About this role
About the Role
The Senior Manager, Divisional Risk will lead Vanguard's Workplace Solutions risk program within Retirement Services, applying deep ERISA expertise to guide business decisions and strengthen a control environment spanning operations, technology, and client service. You will partner with senior leaders to shape risk strategy and enable risk-informed decision making.
What You'll Do
- Lead the divisional risk strategy and set the vision and roadmap for a robust risk program.
- Design, implement, and continuously evolve risk capabilities; ensure stakeholders understand priorities, trade-offs, and emerging risk themes.
- Embed ERISA-centric fiduciary risk management; provide authoritative guidance on ERISA fiduciary standards, IRS requirements, and trust/custody controls.
- Strengthen controls & assurance with robust risk oversight, meaningful metrics, and executive-ready reporting; advise on design, monitoring, testing, remediation.
- Advise on change & innovation; engage early with teams on new services and operating model changes; ensure control design and proactive risk mitigation.
- Provide credible challenge & oversight; maintain an independent perspective on risk acceptance and enable risk-informed decisions.
- Cultivate a risk-smart culture; partner with business leaders and drive adoption of enterprise standards.
- Represent the division; collaborate with enterprise risk, legal, compliance, audit, and external stakeholders; participate in special projects and industry forums to keep the program current.
What We're Looking For
- Experience & expertise: Minimum eight years of related work experience, with at least 5 years in risk management within retirement services, trust/custody, or related fiduciary operations; deep command of ERISA, IRS rules, and DOL oversight.
- Risk frameworks: Hands-on mastery of operational risk frameworks and control assurance (design, testing, monitoring, reporting).
- Influence: Exceptional communicator and strategic thinker who builds buy-in across senior leaders.
- Curiosity & learning agility: Natural explorer who asks sharp questions, seeks context, learns fast, and brings external insight.
- Connector & integrator: Ability to link ideas, people, technology, and processes; spot patterns and anticipate risks.
- Leadership: Informal leader who models investor zeal, inclusion, integrity, and drives team development.
- Education: Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree preferred (e.g., JD, MBA, MS in Risk/Finance).
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary and benefits: Not specified in the posting. The description highlights Vanguard’s Workplace Solutions mission and the opportunity to shape risk strategy within a fiduciary environment.