Vice President Firstline Operational Risk Team

About the role

Provide enterprise leadership for a centralized first-line operational risk and governance function supporting business units across the organization. Accountable for the design, execution, and ongoing maturity of first-line operational risk programs including risk and control assessments, issue management, third-party risk oversight, complaints governance, and quality assurance. Partner with business leaders such as enterprise risk, compliance, legal, and audit to embed risk management into day-to-day operations, strengthen risk ownership, and ensure alignment with regulatory expectations, enterprise risk frameworks, and strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end leadership for the organization’s first-line operational risk and governance framework, embedding risk management into business operations and decision-making.
• Own and mature first-line programs including Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), operational risk identification and monitoring, issue management, third-party risk oversight, and complaints governance and quality assurance.
• Establish and maintain enterprise-aligned standards, policies, and methodologies for first-line risk management, ensure consistency across business units and alignment with second-line frameworks.
• Guide business leaders through implementation of risk programs, drive accountability for control ownership, issue remediation, and sustainable risk-balanced outcomes.
• Oversee identification, escalation, tracking, and reporting of operational risk issues, control gaps, complaints trends, and emerging risks.
• Lead first-line engagement for regulatory exams, audits, and internal governance forums in partnership with enterprise risk, compliance, legal, and audit.
• Deliver clear, actionable risk reporting to senior leadership and governance committees aligned to risk appetite and business strategy.
• Continuously assess effectiveness of first-line risk execution and recommend enhancements to frameworks, tools, and reporting.
• Plan, oversee and lead the work of the team to meet functional and individual operational objectives and goals.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.
• Responsible for hire, fire, performance, discipline and problem-resolution decisions.
• Adhere to and ensure compliance of all business transactions with policy and process of the Bank Secrecy Act.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, company procedures and policies.
• Maintain integrity and ethics in all actions and conversations with or regarding credit union members and their accounts; comply with Privacy Act directives.

Requirements

• Minimum - 4 Year Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Risk Management or related field.
• Preferred - Graduate Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Risk Management or related field.
• Minimum - 15 years of operational risk management, governance, audit, compliance, or related functions within a large, regulated financial institution or related industry.
• Minimum - 8 years of leading enterprise or large-segment operational risk programs, including RCSA frameworks and regulatory engagement or related experience.
• Minimum - 8 years of people management experience.

In lieu of education: 20+ years of operational risk management, governance, audit, compliance, or related functions within a large, regulated financial institution, including leading enterprise or large-segment operational risk programs, RCSA frameworks, regulatory engagement, and people management.

Pay

Typical hiring range: $179,100.00 to $268,700.00 annually. Actual compensation will be determined using factors such as experience, skills, and knowledge.

Benefits

• Health care, vision, and dental coverage.
• 401k with employer match.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Work from home up to 3 days a week.
• Paid parental leave.
• Employee discount programs.
• Time off including paid personal and sick days.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Education reimbursement.

Note that eligibility and cost of benefits can vary depending on the number of regularly scheduled hours and job status such as regular full-time, regular part-time, or temporary employment.