Manager - Risk Management, RCSA, Controls Design, Testing and Validation

About the position At Early Warning, we’ve powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses. Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment. 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.

Overview

The Senior Manager, First Line Risk Management is accountable for ensuring that risks are appropriately identified, assessed, controlled, tested, and validated within the business, consistent with the institution’s risk appetite and regulatory expectations. Operating within the First Line of Defense, this role provides credible, sustainable execution of risk management activities, including Risk Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), control testing, and control validation, while maintaining clear ownership of risks and controls by the business. The role serves as a key point of accountability for demonstrating to regulators that controls are designed effectively, operating as intended, and supported by evidence.

Responsibilities

• Maintain clear first line ownership for risks and controls, ensuring accountability is not transferred to second line or audit functions.
• Establish and enforce consistent risk and control management practices across assigned business areas.
• Lead and manage a team of first line risk professionals responsible for RCSA, control testing, and validation activities.
• Ensure internal controls are appropriately designed to mitigate identified risks and align with regulatory and policy requirements.
• Oversee the development and execution of risk-based control testing plans to assess both design and operating effectiveness.
• Ensure control validation activities confirm that controls operate consistently over time and perform as intended.
• Review and approve testing results, ensuring deficiencies are accurately assessed, root causes identified, and corrective actions defined.
• Confirm that control failures are timely remediated, retested, and validated prior to closure.
• Establish and maintain ongoing control monitoring mechanisms for key and critical controls, including defined thresholds and escalation criteria.
• Maintain complete and accurate inventories of business processes, risks, controls, and testing results.
• Ensure control documentation and testing evidence are regulator-ready, traceable, and consistently maintained.
• Ensure end-to-end process maps are documented and maintained, clearly identifying risk points, controls, and upstream/downstream dependencies.
• Validate that process documentation supports effective risk identification, control testing, and regulatory review.
• Use process analysis to identify control gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement or automation.
• Monitor applicable laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance impacting assigned business areas.
• Ensure corresponding controls are implemented, tested, and validated in a manner consistent with regulatory expectations.
• Provide accurate, complete, and timely documentation to support regulatory inquiries, including CFPB, internal audit, and external audit engagements.
• Ensure controls support the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of systems and data.
• Identify and escalate emerging risks, control weaknesses, and adverse trends to management in a timely manner.
• Establishes ongoing control monitoring mechanisms for key and critical controls.
• Defines thresholds and escalation criteria for control failures.
• Provides leadership with clear visibility into risk exposure and control performance.

Benefits

• Healthcare Coverage – 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.
• Paid Time Off – 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.

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