Senior Associate – Technology & Cyber Risk Management RCSA Validation Coordinator

Senior Associate – Technology & Cyber Risk Management RCSA Validation Coordinator

Country: United States of America

Your Journey Starts Here:

Santander is a global leader and innovator in the financial services industry. We believe that our employees are our greatest asset. Our focus is on fostering an enriching journey that empowers you to explore diverse career opportunities while nurturing your personal growth. We are committed to creating an environment where continuous learning and development are prioritized, enabling you to thrive both professionally and personally. Here, you will find ample opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented colleagues from around the world, sharing insights and driving innovation together. Join us at Santander, where you are supported by a culture of engagement and a commitment to your success.

An exciting journey awaits, if you are interested in exploring the possibilities We Want to Talk to You!

The Difference You Make:
We are seeking a Senior Associate to join our Technology & Risk Management team (Second Line of defense) with a focus on Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) validation. This role will be responsible for coordinating and executing in-depth validations of technology and cybersecurity risk/control assessments, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance with internal and regulatory standards. The Senior Associate will act as a central coordinator for validation activities, working closely with technology and cyber stakeholders, and control testers, while applying strong analytical and project management (PMO) skills.

Essential Functions:

Technology & Cyber RCSA Validation:

• Execute and coordinate independent validation of technology and cybersecurity RCSAs, including IT general controls, infrastructure, application, and cyber-specific controls.
• Review and challenge control design, test results, and effectiveness assessments
• Provide guidance and oversight to the team performing validations, ensuring technical accuracy and adherence to methodology.

Stakeholder Coordination & Engagement:

• Partner with technology teams, cyber risk/control owners, and first-line functions to coordinate RCSA second line validation activities.
• Ensure validation findings and control gaps are documented, communicated, and addressed in a timely manner.
• Support engagement with senior technology and risk stakeholders to escalate material findings.

Structured Delivery & PMO Support:

• Apply structured project management skills to plan, monitor, and track validation activities.
• Develop and maintain validation schedules, manage dependencies, and ensure deliverables are completed on time.
• Contribute to playbooks, templates, and methodologies specific to technology and cyber RCSA Second line validation.

Governance & Reporting:

• Support the preparation of reporting, dashboards, and metrics on validation activities.
• Ensure validation documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready.
• Provide insights and updates to risk committees, governance forums, and management.

What You Bring:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Risk Management, or related field.
• Master's Degree in related disciplines. Pref
• Professional certifications are strongly desirable: CISA, CRISC, CISSP, CISM, CCAK, or PMP.

Work Experience:

• Overall professional experience of 5-10 years or more in in Technology Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk, IT Audit, or Operational Risk within financial services.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in testing and validating technology and cyber controls within the RCSA framework.
• Exposure to coordinating risk/control assessment activities and project management practices (PMO experience a plus).
• Experience within a highly regulated environment such as the financial services industry
• Experience performing process assurance activities

Technical Skills:

• Strong knowledge of IT and cybersecurity risks, including IT general controls, identity and access management, network security, cloud, and application security.
• Familiarity with industry frameworks and standards such