Operational Risk Specialist, Sr at loanDepot in Irvine, CA

Position Summary:

Responsible for supporting loanDepot’s second-line Operational Risk Management Program by assisting with operational risk assessments, issue management, KRI and KPI reporting, team risk reporting, governance coordination, risk analytics, and special projects. Reporting to the VP, Enterprise Risk Management, this role helps ensure operational risks, issues, action plans, indicators, and reporting materials are complete, accurate, current, and aligned with Enterprise Risk Management standards. This is an experienced individual contributor role that supports program execution, reporting discipline, data quality, and continuous improvement across Operational Risk activities.

Responsibilities:

• Supports administration and execution of second-line Operational Risk programs, including risk assessment, issue management, operational risk reporting, KRI/KPI monitoring, documentation, and governance coordination.
• Coordinates and supports Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) and other operational risk assessment activities, including scheduling, documentation, data collection, quality review, status tracking, and follow-up with business stakeholders.
• Performs quality reviews of risk assessment submissions, issue records, action plans, KRI/KPI data, and reporting inputs for completeness, consistency, timeliness, and adherence to established ERM standards.
• Supports the Enterprise Issue Management process by maintaining issue and action plan tracking, monitoring target dates, aging, root cause themes, risk ratings, remediation status, and closure documentation.
• Prepares issue management analysis, including overdue items, target date changes, recurring themes, root cause trends, issue aging, risk levels, and escalation items for management review.
• Assists with validation support by reviewing evidence, closure packages, remediation documentation, and sustainability monitoring information, as directed by the Director, Operational and IT Risk.
• Produces and maintains recurring Operational Risk dashboards, scorecards, KRI and KPI reporting, risk trend analysis, issue reporting, and team risk reporting for management and governance forums.
• Supports preparation of executive, committee, Board, regulatory, audit, and management reporting materials, including charts, summaries, action item logs, meeting materials, and follow-up documentation.
• Supports GRC/IRM platform activities for Operational Risk, including data entry, data quality review, report testing, workflow support, user support, enhancement tracking, and system-of-record maintenance.
• Assists with implementation and enhancement of Operational Risk tools, templates, workflows, reporting processes, and governance routines.
• Coordinates Operational Risk program calendars, status updates, action items, project plans, meeting packages, and documentation repositories.
• Provides support for regulatory examinations, internal audits, external audits, investor requests, and management information requests related to Operational Risk, issue management, risk assessments, and reporting.
• Supports special projects and ERM transformation initiatives, including integrated risk reporting, strategic initiative risk reviews, operational resilience efforts, data improvement projects, and process standardization.
• Partners with business stakeholders, Technology, Information Security, Compliance, Internal Audit, Vendor Management, Business Continuity, and other control partners to gather information, clarify expectations, and support consistent risk management practices.
• Performs other duties and projects assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or related field required. Equivalent work experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five (5) + years of experience in operational risk, enterprise risk management, compliance, internal audit, governance, risk analytics, financial services operations, or a related function preferred.
• Experience supporting risk assessments, RCSA activities, issue management, corrective action tracking, control documentation, governance reporting, or operational risk programs preferred.
• Experience preparing risk dashboards, executive reporting, committee materials, KRI/KPI reporting, management information, or data-driven business reporting required.
• Experience with GRC/IRM platforms, risk systems, issue tracking systems, or workflow tools preferred, including ServiceNow IRM/GRC, Archer, AuditBoard, LogicGate, Workiva, MetricStream, OneTrust, or similar tools.
• Experience in mortgage banking, servicing, consumer lending, banking, fintech, or another regulated financial services environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of operational risk concepts, issue management life cycle, root cause analysis, action plan tracking, controls, risk ratings, key risk indicators, and governance reporting preferred.
• Ability to analyze risk data, identify trends, summarize findings, and translate detailed information into clear management reporting.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint required. Experience with Power BI, SharePoint, Teams, Visio, or comparable reporting and collaboration tools preferred.
• Ability to work independently as an experienced individual contributor while collaborating effectively in a team environment.

Why work for #teamloanDepot:

• Competitive compensation package based on experience, skillset and overall fit for #TeamloanDepot.
• Inclusive, diverse, and collaborative culture where people from all backgrounds can thrive
• Work with other passionate, purposeful, and customer-centric people
• Extensive internal growth and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement
• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical/Dental/Vision
• Wellness program to support both mental and physical health
• Generous paid time off for both exempt and non-exempt positions

About loanDepot:

loanDepot (NYSE: LDI) is a digital commerce company committed to serving its customers throughout the home ownership journey. Since its launch in 2010, loanDepot has revolutionized the mortgage industry with a digital-first approach that makes it easier, faster, and less stressful to purchase or refinance a home. Today, loanDepot enables customers to achieve the American dream of homeownership through a broad suite of lending and real estate services that simplify one of life's most complex transactions. With headquarters in Southern California and offices nationwide, loanDepot is committed to serving the communities in which its team lives and works through a variety of local, regional, and national philanthropic efforts.

Base salary is one piece of our total rewards package and is structured within a range so you can progress as you grow in the role. For this position, the anticipated annual base salary range is $76,000 - $105,500 nationally. In certain high-cost geographic markets (CA), the anticipated annual base salary range is $88,000 - $121,000. Actual compensation will depend on your skills, experience, qualifications, and the work location tied to our geographic pay structure.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.