Guardian Life Insurance

Operational Risk Program Lead

Guardian Life Insurance$86K — $141K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems, or related field.
  • 3-5 years of experience in operational risk or compliance within financial services or insurance.
  • Experience with ServiceNow IRM or a similar GRC platform.
  • Strong understanding of risk assessment frameworks like RCSA and KRI monitoring.
  • Familiarity with regulatory requirements in financial services, such as NYDFS and HIPAA.
  • Excellent analytical and communication skills for translating data into insights.
  • Familiarity with risk management concepts across various risk domains.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate risk process execution through ServiceNow IRM, ensuring timely and decision-useful outcomes.
  • Support aggregation cycles for risk assessments across multiple domains, ensuring data is refreshed on time.
  • Analyze risk assessment results to identify trends and emerging risk themes.
  • Produce risk dashboards and compliance reports to support leadership decision-making.
  • Promote data quality by ensuring completeness and traceability of risk information.
  • Support regulatory compliance activities by mapping regulations to control objectives.
  • Contribute to platform enablement by identifying process gaps and enhancing user support.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with 3 days in-office and 2 days remote.
  • Exposure to multiple risk disciplines and evolving domains.
  • Opportunities for professional growth within risk advisory and ERM.
  • Participation in governance forums and working groups.
  • Access to training resources for risk management platforms.
Full Job Description
The Operational Risk Program Lead is a key contributor to how the organization understands, manages, and communicates operational risk. This role supports multiple risk disciplines and evolving risk domains including operational, third-party, technology, cyber, model, data, and AI risk by helping translate complex risk information into reliable insights that leaders can use to make informed decisions.

Rather than owning individual risk outcomes, the analyst enables strong risk practice across the enterprise by strengthening the quality of risk information and helping ensure insights are timely, consistent, and decision ready. The role balances disciplined execution with professional judgement and offers exposure across the organization.

You will

Coordinate Risk Process Execution
  • Coordinate key processes facilitated in ServiceNow Integrated Risk Management (IRM) (e.g., risk and control self-assessments (RCSAs) and issue and event management), including scheduling, facilitation support, workflow lifecycle coordination (intake/triage, analysis/assessment, escalation/assignment, and noncompliance management), and quality review to ensure timely, decision-useful outcomes.
  • Coordinate platform-driven aggregation cycles (risk assessments, control attestations, and issue updates) across risk domains by setting cadence, tracking completion, and driving follow-up so roll-up inputs are refreshed on time.
  • Support cross-team calibration of risk and control ratings and thresholds to promote consistent interpretation and comparable results across domains prior to aggregation.
  • Support coordination of risk activities across multiple domains, including model, data, and AI-related oversight, help ensure assessments, issues, reporting, and governance activities remain aligned.


Deliver Risk Reporting
  • Analyze risk assessment results and dependency roll-ups to identify trends, concentrations, and emerging risk themes across business processes, applications, and third parties.
  • Produce and distribute risk dashboards, KRI reporting, and compliance status summaries from ServiceNow for leadership, risk committees, and business unit stakeholders, delivering executive-ready narratives that support decisions and prioritization.
  • Identify opportunities to improve reporting automation and data visualization.


Maintain Data Quality
  • Help promote the completeness, consistency, and traceability of risk information, including model, data, and AI-related records and supporting evidence.
  • Ensure issues, risks, controls, and supporting evidence are connected across key items (business process, applications, third party, and engagement) so stakeholders can understand enterprise-wide impact, ownership, and downstream dependencies.
  • Support regulatory compliance program activities within ServiceNow, including mapping of regulatory requirements (e.g., NYDFS Part 500, NIST CSF 2.0, etc.) to control objectives and compliance profiles.


Platform Enablement
  • Support implementation and enhancement initiatives by helping identify process gaps and improvement opportunities, participating in UAT testing, validating data migration, and contributing to process documentation to enable effective adoption.
  • Support ERM working groups and recurring governance forums by tracking decisions, configuration impacts, and action-item follow-ups, ensuring changes in one domain are communicated and reflected appropriately across others.
  • Serve as a point of contact for business unit risk coordinators, providing guidance on platform usage, assessment completion, and issue management workflows.
  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of training materials and user guides for TPRM, IRM, and BCM stakeholders.


