Director of Operational Risk

Job Description

The Operational Risk Director within the Risk Management organization is responsible for assisting with the independent oversight of front-line operational risk management effectiveness and will socialize operational risk concepts, frameworks and promote the organizations' risk culture, including education and training. The Operational Risk Director must adapt previous experience and industry leading practices to fit Northwest. This individual will support operational risk management oversight and consulting for all businesses within Northwest, partnering with functional and operational leadership to develop risk mitigation plans, consistent with the Bank's enterprise risk management framework. The role will be an integral part of the operational risk management team and is expected to engage with senior business and risk leaders to influence risk management activities and decisions, and to support our mission through risk-based and data-driven decision making.
 
Essential Functions
•    Support company-wide oversight and governance over the operational risk program
•    Help to establish and oversee the application of operational risk policies, technology and tools, and governance processes to create lasting solutions for minimizing losses from failed internal processes, inadequate controls, and emerging risks
•    Assess risks and drive actions to address the root causes that persistently lead to significant residual operational risk by challenging both historical and proposed practices
•    Leverage the current ERM framework and partner with the business to further mature risk assessments, document controls, identify gaps, and create action plans for critical processes, including validation and testing to ensure the operational risk program is implemented and executed appropriately.
•    Refine the risk register for operational risk competencies, as well as help create additional ones as appropriate
•    Help to establish and oversee the Risk & Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) process, including implementation by the first-line, and ongoing oversight and credible-challenge
•    Lead and attend RCSA workshops, evaluating completeness of identified risks and controls, and assessment of adherence to program requirements.
•    Help to monitor, improve and challenge operational risk appetite metrics (RAMs) and key risk indicators (KRIs), and recommend additional metrics where needed
•    Further evolve the Operational Loss program. Administer the operational loss data collection on non-credit operational loss and near miss events, including identification, root cause analysis and retrospective review and reporting. Provide independent oversight and credible challenge of related mitigation activities
•    Formalize a Scenario Analysis program (or Structured Management Discussion) utilizing a workshop format to examine and develop non-modeled estimates of the impact and likelihood of plausible low likely-hood/high-impact operational loss events
•    Provide oversight and credible challenge to the Enterprise Resiliency Program and complete periodic risk assessments to assess adequacy. Escalate issues or exceptions accordingly
•    Provide oversight and challenge to New Business Initiatives, Fraud (in collaboration with Financial Crimes), Change Management, Funds Movement, Third Party Risk and other areas, as needed
•    Review processes and controls against leading practice and industry frameworks, identify gaps in design and execution, and communicate issues and make recommendations to adequately remediate
•    Perform independent risk assessment of the first line, inclusive of emerging risks
•    Review and challenge of first-line risk acceptances
•    Identify trends, themes, tendencies that indicate emerging operational risks by relying on mining trends in relevant metrics, loss data and external events and effectively communicate learnings to business to drive necessary responses and action
•    Influence appropriate risk management prioritization by the first line to enable the business to meet strategic objectives, while meeting operational risk management expectations
 
Additional Essential Functions
•    Ensure compliance with Northwest’s policies and procedures, and Federal/State regulations
•    Navigate Microsoft Office Software, computer applications, and software specific to the department in order to maximize technology tools and gain efficiency
•    Work as part of a team
•    Work with on-site equipment
 
Safety and Health for those without supervisory duties 
•    Abide by the rules of the safety and loss prevention program
•    Perform work tasks in a safe manner
•    Report any and all injuries to supervisor
•    Know what to do in case of an emergency
 
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
Education
Bachelor's Degree    Business Administration, Accounting, or related degree       
 
Work Experience
12 - 15 years    Banking or regulatory experience  
 
General Employee Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
•    Ability to establish effective working relationships among team members and participate in solving problems and making decisions    
•    Ability to present and express ideas and information clearly and concisely in a manner appropriate to the audience, whether oral or written    
•    Ability to actively listen to what others are saying to achieve understanding, sharing information with others and facilitating the open exchange of ideas and information    
•    Ability to establish courses of action for self to accomplish specific goals, develop and use tracking systems for monitoring own work progress, and effectively use resources such as time and information  
•    Ability to make right decisions based on perceptive and analytical processes, practicing good judgment in gray areas  

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to identify existing and potential problems, obtain and evaluate relevant information, identify possible causes of the problems, and suggest an alternative course of action including innovative or creative approaches  
Ability to allocate and effectively use information, personnel, time, and other resources necessary for implementation of Northwest’s strategic plans  
Ability to make decisions, render judgments, and take action on tasks within the scope of given authority in a timely fashion    
Ability to develop, evaluate, and implement alternative courses of action, based on correct assumptions concerning resources and guidelines, and support decisions or recommendations with data or reasoning  
Ability to present and express ideas and information effectively and concisely in an oral and/or written mode in a manner appropriate for the audience  
Ability to listen and comprehend what others are saying and facilitate the open exchange of ideas and information  
Ability to motivate and provide direction in the activities of others, appropriately assigning work and authority, in the accomplishment of goals; providing advice and assistance as required
Ability to understand and appropriately apply procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies; maintain credibility with others on specialty matters  
Team player    
Strong organizational and communication / persuasive skills  
Ability to analyze financial data and statistics  
Thorough knowledge of banking and lending concepts  
Awareness of business, legal environment, credit market, and strategic risks  
 
Licenses and Certifications
    Certified Enterprise Risk Professional (CERP)    Upon Hire      
    Certified Public Accountant (CPA)    Upon Hire      
 
 

Northwest is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.