Principal Technology Risk Management - Data Security

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 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.

About the role

Provides independent second-line oversight, assessment, and credible challenge of first-line technology risk management activities across the company. Partners across Technology, Security, Product, Data, and other business functions to evaluate risk and control practices, including risk assessments, issues management, control validation, key risk indicators, governance reporting, and escalation. Helps ensure technology-related risks are managed consistent with enterprise risk appetite, regulatory expectations, and sound industry practice. May support one or more focus areas based on business need, including Enterprise Technology Risk, Data Security Risk, Access Management Risk, Offensive Security Risk, Vulnerability Management Risk, AI Security Risk, and Asset and Inventory Management Risk.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent review, oversight, and credible challenge of first-line technology risk management activities, controls, and decisions.
• Evaluate the design and execution of risk management practices to ensure alignment with enterprise frameworks, policies, regulatory expectations, and relevant industry standards.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight of risk identification and assessment activities.
• Review and challenge risk and control self-assessments, issues management, remediation plans, control validation outcomes, and key risk indicators.
• Assess the adequacy of severity ratings, root cause analyses, action plans, and closure evidence for technology-related issues and risk events.
• Identify risk trends, concentrations, and emerging themes through analysis of risk data, governance materials, and business changes; develop an independent view of risk exposure and control effectiveness.
• Prepare and support reporting, escalation, and discussion materials for senior leaders, governance forums, and risk committees.
• Partner with first-line leaders, subject matter experts, and independent testing or validation teams to improve clarity of control expectations, testing scope, and evidence requirements.
• Provide ongoing risk advisory support while maintaining second-line independence and accountability for effective challenge.
• Recommend opportunities to strengthen risk awareness, governance routines, and training that improve technology risk management maturity.
• Support the company’s commitment to risk management and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data.

Focus Areas

• Provide independent challenge and oversight of technology risk management practices across infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, product, and operational technology domains.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight of information security risk management practices across threat management, network, endpoint, cloud, architecture, data, access, AI, or application security domains.
• Assess alignment of technology risk and control activities to enterprise policies, risk frameworks, and applicable industry standards.
• Evaluate whether risk assessments, control inventories, issues management, and key risk indicators are executed consistently and effectively across the technology organization.
• Challenge risk identification activities related to significant technology changes, new products or capabilities, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Assess risk trends and systemic themes across the technology environment and provide independent reporting and escalation as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Typically has 12 years of experience or demonstrated portfolio consistent with experience required of the role in technology risk, information security, operational risk, or related disciplines within a regulated or otherwise complex operating environment.
• Strong understanding of risk management practices, control frameworks, and second-line oversight within a three lines of defense model.
• Demonstrated experience providing independent review, challenge, or governance of first-line technology, security, data, or operational risk activities.
• Strong ability to assess control design and effectiveness, synthesize risk data, identify themes, and translate technical issues into business risk.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, including experience interacting with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Strong critical thinking, judgment, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to provide practical, risk-based recommendations in a complex environment.
• Ability to operate independently, manage competing priorities, and maintain effective working relationships while preserving second-line objectivity.
• Background and drug screen.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or additional related education and/or experience.
• Experience in financial services, payments, fintech, or another highly regulated industry.
• Familiarity with relevant regulatory expectations and industry standards and frameworks applicable to technology and security risk management such as ISO 27002, PCI DSS, NIST, FFIEC, and SOC 2.
• Experience supporting governance committees, audits, examinations, or regulatory interactions.
• Relevant risk, security, audit, or control certifications such as CISA, CISM, CISSP, CCSP, CRISC, GSNA, CGIH, or equivalent.
• Project or process management experience supporting cross-functional risk, control, or governance initiatives.

Working Conditions

Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer, involving sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling, and reaching. Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers. Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Pay

The base pay scale for this position is:

• Phoenix, AZ / Chicago, IL / Washington, DC: $184,000 - $230,000 USD per year.
• New York, NY / San Francisco, CA: $221,000 - $276,000 USD per year.

Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits. Pay is subject to change and depends on factors such as job scope, market rates, geographic location, candidate’s education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certifications.

Benefits

• Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans, plus company contributions to Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health, and dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with a 100% company safe harbor match on the first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.
• Paid Time Off: Flexible Time Off for exempt (salaried) employees, generous PTO for non-exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
• Maven Family Planning support through your parenting journey, including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.