Director, HR Controls Testing Head (Hybrid)

HR Controls Testing Head Director

Human Resources (“HR”) is a global organization comprised of more than 4,000 professionals providing strategic human capital advisory support to Citi's business leaders in multiple industries across all 96 countries of operation. Within this context, Human Resources is responsible for the development and delivery of core HR programs including: sourcing qualified talent; assisting managers to apply effective employee selection practices; establishing appropriate terms and conditions of employment; developing effective new employee on-boarding; training employees; assessing employee job performance and talent; developing manager leadership capability; succession and resource planning; measuring employee sentiment; escalating and/or investigating potential employee misconduct and mechanism for employee corrective action; developing strategies to discontinue employment, as well as maintaining market competitive compensation, benefits and recognition programs intended to reward good performance and retain talented employees. Many of these programs, processes, underlying data, and associated requirements are highly regulated, governed by policy and attract substantial legal, operational and strategic risk.

The Control Testing team is responsible for the testing of controls that are designed and executed by HR. This position reports to the HR Controls Head within the HR organization and works closely with Citi's COO office. This role is a strategic- and execution-oriented leadership role accountable for end-to-end control testing.

The HR Controls Testing Head leads and directs a team of approximately 20 controls testing professionals responsible for supporting the above responsibilities, with breadth and depth on control testing planning and execution. The position closely follows latest trends in controls testing and adapts them for application with frequent engagement to senior managers at Director or Managing Director levels. Excellent management and communication skills required to negotiate internally, frequently at a senior level. Developed communication and diplomacy skills are required to guide, influence, and convince others, in particular colleagues in other areas and occasional external customers. Accountable for controls testing results and advising business and function partners regarding control execution. Necessitates a degree of responsibility over technical strategy.

Responsibilities:

• Leads the HR Controls Testing Utility by independently assessing Controls and proposing actions to address the root causes that persistently lead to Control failures by challenging both historical and proposed practices.

• Holds responsibility for controls testing program and for assessing the design of in-scope controls.
• Establishes and oversees the application of operational risk policies, technology and tools, and governance processes to create lasting solutions for detecting unmitigated risk arising from failed internal processes, inadequate controls, and emerging risks in partnership with the Citi businesses & functions.
• Works with colleagues in other areas of Risk Management, Compliance/Control, and the Businesses to assure appropriate management of Operational Risk processes with appropriate controls.
• Identifies emerging operational risks in the context of the current economic, regulatory, and business environment and proposes measures the business could take to mitigate those risks.
• Investigates causes for results that are deviating from trends and escalate situations that pose excessive risk(s).
• Communicates and interprets Managers Controls Assessment (MCA) controls testing results and trends to audit, business, compliance, and legal senior leadership – e.g., Operating Risk Forum, Quarterly Risk Assessment (QRA) Meeting, Business Risk and Control Committee.
• Develops and drives quality-checking routines to ensure compliance with all relevant policies, operating guides, and owned control testing scope.
• Sets ambitious and measurable control testing goals for self and teams that align to business strategy and support business strategy realization.
• Clears obstacles for team through business cases, influence, education, and relationship leverage – whether it be resource, process, or knowledge gaps.
• Coaches direct reports and any level of team member on topics ranging from team capacity management to specific testing design and execution points, and from performance management to testing platforms basics.
• Drives team for continuous improvements in accuracy, efficiency, timeliness, and quality of MCA control design assessment and controls testing.
• Maintains relationships and drives accountability with partners and stakeholders to drive control testing's success in support of the busi