Independent Testing Utility Manager

East West Bank • Pasadena, CA

9d

About The Position

Support the design, execution, and continuous enhancement of the Bank’s Independent Testing program, with emphasis on risk-based coverage, outcome-based testing, ongoing monitoring, and validation of control effectiveness. The role is responsible for helping assess whether controls and processes achieve intended risk management outcomes, identifying emerging risk themes, supporting credible challenge, and translating testing and monitoring results into clear management reporting and governance-ready materials. The manager will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and data-driven workflows to improve population analysis, anomaly detection, monitoring efficiency, workpaper consistency, and quality assurance.

Requirements

• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in independent testing, risk management, internal audit, operational risk, control testing, monitoring, or validation within a banking or financial services environment.
• Knowledge of banking operations, products, and services; experience with risks and controls/control gap identification related to Loan Operations, Commercial Lending and Banking, Retail Banking, Bank Support and Corporate functions, BSA/AML/OFAC, Payment Fraud Cross-border Banking, and Digital Banking is a big plus.
• Strong knowledge of risk-based testing, outcome-based testing, control design and operating effectiveness, test plan development, population definition, sampling, evidence evaluation, exception disposition, and documented conclusions.
• Experience maintaining testable populations, annual test plans, coverage mapping, monitoring routines, dashboards, thresholds, and governance reporting for independent testing or assurance activities.
• Experience performing supervisory review, credible challenge, workpaper review, issue development, remediation validation, and quality assurance over testing or monitoring engagements.
• Demonstrated ability to identify emerging risks, control deterioration, thematic trends, data quality concerns, process gaps, and systemic issues requiring escalation or follow-up testing.
• Experience managing testing engagements, cross-functional stakeholders, project timelines, evidence requests, staff development, and management reporting deliverables.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, dashboards, data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation tools, and AI-enabled productivity platforms such as Microsoft Copilot.
• Proven ability to apply AI, automation, and data-driven workflows to improve population analysis, anomaly detection, monitoring efficiency, workpaper consistency, testing quality assurance, and reporting insights.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, risk management, accounting, data analytics, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certification such as CIA, CRMA, CRCM, CERP, CAMS, PMP, or similar is preferred.
• Experience in Internal Audit, regulatory examination, enterprise risk management, operational risk, compliance risk management, or independent assurance is desirable.
• Strong professional judgment, risk awareness, analytical thinking, and ability to apply credible challenge while maintaining independence and constructive stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to write clear, evidence-based reports, issue narratives, validation conclusions, executive summaries, and Board or committee materials.
• Strong program build, project management, coaching, communication, and cross-functional influence skills.
• Collaborative relationship builder with the ability to work effectively across First Line, Second Line, Internal Audit, technology, data, and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously enhance the Bank’s Independent Testing program, emphasizing risk-based coverage, outcome-based testing, ongoing monitoring, and validation of control effectiveness.
• Maintain the ITU testable population, annual test plan, and coverage mapping based on risk tier, process criticality, prior results, issue trends, regulatory and business change, and monitoring outputs.
• Design and oversee testing procedures that define expected outcomes, objective criteria, populations, sampling approaches, evidence requirements, and conclusions tied to risk management objectives.
• Assess testing, monitoring, and validation results to identify isolated, recurring, or systemic gaps related to control design, operating effectiveness, process execution, data quality, or governance.
• Develop monitoring routines, dashboards, indicators, thresholds, and follow-up protocols to identify emerging risks, control deterioration, thematic trends, remediation delays, and needed changes to testing scope or cadence.
• Provide supervisory review and credible challenge over planning, fieldwork, exception disposition, sampling rationale, evidence sufficiency, workpaper traceability, issue development, reporting, and closeout artifacts.
• Manage validation of issues, control enhancements, and remediation outcomes to confirm sustainable resolution and intended risk reduction.
• Apply data analytics, AI-enabled workflows, and automation to improve population analysis, anomaly detection, risk theme identification, monitoring efficiency, workpaper consistency, and testing quality assurance.
• Coordinate with First Line, Second Line, Internal Audit, Compliance, Enterprise Risk Management, and designated testing functions to support evidence collection, maintain independence, avoid duplication, and route results through appropriate governance and escalation channels.
• Translate testing, monitoring, validation, regulatory change, and complaint trend insights into management reporting covering root cause themes, risk exposure, remediation status, coverage implications, and recommended follow-up actions.

Benefits

• Sustained growth and expertise in industries like real estate, entertainment and media, private equity and venture capital, and high-tech help build sustainable businesses and expand our associates’ potential for career advancement.

What This Job Offers

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