Data Risk Management Director, Second Line of Defense

Early Warning® • Scottsdale, AZ

11d • $154,000 - $232,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

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. Overall Purpose The Data Risk Management Director will lead elements of and manage the design, implementation, and oversight of the firm’s Data Risk Management Program within the Second Line of Defense (SLOD). This role is responsible for providing management, independent review, challenge, and advisory support to ensure the organization’s management and use of data is aligned with the firm’s risk appetite and stakeholder’s expectations. Reporting to the Senior Director of Data and AI Risk Management within Operational Risk Management, the Director partners closely with first-line business and risk managers, Product Management, Technology (including the Chief Data Office, Data Governance Analytics teams), as well as Compliance, Legal, Privacy, Third-Party Risk, and Technology & Security Risk to embed data risk requirements across the enterprise. The role plays a key part in enabling data-driven decision-making while ensuring data-related risks are appropriately identified, assessed, monitored, and governed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 12 years of experience in operational risk management, data risk management, data governance, technology risk, or a related discipline within financial services or another highly regulated industry.
• Direct experience supporting or leading data risk management, data governance, or data control programs.
• Strong working knowledge of industry-recognized data management and risk frameworks, including DAMA-DMBOK and DCAM.
• Experience designing or executing risk assessments, governance frameworks, metrics, and reporting for complex risk domains.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain data risks to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills, sound judgment, and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and influence across a matrixed organization.

Nice To Haves

• Risk management, data, technology, or audit certifications (e.g., CDMP, CRISC, CISM, CIA, or similar).

Responsibilities

• Manage the development, maintenance, and ongoing enhancement of the enterprise Data Risk Management framework, policies, standards, procedures, and control expectations, aligned with industry-recognized frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK and the EDM Council’s DCAM.
• Maintain and evolve the data risk and control taxonomies, ensuring consistency with operational risk, compliance risk, and technology risk frameworks.
• Oversee the development and use of risk management technologies and tooling used to inventory critical data assets, track data risks, controls, issues, and remediation activities.
• Participate in or support enterprise governance forums, committees, and working groups related to data risk, providing independent risk perspectives and recommendations.
• Develop and deliver training and awareness related to the Data Risk Management program and expectations.
• Support the development and maintenance of data risk appetite or tolerance statements, thresholds, and limits in alignment with enterprise risk appetite and regulatory expectations.
• Design, implement, and monitor key risk indicators (KRIs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and key control indicators (KCIs) to measure data risk exposure and program effectiveness.
• Analyze trends, emerging risks, and control performance related to data risk concepts.
• Develop and maintain data risk assessment methodologies, including inherent risk identification, control evaluation, residual risk determination, and escalation criteria.
• Execute the second line of defense enterprise-level data risk profile assessment to measure compliance with approved risk appetite or tolerance.
• Embed data risk considerations and requirements into other risk domain assessments (e.g., operational risk, AI risk, model risk, third-party risk, privacy, and technology risk).
• Identify emerging data risks related to data quality, integrity, lineage, access controls, aggregation, retention, regulatory reporting, and customer impact.
• Provide effective independent review and challenge of first-line data risk assessments, control design, mitigation strategies, and risk acceptance decisions.
• Execute and/or oversee quality assurance (QA) activities to assess adherence to data risk management policies, standards, and governance requirements.
• Identify gaps, weaknesses, or inconsistencies in data risk practices and ensure issues are documented, escalated, and tracked through remediation.
• Partner with other second-line risk domains to deliver integrated, holistic risk oversight of data-enabled processes, analytics, and products.
• Develop and deliver insightful, enterprise-level data risk reporting that clearly communicates risk posture, trends, emerging issues, and program health.
• Prepare materials for senior management, governance committees, and external stakeholders that drive informed decision-making and timely action.
• Lead regulatory exam support, internal audits, and management self-assessments related to data governance and data risk management.
• Serve as a trusted risk advisor to first-line leaders across Product Management, Technology, Data Governance, Analytics, and Business Operations, including data owners, stewards and custodians.
• Collaborate closely with Compliance, Legal, Privacy, Model Risk Management, Technology & Security Risk, and Operational Risk to ensure coordinated oversight of data-related risks.
• Support responsible data usage by helping the business understand data risk requirements while enabling safe and compliant adoption of data-driven capabilities.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

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