VP, Issue Management Program Leader (Risk Management)

Job Description:

Synchrony's Risk Team provides independent oversight of Synchrony’s risk-taking activities to ensure safety and soundness, meet regulatory and legal requirements, and manage risks to the risk-appetite of the Board. Risk is responsible for independently assessing, quantifying, and overseeing risks & providing effective challenge. Risk serves as Synchrony’s Second Line of Defense.   

Overall, Risk Team oversees and manages the Risk Program to support the business in anticipating and addressing risks, issues and challenges. Results are consistent with the respective strategic uses and complying with related overall risk, risk testing policies, standards, procedures as well as regulations. Our Risk organization consists of 4 pillars: Compliance, Credit & Financial Risk, Enterprise Risk and Operational Risk. Each of the pillars play a vital role in managing Risk and supports the business in anticipating and addressing risks, issues, and challenges.
 

Role Summary/Purpose:

The Issue Management Program Leader reports to the SVP Enterprise Risk Management and is accountable for managing the team that establishes and governs Synchrony’s Issue Management policies, procedures, and standards which define how issues are identified, documented, escalated, remediated, validated, and closed across the enterprise.  The Team Leader is responsible for Board and Committee analytics and reporting, including KRI monitoring and providing insights on risks present within Synchrony’s issue management inventory. This person is charged with managing the integration of the issue management program into the broader risk management framework in areas such as executive accountability, consumer remediation, and enterprise risk assessments. The Team Leader must build strong partnerships across the organization and lines of defense to drive timely and effective issue governance, and lead continuous process improvement across the issue management lifecycle including the GRC software platform and development of Gen AI solutions.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Own the enterprise Issue Management program policy and related governance framework to clarify accountabilities for issue management, establish risk tolerances, and drive clear and efficient processing of issues.

• Build and maintain strong partnerships across the lines of defense for a consistent Synchrony-wide Issue Management Program that supports the timely review, effective challenge, and validation/closure of issues.

• Manage process level controls and provide risk oversight of the enterprise issue portfolio to escalate material risks, including issue severity, root cause, risk mitigation, aging/past due exposure, repeat issues, and emerging trends.

• Drive the program roadmap and priorities to enhance the accuracy of the issue management information and support enhanced analytics such as taxonomies and reference data to provide key insights on trends and impacts of issues, including the level and type of risk within the Synchrony control environment.

• Lead issue analytics and reporting to increase transparency into issue KPIs/KRIs and enable the business to proactively manage program requirements while mitigating risks. Identify and present key themes to Synchrony Management and Board through various committees including ORSC/CC, ERMC and Risk Committee.

• Lead OCC/FRB regulatory exam responses related to issue management, including supporting broader organization in targeted functional exams.

• Own the Bank’s Regulation O insider lending compliance program, including governance and policy oversight, annual insider related-party survey, coordination with Legal/Corporate Secretary and Credit Risk teams on screening and monthly monitoring, escalation/remediation of exceptions, and management/board and exam/audit reporting.

• Identify, prioritize and implement Gen AI capabilities and eGRC modifications to implement automated controls, improve process efficiency and user productivity, and enhance analytical insights.

• Lead and develop the Issue Management team, including coaching, performance management, capacity planning, and cross-functional coordination; ensuring that procedures and training are updated and adopted.

• Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years' experience in a regulated bank/ financial institution. In lieu of a degree, 12+ years' experience in a regulated bank/financial institution.

• 5+ years' Management experience of an Issue Management Program and team, within a regulated bank institution Risk