Risk Manager

Description

Navigator Credit Union is currently recruiting for a full-time Risk Manager.  If you have a passion for exceptional service, relationship building, and want to be a part of a team that focuses on creating substantial value in the communities we serve, while exceeding goals, we want to hear from you! We encourage all interested, qualified candidates that enjoy working in a fast paced environment to apply. We provide paid vacation after 90 days, paid holidays, 401k with a company match, medical, referral bonus, and several other benefits after 30 days employment for our team members including incentive opportunities. Navigator Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Navigator does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.   

Role

The Risk Manager leads the credit union’s day-to-day risk management, fraud management, and assigned project coordination activities through an experienced team. The position sets clear priorities and standards, develops employee judgment and capability, and empowers team members to identify issues, recommend solutions, and take ownership of results. The Risk Manager ensures risk assessments, audit and risk schedules, fraud investigations and disputes, reporting, control recommendations, and assigned projects are completed accurately and on time. The position partners with business units and management, escalates significant concerns, makes informed risk-based decisions, and promotes effective controls, continuous improvement, and a strong risk-aware culture.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Operational Oversight

· Provide direct supervision, coaching, timely performance feedback, workload prioritization, and professional development for assigned staff.

· Build a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team culture that encourages open communication, sound judgment, continuous improvement, and shared ownership of results.

· Meet regularly with team members to clarify expectations, discuss progress and challenges, recognize accomplishments, and provide guidance and support.

· Identify individual strengths, skill gaps, career interests, and development needs; establish meaningful development plans and provide opportunities for expanded responsibilities and growth.

· Support training, mentoring, cross-training, knowledge sharing, and succession readiness to strengthen team capability and maintain continuity of critical functions.

· Assign and balance audit, risk, fraud, and project work based on deadlines, complexity, operational needs, employee development goals, and staff capacity.

· Ensure established procedures, service standards, and quality controls are consistently followed; monitor changes in regulations, operations, systems, and risk conditions; keep procedures and controls current; and review work products for accuracy, completeness, sound judgment, and timely escalation.

· Regularly evaluate risk, fraud, audit, and project management programs for effectiveness, consistency, scalability, and alignment with organizational needs; engage the team in identifying improvement opportunities and refine procedures, workflows, tools, controls, and reporting as appropriate.

Risk Management Oversight

· Oversee the audit and risk management schedules, monitoring progress and ensuring all scheduled activities are completed accurately and on time.

· Oversee and guide coordination with departments, external auditors, consultants, and vendors to obtain information, schedule work, resolve routine issues, and keep audits and risk reviews on track. 

· Build and maintain productive working relationships with department leaders, auditors, consultants, and vendors to support timely communication, issue resolution, and completion of risk and audit activities.

· Oversee management responses to audit findings and recommendations, monitor corrective-action commitments, and validate supporting evidence before items are closed, as appropriate.

· Oversee the completion of enterprise and departmental risk activities, including enterprise risk assessments, the Enterprise User Access Review, control testing, mitigation tracking, internal disclosures, and assigned branch cash counts, and other audit activities..

· Direct and review the team’s risk management work, and personally perform or participate in risk assessments, cash counts, control reviews, testing, research, and related activities when needed.

· Create and review risk analyses for new products, services, processes, and vendors. Identify emerging risks and ensure practical control recommendations are documented and communicated.

· Provide management and appropriate committees with clear status reporting on audit and risk schedules, overdue items, findings, mitigation plans, vendor deliverables, and significant issues.

· Prepare and coordinate accurate, timely materials for Supervisory Committee meetings, as needed.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

Fraud Management Oversight

· Oversee the full fraud case lifecycle, including alert review, investigations, disputes, documentation, member communication, loss mitigation, recovery efforts, and law-enforcement referrals.

· Oversee the effective use of fraud monitoring systems and the timely review and resolution of suspicious activity across all channels.

· Monitor fraud losses, recoveries, trends, root causes, and control gaps. Direct appropriate corrective actions and prevention strategies.

· Coordinate with the BSA Officer regarding potential suspicious activity, SAR-related support, and identity-theft reporting.

· Oversee employee fraud-awareness training and communications to support consistent detection, prevention, and escalation practices.

