Sr Business Risk Officer

Job Type

Full Time Exempt
General Description

This is a high-visibility opportunity for a strong Puerto Rico-based banking, compliance, risk, or legal-regulatory professional to play a central role in strengthening first-line governance, regulatory responsiveness, and customer-related risk management across the business.
The role combines regulatory interpretation, issue management, complaint and claims oversight, remediation support, and cross-functional leadership in a highly regulated financial-services environment.
We are looking for a candidate with excellent judgment, strong written and verbal communication skills, and a practical understanding of Puerto Rico and U.S. banking, consumer, and regulatory requirements.
The ideal candidate will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, regulatory requirements, customer-impact issues, and sensitive matters that require careful analysis, sound escalation, and disciplined execution.
This professional will help strengthen first-line capabilities by identifying risk themes, interpreting regulatory expectations, enhancing controls, and supporting effective remediation plans that are both practical and sustainable.
The position also provides meaningful exposure to internal audit, regulatory examinations, governance reporting, and partnership with Compliance, Operational Risk, Audit, and business leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Regulatory Risk Assessment & Issue Management
Identify, analyze, and assess regulatory, conduct, operational, and compliance risks arising from business activities, customer complaints, control gaps, and internal findings.
Review facts, regulations, and business processes to determine exposure, materiality, and appropriate escalation or remediation actions.
Provide clear analysis and challenge issue documentation to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal standards and regulatory expectations.
Advise management on time-sensitive matters requiring sound judgment, balanced risk analysis, and practical business-oriented recommendations.

Control Evaluation, Root Cause Analysis & Guidance
Partner with business and control teams to perform root cause analyses and determine whether issues reflect isolated events or broader systemic weaknesses.
Interpret applicable laws, regulations, agency expectations, and internal policies to help design, strengthen, and document effective controls and corrective actions.

Claims, Complaints & Remediation Oversight
Manage or support the investigation of customer complaints, regulatory claims, and escalated matters, ensuring timely, well-documented, and defensible responses.
Review supporting documentation, validate remediation plans, and assess whether corrective actions adequately address identified regulatory, compliance, and customer-impact concerns.
Help maintain strong governance across the issue and claims lifecycle, including intake, investigation, documentation, escalation, remediation, and closure.
Collaborate with business owners, compliance partners, and control stakeholders to develop corrective action plans that are practical, sustainable, and aligned with applicable regulatory requirements.
Identify recurring themes, emerging risks, and potential exposure trends through review of complaints, issue data, key indicators, and regulatory developments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (cont.)

Regulatory Reporting & Executive Communication
Prepare clear, accurate, and persuasive summaries, memoranda, reports, and presentations for management, governance committees, audits, and regulatory matters.
Communicate findings, risk considerations, remediation progress, and recommended actions to senior management in a clear and business-relevant manner.
Support the documentation of the business-level risk profile through sound analysis, issue management, remediation tracking, and governance reporting.

Cross-Functional Partnership
Work closely with Compliance, Operational Risk, Audit, business teams, and other stakeholders to align guidance, remediation efforts, and control enhancements.
Build trusted relationships across functions and provide practical guidance that balances regulatory requirements, operational realities, customer impact, and business priorities.

Regulatory Claims, Agency Responses & Investigations
Analyze complaints and claims escalated for regulatory review and provide guidance on investigations, customer remediation, and broader corrective action when necessary.
Investigate and help prepare responses to matters from regulatory agencies and supervisory bodies, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely submission of required documentation.
Support the effective management, documentation, and resolution of claims in coordination with internal partners and key stakeholders.
Ensure prompt action is taken to address identified deficiencies and to maintain compliance with applicable laws, regulations, internal policies, and procedural requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (cont.)

Audit, Examination & Second-Line Support
Lead or support responses to internal audit requests, second-line reviews, and regulatory examinations, including document production, issue analysis, and response coordination.
Support the implementation and follow-through of corrective actions arising from audits, examinations, and control reviews.
Monitor recommendations, findings, and remediation commitments to help ensure timely closure and sustainable resolution.
Prepare and review issue-related documentation, analytical summaries, and written responses for internal and external stakeholders.

