Chief Risk Officer

Credit Union 1 Alaska•Anchorage, AK

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Credit Union 1 is seeking a Chief Risk Officer to guide its risk strategy as the credit union grows and integrates following a merger. The CRO will anticipate risks, exercise sound judgment, and advise the C-Suite and Board of Directors so decisions align with organizational priorities. The role is based in Anchorage, Alaska, and requires travel across the credit union’s Alaska footprint, including Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright, Homer, and the Mat-Su. The CRO oversees enterprise risk management, credit risk oversight, compliance and BSA/AML, fraud and financial crimes, third-party and vendor risk, operational resilience, information security governance, and regulatory relations. The role provides independent oversight and challenge, builds risk ownership across business units through the three lines of defense, and develops the capabilities, talent, and structure needed to support the organization. Compensation is competitive with peer credit unions of similar size and complexity, with performance incentive eligibility.

Requirements

10 or more years in risk, compliance, credit, audit, or regulatory roles in financial services, including at least 5 years leading teams.
Direct experience with credit union or community bank regulation, including NCUA or a comparable state or federal regulator.
Demonstrated ownership of at least two of the following: enterprise risk management, credit risk, BSA/AML, or compliance management.
Experience presenting to a board of directors or a board-level risk or audit committee.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
Legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction; visa sponsorship is not provided.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an organization going through a merger, core conversion, or rapid growth.
Background in a state-chartered institution with dual regulatory oversight.
Certifications such as CRCM, CAMS, CERP, CRVPM, or CIA.
Experience in Alaska or another geographically distributed, rural-serving market.

Responsibilities

Oversee and run the enterprise risk management program, including risk taxonomy, risk appetite statement, key risk indicators, and reporting for the Board and executive team.
Integrate risk considerations into strategy, budget, and product decisions.
Partner with the Chief Lending Officer and Chief Financial Officer on portfolio quality, concentration limits, allowance methodology, stress testing, and loan policy; provide independent challenge on credit decisions and portfolio direction.
Own the compliance management system, consumer regulations, fair lending, and BSA/AML/OFAC program.
Oversee fraud prevention, detection, and loss mitigation across channels.
Own due diligence and ongoing monitoring frameworks for critical vendors, fintech partners, and outsourced services.
Oversee business continuity, disaster recovery, incident response, and crisis management.
Partner with the Chief Information Officer on cyber risk posture, security governance, and technology risk, providing independent oversight while IT owns execution.
Serve as a primary point of contact for NCUA and the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities; manage exam preparation, findings, and remediation, and keep leadership informed of regulatory change.
Build risk ownership at the business-unit level through the three lines of defense; establish frameworks, challenge work, and report risk accurately.
Provide clear recommendations and hard-nosed independent challenge to leadership.
Translate risk issues for audiences ranging from branch managers to Board members.
Build risk capability, talent, and structure rather than becoming a bottleneck through personally reviewing every file.
Lead through influence across departments and bring long-term regulatory, credit-cycle, and technology-risk considerations into current decisions.