You are
  • Detail-oriented professional who ensures accuracy, consistency, and completeness across ServiceNow records and reporting.
  • Adaptable and resilient, thriving in dynamic environments with evolving regulatory expectations and platform capabilities.
  • Clear and effective communicator who conveys risk concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Continuous learner who proactively stays current on ServiceNow platform capabilities and emerging industry risk practices, and who is interested in growing into broader risk advisory, ERM, or platform enablement responsibilities over time.

You have
  • Bachelor's degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
  • 3-5 years of experience in operational risk, compliance, or GRC roles within financial services or insurance.
  • Experience working with ServiceNow IRM (or an equivalent GRC platform) to support risk registers, control libraries, issue management, and reporting; strong candidates may also demonstrate the ability to learn new platforms quickly.
  • Strong understanding of risk assessment frameworks (e.g., RCSA, KRI monitoring, risk scoring methodologies).
  • Familiarity with regulatory requirements applicable to insurance or financial services (e.g., NYDFS, NAIC, MAR, HIPAA).
  • Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills with the ability to translate technical data into business-relevant insights.
  • Familiarity with risk management concepts across operational and non-financial risk domains; exposure to model, data, or AI governance is a plus.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); experience with data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.


Reporting Relationship

This position reports to the Head of Business Risk & Resiliency Program Initiatives, who reports to our Head of Operational Risk within Enterprise Risk Management.

Location

Hybrid role - 3 days in office in the Hudson Yards, NYC or Bethlehem, PA office; 2 days WFH

Salary Range:

$86,210.00 - $141,635.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

About Guardian Life Insurance

Guardian Life Insurance Careers

Join the Guardian Life Insurance team today and be part of a company that values growth, leadership, and innovation. As a leading provider in the insurance industry, Guardian Life Insurance offers a wealth of job opportunities that empower you to shape your future and strengthen your professional skills. Work You’ll Do At Guardian Life Insurance, you’ll collaborate with a diverse team of experts dedicated to providing exceptional service and innovative solutions to our clients. Our culture thrives on inclusivity and the shared ambition of our team members to drive positive change in the insurance sector. Explore a variety of career paths in areas ranging from customer service to financial advisement, each offering the potential to engage with transformative projects that impact lives. Our commitment to professional growth is evident in our robust training programs, including leadership development and diversity training, designed to enhance your skills and advance your career. Innovative Work Guardian Life Insurance is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology and personalized service. Join us and contribute to initiatives that redefine industry standards and lead to more predictive and personalized customer experiences. Be Part of a Great Team Our team at Guardian Life Insurance is our strongest asset. We foster an environment where creativity and effectiveness are encouraged, making it a perfect place for those who seek to innovate and excel in their careers. With a focus on nurturing talent, we offer comprehensive benefits, competitive salaries, and a supportive atmosphere that advocates work-life balance. Future-Proof Your Career With Guardian Life Insurance, your career is future-proof. Dive into a range of employment opportunities that not only align with your current skills but also challenge you to grow and expand your capabilities. Whether you’re looking for a full-time position, an internship, or even leadership roles, Guardian Life Insurance is committed to helping you find the right path. Stay Connected Join Our Team Discover the job opportunities waiting for you at Guardian Life Insurance. We are continuously hiring and looking for individuals who are passionate, driven, and ready to contribute to our mission. Search open positions that match your skills and interests, and take the first step towards a rewarding career with us. Keep Up to Date Stay informed with the latest career tips, industry insights, and company news—all from the professionals who make Guardian Life Insurance a leader in the insurance industry. Our careers blog provides valuable information to help you prepare for your next interview, polish your resume, and enhance your networking abilities. Job Alert Emails Customize your experience by subscribing to job alerts and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Guardian Life Insurance, and see how you can contribute to our legacy of excellence and innovation. Join Guardian Life Insurance today and be part of a company that’s dedicated to your career growth and professional development.
Learn more about Guardian Life Insurance
Size
9,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1860

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