Regulatory Change Management, Controls & Training
Lead or support implementation of changes to controls, procedures, and business practices resulting from new or revised laws, regulations, and regulatory guidance.
Partner with business teams to help ensure processes and procedures remain aligned with applicable regulatory and policy requirements.
Support the implementation and ongoing enhancement of first-line control frameworks, issue management standards, and governance practices.
Identify, assess, document, and respond to compliance risk events with a high degree of accuracy, timeliness, and professional judgment.
Apply regulatory requirements to help shape effective controls, policies, and operational guidance.
Monitor emerging regulatory trends that may affect products, processes, customer treatment, or first-line risk responsibilities.
Represent the business in meetings and projects involving control, complaint, claims, and regulatory initiatives.
Conduct regulatory and compliance risk assessments in alignment with internal risk management frameworks, policies, and standards.
Support adherence to internal governance requirements and related oversight processes.
Contribute to training and awareness efforts on legal, regulatory, risk, and control topics for first-line teams.

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance or related field.

Experience

7+ years of experience in operational risk, business controls, compliance, or internal audit—preferably within the banking or financial services issue management processes, including remediation planning and root cause analysis.
7+ years of experience with credit cards, deposit, reserve line of credit, personal loans and/or commercial products.
Strong understanding of internal control frameworks and regulatory expectations (e.g. FDIC, CFPB, OCIF).

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree or Juris Doctor (JD) with knowledge of banking regulations and regulatory compliance is strongly preferred.
Experience with GRC tools and issue tracking systems.
Demonstrated ability to analyze complex regulatory and compliance issues, conduct investigations or issue reviews, draft persuasive written responses, and support remediation efforts.
Strong knowledge of Puerto Rico and U.S. federal regulatory frameworks applicable to banking or financial services, including consumer-facing regulatory requirements.
Strong written communication, analytical, and documentation skills, with the ability to prepare clear summaries, reports, and management-ready materials.
Fully bilingual in Spanish and English, with excellent oral and written communication skills in both languages.
Experience supporting banking operations, regulatory examinations, consumer compliance, complaint management, agency responses, or first-line risk and control programs in Puerto Rico or other U.S.-regulated markets is strongly preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Exercises sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive and high-impact matters.
Thrives in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment and can manage multiple priorities with strong organization and follow-through.
Demonstrates strong analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and the capacity to translate regulatory requirements into practical business solutions.
Builds credibility quickly and collaborates effectively with senior leaders, business partners, and control functions.
Has exceptional attention to detail, strong drafting skills, and a disciplined, process-oriented approach to regulatory, risk, and control work.
Can independently manage a high volume of complex matters and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.

This is an excellent opportunity for a high-performing professional in Puerto Rico who wants to take on a visible, high-impact role at the intersection of banking, regulatory oversight, customer matters, and first-line risk management while partnering closely with senior leadership and key control functions.
Region Locations

Puerto Rico
Work Schedule

Hybrid (3/2)
Values

1. Passion for People
3. Succeed Together
2. Own Every Moment
4. Build the Future

Important:The candidate must provide evidence of academic preparation or courses related to the job posting, if necessary.
Our hybrid work model benefit applies to certain positions and is subject to changes based on the organizational needs.
ABOUT US
Popular is Puerto Rico's leading financial institution and have been evolving since it was founded over a century ago. From a small bank it has developed into a large corporation that offer a wide variety of services and financial solutions to our customers, with presence in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America.
As employees, we are dedicated to making our customers dreams come true by offering financial solutions in each stage of their life. Our extensive trajectory demonstrates the resiliency and determination of our employees to innovate, reach for the right solutions and strongly support the communities we serve; therefore, we value their diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds.
We reaffirm our commitment to always offer essential financial services and solutions for our customers and communities, including during emergency situations and/or natural disasters. Popular's employees are considered essential workers, whose role is critical in the continuity of these important services even under such circumstances. By applying to this position, you acknowledge that Popular may require your services during and immediately after any such events.
If you have a disability or need more information about requesting an accommodation, please contact us at ****** .This email inbox is monitored for such types of requestsonly. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed exemptions or reasonable accommodations. Any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Are you ready for a rewarding career?

Popular is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vets
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