Operational Risk Officer at Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc. (SGA, Inc.) in Jersey City, NJ

Job description

• Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for an Operational Risk Officer for a CONTRACT assignment with one of our premier Financial Services clients in Jersey City, NJ.
• The position is for an Operational Risk Officer focused on supporting and strengthening third party risk management oversight across CIB. The role provides independent Operational Risk check and challenge over the 1LOD Third Party program, including governance, risk identification, control assessment, issue management, reporting, and escalation activities.
• The role partners closely with CIB Central teams, business stakeholders, procurement, legal, compliance, technology, and other control functions to support third party risk initiatives, promote consistent application of framework requirements, and ensure that material risks, control gaps, and remediation activities are identified, challenged, tracked, and escalated appropriately.

Responsibilities

• 1LOD Third Party Program Oversight : Provide independent review, challenge, and advisory support over 1LOD execution of third party risk management processes, including due diligence, risk assessment, ongoing monitoring, issue management, and governance routines. Provide independent Operational Risk oversight, review, and challenge over CIB third party risk management activities, with a focus on the effective execution of 1LOD responsibilities and alignment with applicable policies, procedures, and risk appetite expectations.
• CIB Central Partnership : Partner with CIB Central teams on regional and global initiatives, framework enhancements, remediation programs, regulatory commitments, and process improvements related to third party and outsourcing risk. Partner with CIB Central teams and other stakeholders on third party risk initiatives, including governance enhancements, control improvements, remediation programs, data quality improvements, and regulatory or audit-driven deliverables.
• Operational Risk Check and Challenge : Execute BAU check and challenge activities across risk and control self-assessments, key risk indicators, risk events, control testing outcomes, action plans, and governance materials, ensuring that risks are clearly articulated, appropriately assessed, and escalated where required.
• Governance and Reporting : Support preparation and review of management reporting, committee materials, regulatory updates, risk appetite metrics, and escalation packs related to third party risk and operational risk management.
• Issue and Remediation Oversight : Challenge the adequacy of remediation plans, monitor progress against milestones, assess evidence of closure, and escalate overdue or ineffective remediation where required.
• Framework Alignment : Help ensure local practices remain aligned with applicable Group, regional, and CIB requirements for third party, outsourcing, operational resilience, and operational risk management.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of operational risk management, third party risk management, outsourcing governance, control frameworks, and the three lines of defense model within a financial services environment.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to provide effective challenge, influence outcomes, and explain risk and control matters clearly to both senior and working-level stakeholders.
• Third Party Risk Management: Experience reviewing or overseeing third party lifecycle activities, including inherent risk assessment, due diligence, contractual controls, ongoing monitoring, concentration risk, exit strategy, and issue remediation.
• Operational Risk Check and Challenge: Ability to assess the design and operating effectiveness of controls, identify control gaps, challenge risk ratings, and evaluate the adequacy of action plans and closure evidence.
• Governance and Reporting: Experience preparing, reviewing, and challenging management information, committee materials, risk appetite metrics, issue tracking, and senior management updates.
• Regulatory and Audit Awareness: Knowledge of regulatory expectations (including but not limited to US Interagency Third Party Risk Management Guidance), audit practices, and evidence standards relevant to third party, outsourcing, operational resilience, and operational risk management.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and business relationship skills, with the ability to connect technical teams with junior and senior business stakeholders.

Skills

Required

• Operational risk management
• Third party risk management
• Outsourcing governance
• Control frameworks
• Three lines of defense model
• Risk assessment
• Due diligence
• Contractual controls
• Ongoing monitoring
• Concentration risk
• Exit strategy
• Issue remediation