Model Validator Principal - Model Validation Program Owner

USAA•Tampa, FL

1d•$189,370 - $361,950•Hybrid

About The Position

The Model Validation Program Owner will serve as a strategic leader responsible for shaping, governing, and continuously enhancing the enterprise Model Validation Program within a complex financial services environment. This individual combines deep quantitative expertise with strong program leadership capabilities to ensure model validation activities are effective, consistent, and aligned with regulatory expectations and business objectives. Leveraging extensive experience in model risk management, statistical analysis, and advanced analytics, the Program Owner will establish validation standards, design and implement processes and controls, and drive the development of policies, procedures, templates, job aids, and training materials that support a sustainable and scalable validation framework. The role requires strong technical proficiency across programming languages such as Python, R, SAS, and SQL, as well as hands-on knowledge of model testing techniques including benchmarking, back-testing, assumption testing, data quality assessments, and predictive modeling methodologies. Success in this role depends on the ability to influence and collaborate across a diverse stakeholder landscape, including Model Governance, QA/QC, Reporting teams, model developers, model owners, business leaders, and internal audit partners. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of owning model validation program design decisions and driving implementation through effective communication, socialization, and change management efforts. They will champion operational excellence by establishing robust management routines, performance dashboards, report review processes, and key risk controls that ensure high-quality, timely validation outcomes. With a strong understanding of banking and/or insurance operations and broad expertise across advanced modeling techniques such as regression, forecasting, stress testing, machine learning, neural networks, simulation models, and Bayesian approaches, this leader serves as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert who helps strengthen model governance, improve risk oversight, and advance the overall maturity of the organization's Model Risk Management program.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics or other relevant quantitative discipline or 4 additional years of related experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
10 years of progressive experience in Risk Management w/in the financial services industry to include 6 years experience in model validation, model development, statistical analysis, and/or advanced quantitative research. OR if Advanced degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics or other relevant quantitative discipline to risk management, 8 years relevant risk management work experience in the financial service industry to include 6 years experience in model validation, model development, statistical analysis, and/or advanced quantitative research.
Experience collaborating with key resources and stakeholders, influencing decisions, and managing work to achieve strategic goals.
Strong programming skills in R, Python, SAS, Java, C, SQL, and/or other comparable programming languages for the iterative methodological tenants of model and algorithm development including setting model specifications, assumption testing, data quality assessments, variable selection, back-testing, benchmarking, and other robust model testing.
Subject Matter Depth and Breadth with at least four of the following statistical, econometric, data science, and predictive modeling approaches: Unsupervised Learning; K-Means; Linear Regression; Time-Series/Forecasting; Stress Testing; Logistic Regression; Gaussian Process; Simulation Models; Boosting/Bagging Trees; Neural Networks; Deep Learning Concepts; Bayesian Estimators.
Strong business context knowledge in operational and support functions of Banking and/or Insurance as well as associated modeling and analytics knowledge.
Business and industry acumen in modeling governance techniques and approaches.
Experience sharing modeling governance technical expertise and guidance with peers.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience owning design decisions for Model Validation programs, including implementation through processes, procedures, templates, job aids, training, and socialization / change management.
Experience collaborating with MRM Program teams (e.g., Model Governance, QA/QC, Information & Reporting) and key business and audit stakeholders across developers and owners / users to drive alignment and achieve strategic program goals.
Demonstrated track record for ensuring quality, consistency, and timeliness of Model Validation operations, including management routines for review and approval of reports, design and effectiveness of key controls, and establishing management routines and dashboards to drive efficiency and operational rigor.

Responsibilities

Responsible for independently leading and overseeing significant Model Risk Management initiatives that impact the execution of the Model Risk Management program.
Accountable for the delivery, quality control, and review of model validation reporting and key insights to executive leadership.
Takes ownership of Model Validation program and processes, implementing changes through templates, job aids, procedures and training based on feedback from QA / QC, management, audit and industry best practices.
Advises executive leadership on critical model matters that may impact the Association and/or key business decisions.
Ensures strategic alignment with team and individual work deliverables.
Proposes and implements model governance guidance to continue process improvement, efficiency, and consistency.
Serves as a key advisor in the execution of the validation work and communicating with model stakeholders on validation results to drive appropriate model risk practices across the association.
Responsible for mentoring and training Model Validators on new and emerging industry insights and changes and assists in training and development opportunities and supporting a strong model risk culture.
Maintains subject matter expertise knowledge of model risk management by proactively researching and learning associated best-practices and modeling techniques.
Participates and represents USAA in external industry and business groups aligned to risk management, statistical analysis, or the quantitative discipline.