Manager - Risk Management, RCSA, Controls Design, Testing and Validation

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.

Overview

The Senior Manager, First Line Risk Management is accountable for ensuring that risks are appropriately identified, assessed, controlled, tested, and validated within the business, consistent with the institution's risk appetite and regulatory expectations.

Operating within the First Line of Defense, this role provides credible, sustainable execution of risk management activities, including Risk Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), control testing, and control validation, while maintaining clear ownership of risks and controls by the business. The role serves as a key point of accountability for demonstrating to regulators that controls are designed effectively, operating as intended, and supported by evidence.

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Essential Functions

Control Design, Testing & Validation

* Maintain clear first line ownership for risks and controls, ensuring accountability is not transferred to second line or audit functions.

* Establish and enforce consistent risk and control management practices across assigned business areas.

* Lead and manage a team of first line risk professionals responsible for RCSA, control testing, and validation activities.

* Ensure internal controls are appropriately designed to mitigate identified risks and align with regulatory and policy requirements.

* Oversee the development and execution of risk-based control testing plans to assess both design and operating effectiveness.

* Ensure control validation activities confirm that controls operate consistently over time and perform as intended.

* Review and approve testing results, ensuring deficiencies are accurately assessed, root causes identified, and corrective actions defined.

* Confirm that control failures are timely remediated, retested, and validated prior to closure.

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Process Documentation & Risk Identification

* Establish and maintain ongoing control monitoring mechanisms for key and critical controls, including defined thresholds and escalation criteria.

* Maintain complete and accurate inventories of business processes, risks, controls, and testing results.

* Ensure control documentation and testing evidence are regulator-ready, traceable, and consistently maintained.

* Ensure end-to-end process maps are documented and maintained, clearly identifying risk points, controls, and upstream/downstream dependencies.

* Validate that process documentation supports effective risk identification, control testing, and regulatory review.

* Use process analysis to identify control gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement or automation.

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Risk Monitoring and Escalation

* Monitor applicable laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance impacting assigned business areas.

* Ensure corresponding controls are implemented, tested, and validated in a manner consistent with regulatory expectations.

* Provide accurate, complete, and timely documentation to support regulatory inquiries, including CFPB, internal audit, and external audit engagements.

* Ensure controls support the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of systems and data.

* Identify and escalate emerging risks, control weaknesses, and adverse trends to management in a timely manner.

* Establishes ongoing control monitoring mechanisms for key and critical controls.

* Defines thresholds and escalation criteria for control failures.

* Provides leadership with clear visibility into risk exposure and control performance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience, with a minimum of 3 years in enterprise risk management, operational risk, internal audit, or related risk consulting roles in a financial institution or highly regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of risk management programs and industry best practices for regulated entities in the financial services industry
• Strong understanding of ERM frameworks (e.g., COSO ERM, ISO 31000) and internal control principles.
• Experience providing independent review and challenge of first line of defense technology risks and controls.
• Demonstrated aptitude to think strategically, provide thought leadership to the organization and execute program initiatives
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, including the ability to lead forums with multiple stakeholders
• Strong relationship-building skills and experience interacting with executives and functional business leaders through all levels of the organization
• Strong critical thinking skills and the ability to identify practical recommendations in an evolving and increasingly complex business and regulatory environment
• Excellent written/oral communication and influencing skills
• Self-starter who feels comfortable operating independently
• Education and/or experience typically obtained through completion of a Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Background and drug screen

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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree
• Experience inbanking, fintech,payments, real-time P2P, cards, ACH, or network-based platforms
• Knowledge ofregulatoryguidance (e.g.,FRB SR 11-7,OCC2012-11, CFPB, FFIEC), NIST AI frameworkand fraud governance framework
• Hands-on experiencein AI/Model Risk Management
• Professional certificationssuch asCFE, CRCM,orCAMS

The base pay scale for this position in:
Phoenix, AZ in USD per year is: $129,000 - $161,000.
New York, NY in USD per year is: $154,000 - $193,000.
Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.

This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate's education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes.

Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness

• Healthcare Coverage-Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan-Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.

• Paid Time Off -Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as 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 - provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

AndSOmuch more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure tocheck our Benefits page here for the latest. Ourteamcan share more during the interview process!

Early Warning Services, LLC ("Early Warning") considers for employment, hires, retains and promotes qualified candidates on the basis of ability, potential, and valid qualifications without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our employees.

Early Warning Services LLC is a proud participant in E-Verify, a federal program to help ensure a legal and authorized workforce. As part of our hiring process, we electronically verify the employment eligibility of all new hires through E-Verify. For more information on your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify please visit Home | E-Verify.