Divisional Risk Advisor (Retirement/ERISA)

The Vanguard Group • Charlotte, PA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Vanguard’s Workplace Solutions team supports defined contribution plan sponsors and participants through recordkeeping, administration, and trust/custody services in a complex fiduciary environment anchored in ERISA and aligned with IRS and DOL requirements. The Divisional Risk Advisor brings deep ERISA expertise to guide business decisions, build partnerships with senior leaders, and strengthen controls across operations, technology, and client service.

The role designs and leads the Workplace Solutions risk program, provides credible and effective challenge, and fosters a forward-looking, risk-aware culture. It uses Vanguard’s operational and strategic risk frameworks to align divisional controls with enterprise standards, anticipate emerging risks in retirement services, and support delivery for plan sponsors and participants. The position also represents the division in partnerships with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• At least eight years of related work experience, including five years in risk management within retirement services, trust/custody, or related fiduciary operations.
• Deep command of ERISA, including fiduciary duties, plan operations, and fee disclosures, as well as IRS rules and DOL oversight.
• Hands-on mastery of operational risk frameworks and control assurance, including control design, testing, monitoring, and reporting.
• Exceptional communication and strategic-thinking skills, sound judgment, and the ability to influence senior leaders and build stakeholder buy-in.
• Curiosity, learning agility, ability to connect ideas across people, technology, and processes, and ability to anticipate emerging risks and opportunities.
• Informal leadership that models investor zeal, inclusion, tenacity, and integrity and builds trust and develops the team.
• Undergraduate degree required.

Nice To Haves

• Graduate degree, such as a JD, MBA, or MS in Risk/Finance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the divisional risk strategy by setting the program’s vision and roadmap and evolving risk capabilities.
• Provide authoritative guidance on ERISA fiduciary standards and obligations, IRS requirements, and trust/custody controls.
• Establish risk and control oversight, including standards adherence, performance metrics, and executive-ready reporting.
• Advise on control design, monitoring, and assurance; direct targeted testing; identify root causes; and drive timely remediation.
• Engage early with teams advancing new services, solutions, operating model changes, and platform enhancements, including recordkeeping enhancements, CITs, and managed solutions.
• Bring an independent perspective to risk acceptance decisions, prioritize existing and emerging risks, and enable risk-informed decision-making.
• Build trusted relationships with business leaders and steward adoption of enterprise frameworks and standards.
• Partner with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, and external stakeholders; participate in special projects and industry forums.

What This Job Offers

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