Operational Risk Specialist II - Data Risk

Early Warning® • Scottsdale, AZ

10d • $62,000 - $82,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Operational Risk Specialist II supports second-line operational risk activities through risk assessments, control testing, monitoring, reporting, and advisory support. The role helps identify, evaluate, and communicate risks; monitor remediation; and promote compliance with established policies, standards, regulatory requirements, and risk appetite. The position may focus on one of the following areas: Artificial Intelligence Risk Management, Data Risk Management, or Third-Party Risk Management. This position helps ensure operational risks are managed in accordance with established policies, standards, procedures, contractual requirements, regulatory expectations, and the organization’s risk appetite.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Typically, has 2 or more years of experience in a risk management function.
• Experience in operational risk, data risk, artificial intelligence risk, compliance, audit, information security, data management, technology risk, third-party risk, or a related discipline.
• Experience conducting or supporting risk assessments, control testing, due diligence, audit activities, issue management, or risk reporting.
• Working knowledge of operational risk management concepts, internal controls, and the three-lines model.
• Ability to collect and analyze information, identify risk or control gaps, document conclusions, and recommend appropriate actions.
• Ability to interpret policies, standards, procedures, contractual requirements, audit criteria, or regulatory guidance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present findings and explain risk requirements to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex, regulated, and matrixed environment.
• Ability to work independently within established procedures and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Background and drug screen
• Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire.
• This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in financial services, financial technology, payments, or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience working within a second-line risk management, consulting, advisory, compliance, or internal audit function.
• Experience using governance, risk, and compliance technology to manage assessments, controls, testing, issues, findings, or remediation activities.
• Experience in one or more of the identified focus areas: Artificial Intelligence Risk Management, Data Risk Management, or Third-Party Risk Management.
• Familiarity with relevant frameworks or standards, such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001, DAMA, NIST information security guidance, ISO 27002, or comparable risk and control frameworks.
• Familiarity with applicable financial services, consumer reporting, data privacy, information security, or regulatory requirements.
• Experience developing risk metrics, dashboards, management reporting, procedures, testing programs, or process improvements.
• Risk management, audit, technology, information security, data, or AI governance-related certification.

Responsibilities

• Execute operational risk assessments, control evaluations, due diligence reviews, testing, monitoring, and quality assurance activities in accordance with established policies, standards, and methodologies.
• Identify and evaluate risks, control gaps, emerging issues, and remediation needs; document conclusions and recommend appropriate actions.
• Provide independent review and challenge of risk assessments, controls, findings, mitigation plans, and risk acceptance decisions.
• Maintain accurate records of risks, controls, assessments, testing, issues, findings, and remediation activities in applicable systems and repositories.
• Monitor corrective actions, analyze trends and root causes, and escalate material concerns or risks outside established tolerances.
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, customer assessments, management self-assessments, and risk and control self-assessments.
• Develop and monitor risk metrics, dashboards, and reporting for management, governance forums, and other stakeholders.
• Provide guidance to business partners on risk requirements, documentation standards, control expectations, and remediation activities.
• Coordinate with first- and second-line stakeholders to resolve issues, clarify requirements, and support consistent execution of risk processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and consistency of operational risk practices.
• Support the protection, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems, data, and information assets.
• Conduct data risk assessments and provide data-related requirements for stakeholder impact assessments.
• Evaluate risks associated with data governance, data integrity, information classification, data protection, and policy compliance.
• Support the development, maintenance, and enforcement of data risk policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines.
• Manage information classification activities, including intake review, documentation preparation, risk statement development, stakeholder review, approval, distribution, and inventory maintenance.
• Design, execute, and report on internal control testing related to data risk and data integrity.
• Identify data control gaps, document issues, monitor remediation, and conduct root cause analysis.
• Prepare Data Risk and Data Integrity reporting, including metrics, dashboards, testing results, and management materials.
• Support applicable data management, information security, privacy, regulatory, and assurance requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.
• Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Maven Family Planning – provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree