Director – Third-Party Risk Management

Join our team and build your career with momentum as we champion your growth, elevate your ideas and engage you in purpose-driven work that makes a real difference every day.

Who we are

Founded in 1997, Merrick Bank is an FDIC®-insured financial institution headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, with over $10 billion in assets. A wholly owned subsidiary of CardWorks Financial Group, Merrick Bank serves roughly five million cardmembers and more than 100,000 merchant customers nationwide.

What we do

We provide credit cards, recreational loans, deposit accounts, merchant services and bank sponsorships to consumers and businesses. As a leader in non-prime lending and merchant acquiring, we combine innovative technology with data-driven insights to help underserved consumers build and strengthen credit while delivering integrated, scalable payment solutions for businesses.

Merrick Bank ranks among the top 20 FDIC®-insured credit card issuers in the U.S. and among the top 15 merchant acquirers by transaction volume.

Position Summary and Role Impact:

The Director, Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), is a second-line risk leader responsible for directing the execution, oversight, and continuous enhancement of Merrick Bank’s (the “Bank”) TPRM Program. The role provides independent review and challenge across the third-party lifecycle, translates third-party risk information into decision-useful insights, and drives timely escalation and remediation of material exposures. This role partners with senior management, Vendor Relationship Owners, Vendor Management, Legal, Information Security, Compliance, Internal Audit, and other first- and second-line stakeholders to promote consistent, risk-based decisions aligned with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and the Bank’s risk appetite.

Essential Functions:

• Directs the execution and continuous enhancement of the Bank’s TPRM framework across planning, due diligence, selection, contracting, ongoing monitoring, issue management, renewal, and termination, ensuring practices are risk-based, scalable, and aligned with regulatory expectations and internal governance standards.

• Provides leadership, direction, workload prioritization, coaching, and performance oversight to TPRM team members and functional resources supporting assessments, monitoring, issue management, reporting, and program improvement.

• Oversees and, when needed, performs risk-based due diligence, risk assessments, control evaluations, and ongoing monitoring across the third-party lifecycle, ensuring work is timely, evidence-based, consistently documented, and commensurate with the relationship’s risk and criticality.

• Partners with business units, Vendor Relationship Owners, Vendor Engagement Leads, Vendor Management, and Subject Matter Experts to clarify first- and second-line accountabilities; identify, assess, monitor, and mitigate third-party risks; and ensure material changes in scope, performance, or risk profile are evaluated and escalated.

• Provides independent review and effective challenge of third-party risk assessments, risk ratings, exceptions, control conclusions, and proposed risk responses; documents the basis for challenge and escalates matters that exceed defined thresholds, risk appetite, or approval authority.

• Oversees monitoring of third-party performance, financial condition, control effectiveness, risk indicators, complaints, incidents, concentration risk, issues, and remediation commitments; identifies trends and emerging risks and escalates material concerns to ERM leadership and applicable governance forums.

• Leads the development, maintenance, and periodic review of TPRM policies, standards, procedures, methodologies, and workflows to sustain a consistent enterprise operating model and clear accountability across the third-party lifecycle.

• Develops and presents dashboards, metrics, trend analyses, risk concentrations, material exceptions, and executive summaries that provide clear, decision-useful visibility to Senior Management, risk committees, and the Board of Directors.

• Partners with Legal, Vendor Management, Information Security, Compliance, Business Continuity, Procurement, and business stakeholders to support risk-proportionate contract provisions, audit and access rights, performance expectations, information-security requirements, resilience obligations, issue escalation, and exit or contingency planning.

• Owns program quality assurance and regulatory readiness for TPRM, including documentation standards, records in the approved system of record, examination and audit support, management of findings, and evidence of timely corrective action.

• Drives continuous improvement of TPRM tools, data, workflows, reporting, and GRC capabilities to strengthen data quality, traceability, cycle times, portfolio visibility, and sustainable execution.

Requirements for Success:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Information Systems, Supply Chain, or a related field required; advanced degree or relevant professional certification (e.g., CTPRP, CTPRA, CRVPM, CRMA, FRM, CPA, CIA, CISM, or CRISC) preferred.

• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in Third-Party Risk Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Operational Risk, vendor risk, internal audit, compliance, information security risk, or a related discipline within financial services or another highly regulated environment, including demonstrated responsibility for leading people, programs, or material cross-functional initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills and Capabilities:

• In-depth knowledge of the full third-party lifecycle, risk-tiering methodologies, due diligence, control evaluation, ongoing monitoring, issue management, concentration risk, subcontractor risk, business resilience, and regulatory expectations applicable to financial institutions.

• Demonstrated ability to provide independent review and effective challenge, make well-supported risk judgments, distinguish first- and second-line accountability, and escalate material concerns with clear recommendations.

• Strong expertise in executive and Board-level risk reporting, including dashboards, key risk indicators, portfolio trends, concentrations, exceptions, material issues, and concise written risk assessments.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative information into clear, decision-useful insights and recommendations for senior management and governance committees.

• Proven ability to lead teams and cross-functional initiatives, influence senior stakeholders, resolve accountability gaps, and maintain an independent risk perspective while enabling timely business decisions.

Compliance with Laws & Regulations

• Responsible for complying with all the Bank’s internal control policies and procedures.
• Responsible for understanding and complying with all laws and regulations to which the Bank is subject.
• Responsible for communicating problems in operations, noncompliance with the code of conduct, noncompliance with laws and regulations, policy violations, or illegal acts.

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Why join us

We believe in putting people first by supporting our customers, employees and our partners while creating opportunities for everyone to reach their potential. From fostering work-life balance to rewarding good work and innovative ideas, we invest in what matters most, our people.

At Merrick Bank, you’ll be part of a collaborative, customer-focused team where you can grow your career while making a meaningful impact.

Our Employee Value Proposition

• Competitive Pay, including a Bonus Target or Variable Pay Incentive Program
• Benefits Package -Medical, Dental, and Vision (plus much more)
• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Short- & Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Programs
• Group Life and AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Sick Days and bank Holidays
• Employee Engagement Activities including Employee Appreciation Day, DEI Employee Resource Groups, Corporate Social Responsibility, Service Recognition

We offer a total rewards package comprised of a competitive base rate of pay, variable pay incentive programs based on the role, and a comprehensive benefit suite.  Offered rates of pay are determined based on job-related knowledge, relevant experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to age, race, color, sex, or gender identity/expression (including pregnancy, childbirth, transgender status, or sexual orientation), religion or creed, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. Everyone is welcome here, and we hire based on your ability to do the job, not any protected characteristics.

If you need help or reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, please let your TA Partner know.