AVP Operational & Model Risk

Athene • West Des Moines, IA

1d

About The Position

The AVP Operational and Model Risk plays a critical leadership role in advancing Athene’s Operational and Model Risk Management frameworks. This role is responsible for driving consistent, high-quality execution of risk practices across the organization while partnering closely with business and functional leaders to strengthen risk identification, governance, and decision-making. As part of Athene’s broader risk organization, and backed by the scale and capabilities of Apollo, this role offers the opportunity to influence risk strategy across a complex, fast-growing platform. The ideal candidate brings a balance of technical risk expertise, leadership capability, and a proactive mindset to continuously enhance risk frameworks and drive meaningful business impact.

Requirements

• 8+ years of relevant experience in operational risk, model risk, or related disciplines within financial services or insurance, including direct or indirect people leadership experience
• Strong knowledge of operational and model risk frameworks, including risk assessment, incident management, and model lifecycle governance
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and provide effective challenge in a complex, cross-functional environment
• Experience driving process improvements, governance enhancements, or risk framework maturity initiatives
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, or related field

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution and continuous enhancement of Operational and Model Risk Management frameworks, ensuring consistent application across business units and alignment with risk appetite and regulatory expectations
• Oversee operational risk assessments, incident and issue management, and risk monitoring activities, identifying key themes, emerging risks, and opportunities for improved controls and mitigation
• Drive model risk governance processes, including oversight of model inventory, validation activities, and lifecycle management, ensuring robust documentation, transparency, and audit readiness
• Partner with business leaders, actuarial, and functional stakeholders to provide effective challenge, support risk-informed decision-making, and ensure strong adoption of risk practices
• Lead the development of clear, decision-useful reporting and insights for senior leadership and risk governance forums, including committees and regulatory engagements
• Drive improvements to risk systems, tools, and processes, including the adoption of technology and AI-enabled capabilities to enhance efficiency, scalability, and transparency
• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team, fostering a strong risk culture, accountability, and continuous learning across the function
• Serve on the cross-functional AI forums, providing an Operational Risk perspective on the evaluation, adoption, and governance of AI and machine learning tools.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level