Director – Business Operations - Risk Management

The Director of Business Operations holds primary responsibility for managing and executing the firm's operational resilience framework, with full accountability for third-party risk management, incident response planning, business continuity and business operational reporting. This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on execution. The director will also support key firmwide initiatives and special projects.

The Director, Business Operations establishes firmwide standards, ensuring controls are robust, thoroughly documented, effective, and appropriately tailored to the organization's needs. The position involves ongoing program enhancement by identifying and mitigating emerging threats in advance. Additionally, this role directly implements these standards, including incident triage and crisis response, as necessary.

Note: Considering incidents may occur outside of core working hours, occasional work during weekends and/or holidays may be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Third-Party Risk Management

Take full ownership of the firm's Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) program, leading both strategy and hands-on execution. Oversee vendor supervision using a risk-based approach, ensuring seamless management throughout the vendor lifecycle—including due diligence, onboarding, ongoing monitoring, remediation, and offboarding.

Ensure all vendor risk activities comply with internal policies, regulatory requirements (SEC, FINRA), and investor standards.

Regularly update and maintain TPRM policies, standards and procedures, delivering clear documentation and continuous improvements.

Incident Management

Lead the execution and ongoing enhancement of the firm’s Incident Response Plan. Collaborate closely with legal, compliance, technology and additional internal stakeholders to maintain and update protocols.

Serve as the primary point of contact for all incident types, coordinating rapid triage, containment, and resolution across teams. Guide the Incident Response Team, including after-hours support, as needed.

Track, report, and document incidents; conduct thorough reviews and remediation planning post-incident. Perform analytics and root cause analysis to proactively reduce future risk and continually evolve the program to meet emerging threats and business needs.

Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

Own and drive the Business Continuity Planning program, from policy development and governance to hands-on execution of annual tests and disaster response. Lead BCP committees and engage stakeholders to ensure the program evolves with changing business and regulatory requirements.

Conduct regular business impact assessments to define suitable recovery goals. Integrate high-risk service providers into BCP testing, maintain comprehensive documentation of outcomes, and deliver remediation where needed.

Execute BCP plans during disasters, providing after-hours leadership to restore operations promptly and in accordance with established recovery strategies.

Operational Excellence & Reporting

Continuously review and refine workflows to optimize efficiency. Identify and implement improvement opportunities across operational risk controls.

Deliver high-quality, insightful reporting—including dashboards, KPI tracking, incident summaries, and vendor risk metrics—to senior leadership and committees.

Maintain client-ready documentation of operational risk controls; collaborate with the RFP team to address due diligence questionnaires and inquiries. Support internal/external audits, regulatory exams, and investor due diligence processes.

Partner with Compliance to ensure SEC and FINRA regulatory adherence, actively supporting employee training and awareness initiatives.

Manage one direct report and oversee vendor resources. Responsible for hiring, coaching and performance management.

Support divisional and departmental business operational reporting, including Quarterly Business Review (QBRs).

Support the Head of Transformation on high-priority, firmwide initiatives and special projects.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: (including certification, licenses, etc.)

Bachelor’s degree required (Business, Economics, Information Systems, Risk Management, or related field preferred).  
12+ years of business operations, internal controls, risk management, or compliance experience.
Experience in real estate, asset management, financial services, or similar industries required.
Experience as a people manager required.
Advanced proficiency in Excel (index/match, pivot tables, advanced formulas, analytics).
Familiarity with risk frameworks (e.g., SOC 2, NIST, ITGC, SOX) is preferred.
Experience with Prevalent or similar platforms.
Familiarity with FINRA and SEC compliance frameworks; FINRA S99 is a plus.

ABOUT YOU:

Bachelor’s degree required (Business, Economics, Information Systems, Risk Management, or related field preferred).  
12+ years of business operations, internal controls, risk management, or compliance experience.
Experience in real estate, asset management, financial services, or similar industries required.
Experience as a people manager required.
Advanced proficiency in Excel (index/match, pivot tables, advanced formulas, analytics).
Familiarity with risk frameworks (e.g., SOC 2, NIST, ITGC, SOX) is preferred.
Experience with Prevalent or similar platforms.
Familiarity with FINRA and SEC compliance frameworks; FINRA S99 is a plus.