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With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

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 GMNSControl Management Governance team is to establish the Operational Risk and Controls strategy for GMNSset up a foundational governance structure that ensures operational risks are identified, assessed, and managed in compliance with enterprise Operational Risk Management programs and reporting.

GMNSis looking for a Director of Governance 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 to support internal and external audits/exams. It will involve extensive collaboration with multiple partners across numerous business units, functional areas, and geographies.

The Director, GMNS Governance will:

• Develop execution plans for operational risk management within the business unit (BU), including BU specific guidelines, project plans, etc.
• Track and identify issues with KRI limits and risk appetite for GMNSto ensure operational risks are managed within agreed thresholds, and leverage these metrics to detect significant or concerning rises in emerging problems, e.g., upticks in reload complaints, then escalate and flag concerns accordingly
• Implement the operational risk framework to enable effective risk management and decision making in the BU
• Lead risk and controls governance forums for GMNS, interfacing with org-wide governance processes and committees (e.g., Operational Risk Management Committee) and share insights and lessons learned across forums (e.g., Community of Practice)
• Create BU-specific procedures and additional standards (i.e., escalation protocols), related to the execution of the Operational Risk Management programs
• Facilitate the understanding and use of the risk governance framework across BUs through regular communication (e.g., Communities of Practice)
• Support the day-to-day internal and external audit/exam management process, working with the Enterprise functions (e.g., data request compilation, action implementation, and regulatory adherence)
• Aggregate reporting, approvals/exceptions and support "change-the-function" activities for the BUDevelop and administer implementation of comprehensive training initiatives and clear career progression plans that align with Operational Risk Management
• Establish processes to ensure and monitor the integration of regulatory changes & updates into the Operational Risk framework and training materials
• Be a key leader for sharing insights, better practices, themes, etc. across the enterprise
• Develop a team of highly engaged colleagues, fostering an inclusive, belonging & diverse culture, empowerment, growth and innovation.

Required 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:
  • Translating operational risk strategy and appetite into execution guidelines
  • Tracking and identifying issues with Key Risk Indicator (KRI) limits and risk appetite to ensure operational risks are managed within agreed thresholds
  • Implementing the operational risk governance frameworks
  • Creating, communicating and ensuring understanding and adherence to operational risk procedures and standards
  • Supporting the operational risk exam management processes

ORMCM

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• 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.