Project Coordination Oversight

· Oversee project and change management processes 

· Support clear communication among project stakeholders, department leaders, management, and vendors regarding project status, decisions, risks, and expectations.

· Provide guidance on project barriers, significant changes, competing priorities, and complex or sensitive matters.

· Review project reporting and assess whether projects and change initiatives are progressing toward established objectives and intended outcomes.

· Partner with department leaders and management to review completed projects, assess intended outcomes and expected operational or member benefits, and identify lessons learned and remaining risks. Recommend follow-up actions and process improvements based on the review.

Reporting and Collaboration

· Provide the Director with concise, timely, and regular updates on risk, fraud, audit, project, team, and operational matters, including current status, emerging concerns, overdue items, decisions needed, and recommended next steps; prepare and present related reporting to management and appropriate committees.

· Serve as the primary escalation point for significant risk exposures, fraud events, control weaknesses, overdue remediation, and project concerns. Promptly notify and work with the Director and affected department leaders to assess impact, coordinate the response, assign actions, and communicate material developments through resolution.

· Partner with operations, compliance, information security, internal and external audit, legal counsel, vendors, and law enforcement as appropriate.

· Promote consistent risk ownership, documentation, confidentiality, and accountability across the credit union.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE

Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in risk management, fraud management, audit, compliance, operations, or a related financial-services function, including experience directing work, coaching employees, or leading teams. Demonstrated experience with risk assessments, internal controls, audit follow-up, fraud investigations, loss prevention, management reporting, and cross-functional initiatives is required. Credit union experience is strongly preferred.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Risk Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. Relevant certifications in risk, fraud, audit, compliance, or project management are preferred.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Strong leadership, coaching, analytical, investigative, organizational, and communication skills. Ability to assign and prioritize work, evaluate quality, make sound decisions, handle sensitive matters, resolve competing demands, and influence stakeholders at all levels.

OTHER SKILLS

· Excellent people leadership, coaching, delegation, workload management, and accountability across a team with diverse responsibilities

· Strong attention to detail, quality assurance, documentation, and follow-through

· Sound judgment and timely, risk-based decision-making

· Enterprise and operational risk assessment, internal controls, and audit coordination

· Fraud investigation, dispute oversight, loss prevention, recovery, and trend analysis

· Project governance, prioritization, stakeholder coordination, and post-project evaluation

· Clear reporting, executive communication, regulatory awareness, and confidential information handling

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

· Timely, accurate completion of audit and risk management schedules, supporting documentation, and assigned deliverables

· Team quality, timeliness, engagement, retention, productivity, accountability, and growth in independent judgment and solution ownership

· Progress on employee development plans, expanded responsibilities, cross-training, knowledge sharing, and succession readiness

· Quality and completion of risk assessments, access reviews, cash counts, control testing, mitigation plans, and other assigned risk activities

· Timely follow-up, validation, and closure of audit findings, corrective actions, and significant control issues

· Accuracy, clarity, and usefulness of risk, fraud, audit-status, project, and committee reporting

· Effectiveness of fraud oversight, loss prevention, recovery, case and dispute resolution, project governance, and post-project evaluation

ADA Requirements

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Perform primarily sedentary work with limited physical exertion and occasional lifting of up to 20 lbs. Must be capable of climbing/ descending stairs in emergency situation. Must be able to operate routine office equipment including telephone, copier, facsimile, and calculator. Must be able to routinely perform work on computer for an average of 6-8 hours per day, when necessary. Must be able to work extended hours whenever required or requested by management. Must be capable of regular, reliable and timely attendance.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Must be able to routinely perform work indoors in climate-controlled private office with minimal noise.

MENTAL AND/OR EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to perform job functions independently and work effectively either on own or as part of a team. Must be able to plan and direct the work activities of self and others. Must be able to read and carry out various written instructions and follow oral instructions. Must be able to speak clearly and deliver information in a logical and understandable sequence. Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization and demonstrate highest levels of customer service and discretion when dealing with the public. Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines/ requirements for extreme accuracy and quality and/or fast pace. Must be able to effectively handle multiple, simultaneous, and changing priorities. Must be capable of exercising highest level of discretion on both internal and external confidential matters.