Vice President, HR Risk and Operational Excellence

About this role

We are seeking a strategic and experienced HR Risk and Operational Excellence Vice President to strengthen governance frameworks, enhance reporting mechanisms, and enable effective oversight of HR risks and operations. This role is a second-line function focused on empowering HR teams to address risks and operational challenges effectively while maintaining accountability at the appropriate levels.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in operational risk governance, the ability to provide actionable insights, and a collaborative approach to driving compliance and process improvement. This role does not directly remediate issues but instead establishes frameworks, guidance, and reporting mechanisms to empower teams to resolve challenges independently.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Risk Management and Governance

• Analyze data and trends to identify emerging HR risks and prioritize mitigation strategies.
• Define and oversee HR Business Risk Indicators (BRIs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor risk and performance.
• Advise HR leadership with actionable insights and strategic guidance on risk management and governance practices.
• Develop and implement governance frameworks for the proactive identification, tracking, and management of HR risks.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to monitor remediation progress, ensuring accountability and ownership at the appropriate levels.
• Prepare and deliver governance reports to senior management, summarizing key metrics, trends, and actionable insights to inform decision-making.
• Promote transparency and adherence to governance processes across HR functions to enhance risk mitigation and compliance.

Policy Governance

• Support and maintain the HR Policy Governance framework, ensuring it aligns with regional regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Employment Legal and HR teams to design and enhance mechanisms for horizon scanning, enabling functions with the ability to timely identify regulatory changes that may impact HR policies.
• Provide governance oversight to confirm policy updates are operationalized effectively by the relevant HR functions, with clear ownership and accountability.

Third-Party Governance

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for HR third-party risk management, enabling Vendor Relationship Owners (VROs) to comply with sourcing, vendor management, privacy, and information security policy requirements.
• Support the development and maintenance of effective third-party governance frameworks, ensuring HR vendor inventory oversight aligns with organizational standards.

Audit Readiness and Support

• Act as a liaison between HR teams and internal/external auditors, ensuring alignment of expectations and clear communication throughout the audit lifecycle.
• Establish and maintain an audit preparedness framework, defining protocols for ongoing monitoring and periodic reviews of HR processes to confirm readiness.
• Coordinate with process owners across HR functions to address requests for clarification, additional evidence, or follow-up actions during audits.
• Monitor the resolution of audit issues by tracking management responses and action plans, ensuring timely and effective remediation.
• Conduct independent assessments of remediation actions to confirm their effectiveness and alignment with audit objectives.

Training and Development

• Design and deliver targeted training programs to increase awareness of HR risk governance and policy requirements, including training on audit preparedness to equip HR teams with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate audit processes confidently.
• Provide specialized coaching to HR Teams on essential systems and governance processes, supporting smooth transitions for new initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., CIPD, SHRM, HRMP) preferred.
• 6-8+ years of experience in HR governance, compliance, or risk management roles, preferably in a global, matrixed environment.
• Strong understanding of employment laws, regulatory requirements, and HR governance practices.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and foster cross-functional collaboration in complex organizations.
• Expertise in HR risk management frameworks, policy governance, and third-party oversight.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to risk identification and mitigation.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with privacy and compliance programs.
• Clear, effective communication skills, including proficiency in ‘Plain-English’ writing and visual storytelling.
• Experience navigating ambiguity and driving initiatives independently within a dynamic environment.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.