First Line Risk Manager

Description

Work Authorization
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, now or in the future.

• Lead and execute Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs) across Commercial Banking products, services, and processes.
• Identify, assess, document, and monitor risks and associated controls.
• Evaluate inherent and residual risk exposures and recommend risk mitigation strategies.
• Support risk assessments associated with new products, process changes, technology implementations, and business initiatives.
• Apply risk-based judgment to complex business situations and provide thoughtful recommendations to stakeholders.

• Execute control monitoring and control testing activities.
• Assess control design and operating effectiveness.
• Identify control gaps and recommend practical improvements.
• Document results, observations, conclusions, and corrective actions.
• Support audits, regulatory examinations, assurance reviews, and management responses.

• Author, track, validate, and close issues through established governance processes.
• Perform root-cause analysis and evaluate the sustainability of remediation activities.
• Challenge remediation plans where necessary to ensure issues are fully addressed.
• Monitor issue trends and identify emerging risks requiring escalation.

• Maintain risk, control, process, and issue inventories.
• Ensure alignment between risks, controls, policies, procedures, assessments, and remediation activities.
• Prepare governance reporting, metrics, and management presentations.
• Participate in risk governance forums and stakeholder discussions.

• Partner closely with Commercial Banking stakeholders to support responsible growth.
• Provide effective challenge while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Collaborate across Risk, Compliance, Audit, Operations, Product, Technology, and business teams to drive sound risk management decisions.

• Executing end-to-end RCSAs
• Risk identification and control evaluation
• Risk-based decision making and judgment
• Control monitoring and testing
• Issue management and remediation validation
• Governance reporting and committee participation
• New product and change risk assessments
• Commercial Banking risk management
• First Line Risk ownership within a banking environment

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
• Commercial Banking, Business Banking, Commercial Lending, Treasury Management, Wholesale Payments, Merchant Services, Cash Management, or related product experience.
• 4+ years of experience in Risk Management, Operational Risk, First Line Risk, Compliance Risk, Controls, or related banking risk disciplines.
• Direct experience leading and executing Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs).
• Experience assessing control effectiveness and documenting risk conclusions.
• Experience managing issues, corrective actions, and remediation efforts.
• Experience supporting governance activities, audits, or regulatory examinations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent risk judgment and challenge assumptions constructively.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

• Experience evaluating risks associated with new products, process changes, or technology implementations.
• Experience maintaining risk and control inventories.
• Familiarity with governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms.
• Experience presenting risk assessments, findings, or recommendations to leadership teams.

• Build and execute risk assessments.
• Evaluate risks across products, services, and business processes.
• Identify control weaknesses and recommend improvements.
• Apply risk-based judgment in ambiguous situations.
• Partner with business leaders to support informed decision-making.
• Navigate changing priorities in a fast-paced Commercial Banking environment.

• Hours per Week: 40
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday
• Locations: Johnston, RI; or Westwood, MA

Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.