At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and leadership behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

Global Merchant & Network Services (GMNS) brings together American Express' merchant-and network related businesses to enable a sharp focus on using the power of our network to provide unique value to all our mutual customers. The organization manages the relationships with the millions of merchants around the world that accepts American Express and runs the company’s payment network and manages bank partnerships globally.

The objective of the GMNS Control Management Risk ID, Assessment, Testing and Reporting team is to identify, assess, mitigate, and report on Operational Risk within BU processes for GMNS to ensure adherence to regulatory standards, Amex policy and enhance the BU's resilience through managing a clear methodology of inherent and residual risk.

How will you make an impact in this role?

GMNS is looking for a Director of Risk ID, Assessment, Testing & Reporting to lead a diverse team of high-performing professionals focused on ensuring control management is embedded in the day-to-day operations of our organization. It will involve extensive collaboration with multiple partners across numerous business units, functional areas, and geographies.

The Director, GMNS Risk ID, Assessment will:

• Provide additional identification of risks throughout business processes and systems (along with business process owners)

• Facilitate BUs in their risk assessments performance (e.g., Risk and Control Self Assessments (RCSAs) in addition to other risk-related assessments and testing / QA programs to ensure regulatory and internal standards are met (e.g., periodic RCSA reviews and update assessment criteria to align with regulatory updates)

• Lead control monitoring (supplemental to BU control testing) and proactively communicate key OR trends, activities, and events to senior management, to facilitate informed decision-making

• Proactively identify areas of high-risk for intervention (e.g., automated alerts generated for high-risk areas signal need for intervention and focus), including conducting independent quality assurance and vertical process testing

• Compile thematic risk reporting (levels, trends, causes) to provide actionable insights to BU on current risk levels, emerging trends and root causes

• Categorize controls and map against risks and processes (e.g., cross-BU process-control mapping)

• Champion risk management practices within the business

• Develop risk profiles and maintain an updated risk register(s)

• Be a key leader for sharing insights, better practices, themes, etc. across the enterprise

Minimum Qualifications:

• 6+ Years experience in operational risk management (e.g., within Risk and/or Internal Audit function) Understanding of critical operational risk management lifecycle activities

• Excellent project management, communication, and interpersonal skills, with an ability to interact and obtain buy-in from senior BU/tech counterparts

• Expertise in process governance, with a track record of establishing and overseeing robust decision-making processes that align with policies, regulatory frameworks, and/or operational standards

• Experience within financial services industry

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to analyze data, identify trends, and evaluate risk scenarios effectively

• Demonstrated history and ability to manage large teams, spread over geographies and with varying backgrounds

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Risk Mgmt., or related field; advanced degrees (e.g., MBA, MSc) or certifications are advantageous

• Experience in at least one of the following:

  • Providing identification of operational risks throughout business processes and systems

  • Facilitating risk assessment performance in addition to further assessments and testing programs to ensure regulatory and internal standards are met

  • Enhancing risk assessments and associated methodologies

  • Leading independent control monitoring, including identification of control improvements

  • Identifying areas of risk for intervention, including conducting independent quality assurance and process testing

  • Compiling thematic risk reporting to provide actionable insights on risk levels, emerging trends and root causes

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries 

• Bonus incentives 

• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) 

• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 

• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) 

• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 

• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 

• Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.