Director of Process Risk Reduction

American Express•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. How will you make an impact in this role? The U.S. Consumer Services (USCS) Team is responsible for our suite of consumer products, services, and experiences in the U.S., including our premium, cobrand, cash back, and lending portfolios, Membership Rewards, Global Travel & Lifestyle Services, the Centurion Lounge network, our Global Dining and Resy businesses, U.S. Consumer Banking, and best-in-class marketing programs across customer, prospect, and partner channels. The USCS team is focused on making membership an indisputable competitive advantage and helping each other become better leaders every day Within USCS, the Control Management Process Risk Reduction team is responsible for strengthening the control environment and proactively reducing operational risk across our products, processes, and customer experiences. The team partners closely with business and technology leaders to identify key risk drivers, enhance processes and controls, and deliver sustainable solutions that support effective risk management while enabling continued business growth. We are seeking a Director of Process Risk Reduction to lead a team focused on driving high-impact improvements across the control environment and advancing how operational risk is managed within US Consumer Card (USCC). This role will shape and execute a strategic risk reduction agenda, partnering with USCC leaders to translate enterprise risk expectations into scalable, business-aligned solutions. The Director will play a critical role in driving cross-functional alignment and ensuring control management is consistently integrated into business operations, while delivering clear, actionable insights to support decision-making in a dynamic environment.

Requirements

6+ years of experience in operational risk, control management, internal audit, or process transformation, with a strong understanding of the end-to-end operational risk management lifecycle (e.g., RCSA, control testing, issue management, remediation)
Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives or transformation programs, with a track record of delivering measurable process, control, or risk reduction outcomes
Strong expertise in root cause analysis and remediation design, with the ability to identify systemic risk drivers and implement sustainable solutions that prevent recurrence
Proven ability to influence and partner with business and technology leaders, driving alignment and execution across a matrixed organization without direct authority
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize data from multiple sources (e.g., issues, events, testing results) into clear insights and actionable strategies
Experience in process governance and control frameworks, including aligning business processes and controls to internal policies, regulatory expectations, and risk appetite
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience developing and delivering executive-level presentations and influencing decision-making
Demonstrated leadership experience, including building, developing, and managing high-performing teams
Learning agility

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Business, Risk Management, Engineering, or related field; advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., MBA, CPA, CIA, FRM) preferred
Experience in management consulting or business transformation roles, particularly in financial services or other highly regulated industries
Experience in one or more of the following:
Leading process risk reduction or control uplift initiatives
Driving remediation of high-severity or systemic issues across business units
Designing and implementing preventive, automated, or scalable control solutions
Leading governance, PMO, or enterprise risk/control programs
Experience leveraging data, analytics, and emerging technologies (including AI/GenAI) to identify risk patterns, prioritize interventions, and enhance operational efficiency
Strong knowledge of regulatory expectations, audit methodologies, and enterprise risk management practices within financial services

Responsibilities

Define and lead the USCC process risk reduction strategy, establishing priorities to materially reduce operational risk across critical products and processes
Own identification and prioritization of high-impact risk reduction opportunities, leveraging issues, operational risk events, testing outcomes, and business insights
Drive the adoption of data, advanced analytics, and AI-enabled capabilities to enhance risk identification, prioritize interventions, and scale process and control improvements across USCC
Drive alignment with USCC and technology leaders on risk reduction priorities, influencing decision-making, resource allocation, and execution roadmaps
Oversee delivery of prioritized risk reduction initiatives for USCC, ensuring sustainability of process and control improvements
Provide executive-level insights and reporting on risk reduction progress, emerging risks, and systemic vulnerabilities
Serve as the primary point of contact for USCC leadership on control management queries
Lead a high-performing team, developing talent and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Benefits

Competitive base salaries
Bonus incentives
6%25 Company Match on retirement savings plan
Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
Career development and training opportunities