Operational Resilience Lead

Mizuho Americas Services • New York, NY

296d • $170,000 - $220,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Americas Risk Department, as a second line of defense organization, provides common risk management oversight and services to all businesses and legal entities across Mizuho U.S. Operations (MUSO). Effectively managing risk on a consistent and holistic basis is critical to Mizuho's success in the Americas and in meeting evolving regulatory expectations. The Non-Financial Risk (NFR) Team has built a repeatable and sustainable operational risk framework across the enterprise and is now expanding to include a dedicated focus on Operational Resilience. We are seeking a seasoned Operational Resilience SME to join our team as a key partner in strengthening our bank's resilience posture. In this role, you will lead strategic initiatives and work closely with divisional leadership to ensure that business continuity, disaster recovery, third-party, and technology resilience capabilities are robust, well-assessed, and aligned with regulatory expectations and industry best practices. This role offers an opportunity to influence resilience strategy at the highest levels of the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in risk management, business administration, information technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5+ years' experience in Operational Resilience, business continuity, disaster recovery, technology resilience, or related fields within the financial services industry.
• Experience in both 1st line and 2nd line roles is preferred.
• Relevant professional certifications such as Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), Certified Resilience Professional (CRP), ISO 22301 Lead Implementer, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated track record in designing and executing resilience assessing initiatives—including simulations, tabletop exercises, and scenario analyses—to validate and improve resilience capabilities.
• Deep understanding of regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations for Operational Resilience, including frameworks such as the BCBS Principles for Operational Resilience, Federal Reserve/OCC/FDIC guidance, and UK PRA/FCA requirements.
• Proven ability to effectively challenge first-line inputs and resilience plans with informed, constructive feedback.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to assess complex resilience scenarios and implement strategic, actionable solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical and regulatory resilience details for diverse stakeholder groups at all levels.
• Strong project management skills with the agility to adapt to shifting priorities and unforeseen challenges.
• Familiarity with risk management in Corporate and Investment Banking as well as Capital Markets.
• Compliance or audit experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior divisional leadership to embed Operational Resilience into strategic, risk-driven decision-making, ensuring that critical business services are designed and maintained to withstand disruptions.
• Provide second line oversight of the Operational Resilience program, effectively challenging and refining first line assessments, plans, and implementations at a strategic level.
• Serve as a trusted advisor, offering constructive, independent review and challenge of resilience plans, including mapping important business services, setting impact tolerances, and assessing vulnerabilities.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive continuous monitoring program to evaluate the bank's resilience posture, uncover emerging risks, identify structural issues, and seize opportunities for enhancement.
• Lead resilience assessing initiatives—including simulations, tabletop exercises, and scenario analyses—to validate business continuity, disaster recovery, third-party resilience, and technology resilience measures.
• Oversee deep-dive reviews and thematic analyses to pinpoint gaps, ensure timely resolution of issues, and recommend strategic enhancements to the Operational Resilience framework.
• Provide expert guidance on regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations for Operational Resilience, with a strong grasp of frameworks such as the BCBS Principles for Operational Resilience, U.S. Federal Reserve/OCC/FDIC guidance, and UK PRA/FCA requirements.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and evolving regulations to ensure that our resilience practices are forward-looking and aligned with global best practices.
• Prepare and deliver high-impact presentation materials for executive leadership, business partners, and regulators regarding resilience status, risk assessments, and improvement initiatives.
• Lead and participate in Operational Resilience governance meetings, engaging key stakeholders to review the current resilience environment and proactively address emerging risks.
• Mobilize cross-functional partners—including IT, Business Continuity, Third-Party Risk Management, and Cybersecurity—to investigate and address resilience-related risks, ensuring a coordinated response.
• Collaborate with the broader NFR team on new initiatives designed to integrate advanced resilience frameworks into our existing risk management processes.

Benefits

• Competitive total rewards package including salary and a generous employee benefits package.
• Discretionary bonus eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree