Manager Risk Management

The Global Risk & Compliance (GRC) organization serves as American Express’ independent risk management function. GRC maintains the enterprise risk framework, provides oversight and challenge, and monitors key risks. By embedding risk discipline into strategy and operations, GRC enables responsible growth, innovation, and long-term value creation while protecting customers and shareholders.

The Spain Chief Risk Officer (CRO) function is part of the Int’l CRO team, within The Global Risk & Compliance Organization (GRC).

How will you make an impact in this role?

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented colleague to be a part of our Spain Chief Risk Officer team in the second line of defense. The successful candidate will be a proactive, analytical, and collaborative individual who can effectively partner with various stakeholders across the organization and lead and develop a team of highly motivated individuals.

• Risk Identification, Assessment & Monitoring: Maintain a comprehensive view of the Legal Entity risk profile, proactively identifying, assessing and monitoring material, top and emerging risks across relevant risk pillars. Provide independent review and effective challenge of risk identification and assessment processes and outcomes.

• Risk Reporting & Analytics: Develop and maintain effective risk reporting, metrics and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to support senior management and governance committee oversight. Analyze risk data and trends and leverage data visualization and automation capabilities to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of risk monitoring and reporting.

• Second-Line Testing: Develop and execute a risk-based, multi-year second-line testing plan informed by Legal Entity and enterprise risk assessments, ensuring appropriate prioritization and coverage of material risks and controls.

• Testing Framework & Methodology: Develop and continuously enhance second-line testing methodologies, standards, procedures and governance, driving consistency, quality and adoption of best practices across Legal Entities.

• Testing Execution & Reporting: Oversee and support the execution of second-line control reviews, ensuring robust assessment of control design and effectiveness, clear documentation of findings and timely communication of outcomes to senior management and relevant governance committees.

• Issue & Remediation Oversight: Establish and maintain effective processes to track issues and remediation arising from second-line reviews, overseeing corrective actions and identifying recurring themes, systemic control weaknesses and emerging areas of risk.

• Integrated Assurance: Coordinate with first, second and third lines of defense to strengthen assurance coverage, reduce unnecessary duplication and support the development of integrated assurance frameworks and assurance maps.

• Enterprise Alignment: Partner with enterprise risk, testing and assurance teams to align methodologies, risk assessments and reporting approaches, while identifying opportunities to improve consistency and efficiency.

• Risk Governance & Effective Challenge: Maintain a strong understanding of relevant products, services, processes and systems to provide independent oversight and effective challenge of risk management practices and the implementation of enterprise risk frameworks, including risk appetite and concentration risk.

• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a team of approximately four risk analysts, setting priorities, allocating resources and providing coaching and oversight to ensure high-quality delivery across risk reporting, monitoring and second-line testing activities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 6-8 years of experience in risk management or a similar role;

• Experience as a people leader

• Strong analytical skills and business acumen with a risk-reward control perspective; and the ability to balance commercial objectives with sound risk management.

• Experience in interacting with regulators and familiarity with Spain and Europe’s regulatory landscape and requirements;

• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple priorities under pressure;

• Fluency in English (verbal and written);

• Degree in business, economics, engineering, or a related field; professional certifications such as FRM, CFA, are valued.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrate experience in risk reporting and risk monitoring

• Design and implementation of second-line testing programmes;

• Assurance and control testing methodologies;

• Integrated assurance frameworks.

Preferred Experience

• Regulatory assurance activities;

• Regulated financial services experience.

People Skills

• Excellent relationship and influencing skills with the ability to build productive relationships across teams and levels of seniority;

• Self-confident with a strong sense of integrity and the ability and willingness to challenge and be challenged;

• Proactive in identifying issues, delivering and escalating key findings, and advising on recommended solutions to correct issues or mitigate risks;

• Ability to communicate oversight findings to colleagues, business partners, and senior leaders;

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

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