objectives.

ERM Framework: Champion, develop and maintain an ERM framework throughout VyStar. In cooperation with the Senior Team, define a risk strategy to identify and evaluate risks and implement risk management monitoring and response practices. Establish formalized identification and monitoring of key risk drivers across the organization and define acceptable tolerance levels in collaboration with Senior Team and Chief Legal Officer. Define risk response strategy – avoid, reduce, take alternative action, share/insure or accept, for identified risks.

Risk Monitoring/Reporting: Provide independent, enterprise-wide dashboard reports and review with Chief Legal Officer as denoted in Board policies on a set frequency (e.g., quarterly) to understand a unified picture on how the risk response strategy is working, whether objectives are being achieved and to identify possible needed changes to risk response strategy.

Risk Intelligent Culture: Develop a risk intelligent culture, with strong collaborative relationships across the organization. Create increased understanding and awareness of business line managers’ responsibility for risk assessment and management activities in their daily decision-making processes specialized knowledge and expertise in each area

Regulatory Compliance, Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery,  BSA/AML. Third-Party Risk Management, and Strategic Sourcing

Establish strong collaboration and sharing of expertise/knowledge between these areas and in conjunction with Internal Audit’s assurance services. The ERM function will ensure practices are in place to protect VyStar’s assets in support of defined risk tolerance levels and ensure sound safety processes are in place to protect employees and the organization (e.g., incident reports, drivers’ license checks, employee usage of company vehicles, related insurance claims, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills and Professional Credentials: Maintain an understanding of VyStar’s overall business plan objectives, long-term strategic goal