Risk Transformation Director

At Early Warning, we’ve powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses.

Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

Overall Purpose 

The Risk Transformation Director will be responsible for supporting a multi-year enterprise-wide transformation initiatives focused on embedding process risk management (including risk identification, control design, and RCSA), enhancing control testing and issue management disciplines, and designing the target operating model (TOM) for risk management. This role will be responsible for driving strategy, execution, and stakeholder alignment across all lines of defense to elevate the organization’s risk maturity, transparency, and efficiency. 

Essential Functions 

Strategic Leadership 

• Be the strategic leader to support the design and execution of the identified initiatives related to the Risk Transformation roadmap, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategic priorities and regulatory expectations. 

• Collaborate and partner with senior leaders in the 1st and 2nd Lines of Defense to clarify risk ownership, accountability, and governance. 

Process Risk Management 

• Establish and institutionalize an enterprise process risk management framework that integrates risk identification, assessment, and control effectiveness evaluation. 

• Partner with process owners to embed risk and control considerations into core business and technology processes. 

• Ensure end-to-end visibility of risk within key business processes, including data, technology, third-party, and regulatory dependencies. 

Target Operating Model (TOM) Development 

• Define and implement the Target Operating Model (TOM) for risk management, including process standards, control frameworks, reporting structures, and engagement models. 

• Design the future-state Risk Operating Model—spanning governance, process, people, technology, and data components. 

• Define roles, responsibilities, and interfaces across risk, compliance, audit, and business teams.  Communicate cross-functionally for understanding on accountabilities and responsibilities. 

• Partner with HR and transformation offices to align org structure, capacity planning, and workforce capabilities with TOM design. 

Governance & Reporting 

• Drive risk reporting modernization, including owning identifying and creating enhanced Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), control health metrics, and transformation progress reporting. 

• Produce and present updates to senior leadership, Board Risk Committees, and regulators on transformation milestones and outcomes. 

• Ensure alignment with regulatory frameworks such as OCC Heightened Standards, FFIEC, Basel, and COSO ERM. 

• Supports the company’s commitment to risk management and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• 10+ years of experience in risk management, operational risk, process excellence, or large-scale transformation within financial services or other highly regulated industries. 

• Proven experience designing and implementing risk operating models or enterprise transformation initiatives. 

• Deep understanding of risk management frameworks, control testing, RCSA, issue management, and regulatory expectations. 

• Strong program management, change leadership, and stakeholder influence skills. 

• Effective communicator, both written and verbal, ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise manner for all levels of leadership including internal and external stakeholders. 

• Ability to effectively prioritize work, meet deadlines, achieve goals, and work under pressure in a dynamic and complex environment 

• Ability to influence and drive enterprise-wide strategic decisions with si