POSITION OVERVIEW:Senior level position responsible for the governance and execution of all compliance initiatives across the enterprise. Safeguards the company by ensuring flawless execution of high-stakes programs mandated by federal and state regulators. Transforms regulatory and contractual requirements into structured, trackable, and auditable operational workflows. This role bridges the gap between high-level business goals, enterprise governance and compliance, and the frontline execution of complex financial services. The role also serves as a critical link in the federal contracting ecosystem. This role ensures that every policy initiative is implemented but also satisfies strict reporting and documentation requirements mandated by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) and State and Federal consumer protection edicts. Position is responsible for centralized unit driving major enterprise-wide change (or governance) initiatives to achieve strategic goals and align resources across multiple initiatives and all business units.
- Acts as a bridge between executive vision and frontline execution by documenting and coordinating initiatives, tracking progress, and ensuring consistent alignment with the overall strategy.
- Provides a disciplined compliance framework for large-scale initiatives, such as reorganizing operations, aligning various units to implement strategic plan elements, aligning business resources across multiple initiatives, and adapting to market shifts.
- Aligns transformation efforts with long-term company objectives, managing complexities across multiple initiatives, and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Enterprise Strategy & PMO Governance- Define PMO vision: Establish the strategic roadmap for the GRC PMO, aligning program portfolios with corporate risk appetite and growth goals.
- Oversee enterprise portfolio: Govern the execution of all regulatory changes, compliance enhancements, and internal/external audit remediations.
- Standardize GRC frameworks: Mandate rigorous program management standards that satisfy federal examiners, internal audit, and the Board of Directors.
- Executive & Board reporting: Deliver high-level dashboard metrics and strategic updates to the Audit & Risk Committee of the Board, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team.
Policy & Procedure Oversight- Govern document lifecycle: Oversee the Compliance Management System and end-to-end management framework for updating corporate policies and operational procedures.
- Oversee USDS contractual changes: Establish formal governance for evaluating and implementing contractual Change Requests (CRs) from Federal Student Aid (FSA).
Federal & State Compliance Delivery- Manage federal deliverables: Secure timely execution, review, and submission of mandatory reporting data to Federal Student Aid (FSA). Ensure federal contract reporting and deliverables are in compliance with contract standards such as accuracy and timeliness. Responsible for delivery of federally required reports and other deliverables.
- Supervise state licensing and reporting: Track regulatory compliance and renewal cycles for all state-level student loan servicing licenses and reporting.
Vendor Governance- Mitigate vendor risk: Provide PMO oversight for third-party vendors and partners to ensure they meet strict GRC performance standards.
Executive Leadership & Culture- Build talent pipeline: Attract, mentor, and retain a high-performing PMO team.
- Break functional silos: Foster deep collaboration between Legal, Risk Management, Information Security, Technology, and core Loan Servicing Operations.
- Cultivate compliance culture: Champion an organizational mindset where regulatory compliance accelerates operational excellence rather than delaying it.
Strategy Development and Execution- Define the overall transformation (or governance) strategy and roadmap based on the policy governance framework and the Enterprise Strategic Plan and in close collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Risk Management and Strategic Transformation Officer and the Executive Steering Committee.
- Translate the policy governance framework and Enterprise Strategic Plan into actionable entity-wide plans and ensure they align with business objectives and align across all affected business units.
- Maintain changes to the roadmap.
Program Leadership and Management- Oversee and coordinate transformation and governance initiatives across all affected operations business units, including planning, budgeting, resource allocation and elimination of resource contentions, documentation, tracking and reporting, and execution.
- Ensure operational transformation initiatives are delivered on time and within budget. Oversee the planning and execution of various initiatives across different departments, manage dependencies and sequencing as well as identify resource constraints and other conflicts across initiatives.
Process Improvement and Digitalization- Identify and centralize the prioritization of opportunities for operational improvements from a business/compliance/risk standpoint, such as adopting new technologies and redesigning business processes to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience, ensuring the priorities align with the strategic plan and overall enterprise goals.
- Work closely with the IT development and project teams to represent the business/operations side in a centralized manner.
Development of Business Requirements & Data-Driven Reporting for Strategic Decisions- Assist business units with documentation of requirements for development efforts including queries to be used in analyzing the portfolios to aid in strategic planning as well as for the many audit requests and remediation efforts.
Team Leadership- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing, cross-functional teams ensuring they have the necessary resources and support.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:- Bachelor's degree in business, management, or a related field or equivalent experience is required, with an MBA or a relevant master's degree preferred.
- Minimum of 10+ years of management experience in leading large-scale transformation, strategy, or management consulting, preferably within a complex organization. A proven track record of driving measurable performance improvement is essential.
- Minimum of 5+ years of leading Sr. Managers in a complex financial organization preferably in the student loan or related industry
- This position requires (6C) personnel security screening in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) policy regarding the personnel security screening requirements for all contractor and subcontractor employees. A qualified applicant must successfully submit for personnel security screening within 14 calendar days from employment offer.
- Some travel may be required.
+
- Leadership and Influence: Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and inspire teams and senior executives without direct authority.
- Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making and the ability to translate complex challenges into actionable solutions.
- Technical Acumen: Deep expertise in change management methodologies, project management tools, and relevant industry technologies.
