Director, Operational Risk Management

Prudential Financial•Newark, NJ

About The Position

Prudential’s Operational Risk Management (ORM) team supports the execution of Prudential’s strategy by ensuring risks are well understood and managed. Joining ORM provides a tremendous opportunity to see across Prudential and work with senior management, Audit, Law, Compliance, and other Risk Management teams to help drive business outcomes. We are seeking a Director of ORM, AI Risk and Governance, a Risk Partner who will be responsible for providing expertise, independent oversight and monitoring, and effective challenge supporting the AI risk and strategy at Prudential. We do this by promoting effective execution of the company’s ORM framework, providing cross-functional leadership, and through independent analysis and reporting. This position requires strong critical thinking skills, good judgment, and the ability to turn large amounts of information into intelligence. This position also requires strong communication skills, resourcefulness, and the ability to influence others. A strong candidate will be a strategic thinker who also enjoys getting tactical and digging into and solving challenging problems while working with others. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned risk manager with expertise in AI governance and operational risk, particularly within financial services. This Director-level role requires a proven track record of leading comprehensive risk management initiatives at a strategic level. This role is responsible for establishing and overseeing the governance, risk management, and control framework for AI and advanced analytics across the organization. This role assesses how AI products (AIPs) are designed, deployed, and operate in a safe, compliant, and responsible manner, aligned with regulatory expectations, internal policies, and risk management standards. The role will serve as an independent second-line risk function responsible for oversight, challenge, and guidance related to the AI programs, operational risk, and governance across the AI lifecycle, from design and development through deployment and monitoring. Through collaboration with key stakeholders and continuous enhancement of risk management frameworks, the Director drives the organization’s ability to anticipate, address, and communicate AI risks effectively, supporting the achievement of strategic objectives and operational resiliency.

Requirements

Extensive Experience in AI Risk Management: At least 10 years of progressive experience in operational risk management, internal audit, or compliance within the financial services industry and a focus on AI and technology risk.
In-depth Knowledge of AI Risk Frameworks and Regulations: Familiarity with regulatory requirements and risk management frameworks such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, EU AI Act, and guidance from regulators including the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Securities and Exchange Commission where applicable.
Proven Leadership and Team Collaboration Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams, providing guidance and support on technology risk management initiatives.
Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving Abilities: Expertise in analyzing and interpreting risk data, conducting risk assessments, and developing risk mitigation strategies.
Experience producing Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs) and managing Issues: Proficiency in conducting RCSAs or process-level assessments, managing and driving remediation of issues, developing key risk indicators, and monitoring risk appetite and tolerance.
Excellent Communication and Reporting Skills: Ability to prepare and present risk reports to senior management and governance forums, ensuring clear communication of risk posture and mitigation plans.

Responsibilities

AI Risk Governance & Framework Development Drive adoption of more robust AI enterprise AI governance framework, policies, standards, and procedures aligned with industry best practices.
Aligning AI risk frameworks with business priorities to enable scalable governance and support responsible adoption of AI tools.
Ensure integration of AI risk management into the broader ORM framework.
Independent Risk Oversight Provide second-line oversight and challenge of AI products, including risk tiering criteria and approval workflows for AI use cases and Agentic AI workflows
Conduct ongoing risk assessments for AI products and assess associated operational, model, technology, and ethical risks.
Oversee adherence to governance standards across the AI lifecycle (development, validation, deployment, monitoring, retirement).
AI Lifecycle Risk Management Establish and oversee risk and control requirements across the AI lifecycle from development and validation through deployment and monitoring, including unfair bias, human oversight, explainability and transparency.
Create standardized templates for AI risk reviews and decisioning across stakeholders and contribute to the AI Governance Council presentations and risk assessments.
Demonstrated technical fluency to understand, assess, and effectively challenge AI architectures, data pipelines, AI product behavior, and control design.
Risk Assessment & Reporting Design and oversee AI risk assessments, control testing, and monitoring processes.
Develop risk metrics, key risk indicators (KRIs), and governance reporting for senior management and risk committees.
Escalate material AI-related risk issues to leadership.
Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with key stakeholders to ensure consistent governance practices.
Support the safe adoption of AI while balancing innovation with risk management principles.
Promote responsible AI practices through training, guidance, and awareness initiatives.
Build organizational understanding of AI risks.

Benefits

Market competitive base salaries, with a yearly bonus potential at every level
Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and leave of absences, such as parental and military leave
401(k) plan with company match (up to 4%).
Company-funded pension plan.
Wellness Programs including up to $1,600 a year for reimbursement of items purchased to support personal wellbeing needs.
Work/Life Resources to help support topics such as parenting, housing, senior care, finances, pets, legal matters, education, emotional and mental health, and career development.
Education Benefit to help finance traditional college enrollment toward obtaining an approved degree and many accredited certificate programs.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Shares can be purchased at 85% of the lower of two prices (Beginning or End of the purchase period), after one year of service.
Eligibility to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.

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