Sr. Director, Operational Risk Management

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 Senior Director, Operational Risk Management, will lead business-aligned risk coverage teams within the Second Line of Defense (SLOD). This role is responsible for providing independent review and challenge, as well as advisory support, across all business units and enterprise functions to ensure the company’s risk-taking is consistent with its strategy, risk appetite, and regulatory expectations. The role reports to the Head of Operational Risk and is a critical member of the firm’s operational risk leadership team.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership

• Define and drive the business coverage team’s strategy, ensuring alignment with enterprise and operational risk frameworks and regulatory standards.

• Establishes and leads the methodology for select ORM programs including, the strategy and scope for second line independent control testing/validation.

• Provide risk insights and thought leadership to senior executives, business leaders, and governing committees.

• Champion a culture of accountability, transparency, and effective risk management across the enterprise.

Independent Review & Challenge

• Lead teams to independently assess business units’ risk identification, mitigation, and monitoring practices, as well as adherence to operational risk program requirements.

• Challenge risk decisions where appropriate and ensure escalation protocols are robust and effective.

• Works with other operational risk domain owners to support first-line’s understanding of risk/control requirements and to provide integrated risk management oversight on cross-risk assessments.

• Develops and drives periodic executive level reporting regarding operational risk management to support decision-making and escalation regarding risks that may not be consistent with the business risk tolerance.

Advisory & Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to first-line business and functional leaders, balancing strong risk oversight with enabling business objectives.

• Collaborate with Enterprise Risk, other ORM Risk Domains, Technology & Security Risk and Legal to ensure coordinated risk management practices.

• Provide timely and actionable feedback to strengthen first-line risk ownership and accountability.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of risk managers providing coverage across multiple lines of business and enterprise functions.

• Foster a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative team culture.

• Ensure risk talent is developed to meet future enterprise needs.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education and/or experience typically obtained through completion of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

• Minimum of 12+ years of operational risk management experience, preferably in financial services or other highly regulated industries.

• Proven leader with at least 5 years in a leadership role with direct reports.

• Strong understanding of operational risk programs (e.g. RCSA, Risk Events, Issue Management, KRIs, etc.) and risk domains (including technology, cyber, third-party, fraud / scams, and data risk)

• Exceptional communication skills with ability to synthesize and present complex risk issues clearly and persuasively.

• Proven strategic thinker and creative problem solver who also demonstrates strong attention to detail and efficiency.

• Ability to drive change in a dynamic business environment.

• Strong relationship building skills.

• Excellent organizationa