Director Issues, Events

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

The newly formed Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) Risk & Control Lead, Enterprise & Digital Platforms and Risk Reduction team, are dedicated to driving effective Operational Risk strategies as the Enterprise undergoes the transformation to strengthen our Risk Management programs, pillars and enablement functions.  With the growing importance of Issues, Events & Remediation Management and based on the complexity of the Enterprise Digital team, this role will be responsible for all end-to-end Issues, Events & Remediation management and act as a single point of contact for the GAR and B&P leadership team. The leader will deliver large-scale change to implement operational efficiencies and operationalize the ERM and ORM policies and process changes.   This includes increasing inventory data quality and meeting milestones and providing increased clarity and oversight of the inventory.

How will you make an impact in this role?

The Director, Issues, Events & Remediation, Enterprise Digital will:

• Ensure investigation and root cause analysis is conducted to address repeated issue types

• Perform quality assurance on documentation of Issue/ORE type, urgency, severity/impact (e.g., impact analysis), and investigate as necessary to understand and address the root causes and

• Oversee the remediation process, including tracking progress, validate resolution efficacy, and communicate status updates to stakeholders to embed accountability along the process, collaborating with other Operational Risk Management (ORM) teams as necessary

• Document and maintain records of issues/OREs and remediations to ensure transparency and accountability in the issue management process

• Conduct thematic analysis to identify trends in issues and events to identify potential systemic risks or control weaknesses within BU processes

• Support and oversee the End-to-End (E2E) issue resolution process, embedding accountability and ensuring lessons learned are integrated into future ORM practices

• Perform sample testing of issues to ensure resolution is complete and effective and drive improved inventory quality

• Opine on and engage with owning BU on specific control enhancements related to issues, ensuring senior leaders have clarity on roles and responsibilities to drive the desired changes

• Engage with key stakeholders, including business unit leaders, compliance officers, and regulatory bodies, to facilitate effective issue management and resolution

• Prepare and present detailed reports on issue status, trends, and outcomes to senior management and governance committees

• Be a key leader for sharing insights, better practices, themes, etc. across the enterprise

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated experience in operational risk management (e.g., within Risk and/or Internal Audit function) Understanding of critical operational risk management lifecycle activities

• Excellent program management, communication, and interpersonal skills, with an ability to interact with and obtain buy-in from senior business unit / 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 the financial services industry

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to analyze data, identify themes and trends, and evaluate risk scenarios effectively

• Demonstrated history and ability to manage large teams, spread over geographies and with varying backgrounds and ensuring efficient flow of work with advanced project & program management skills – including effective forecasting and capacity planning methodologies.

• Control enhancement expertise and risk analysis.

• Mature change management and operations including reporting and operational efficiencies.

• Strong people leadership experience leading teams in Technology, Risk and or Governance based roles

• Advanced stakeholder communications with senior leaders to provide clarity on status and actions to drive desired outcomes.

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:
  • Scoping, prioritizing, and support remediation of operational issues
  • Investigating and conducting root cause analysis to address repeated operational risk issue types
  • Performing quality assurance on documentation of operational risk issues and events
  • Overseeing the remediation process for operational risk issues and events
  • Documenting and maintaining records of operational risk issues and events to ensure transparency and accountability
  • Supporting and overseeing the E2E issue resolution process, embedding accountability and ensuring lessons learned are integrated into future operational risk management practices

Non-considerations for sponsorship:

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• 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.