IT Governance Analyst

What You'll Do

Lead the development, implementation, and enforcement of IT governance frameworks across a hybrid computing environment. Balance fast-paced fintech software deployments with the rigid security and compliance rules required for high-volume US payment systems. Ensure that all IT functions of organization are continuously audit-ready with regard to US financial institution (FFIEC) audit requirements as well as Payment Card Industry (PCI) DSS requirements and System and Organization Controls (SOC) audit expectations.

Core Responsibilities

US Regulatory Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Maintain continuous compliance with PCI-DSS v4.0 (Level 1), FFIEC guidelines, SOC 1/2, and GLBA.
• Act as the lead technical liaison for US regulatory exams (e.g., OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, state banking/money transmission regulators).
• Support regular internal audits and mock exams to identify and patch compliance gaps before official audits.

Hybrid Environment Policy & Architecture Governance

• Adapt IT governance frameworks (COBIT 2019, NIST CSF, CIS) to fit both on-premise/co-located servers and AWS or other cloud environments.
• Govern strict data residency and sovereignty policies to keep sensitive US financial data isolated and compliant.
• Enforce unified change management and secure software development lifecycle (SDLC) rules across both cloud and on-prem assets.

High-Volume Transaction Environment Documentation

• Identify and document technical risks or other concerns unique to high-throughput US payment rails (e.g., FedNow, ACH, Fedwire, and Real-Time Payments/RTP).
• Establish separate but integrated disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BCP) strategies for cloud systems and physical data centers.
• Facilitate vendor management processes for critical third-party IT-related vendors.

Metrics, Reporting & Accountability

• Design and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) for hybrid operational stability.
• Present formal risk posture and compliance updates monthly to the executive team and risk committees.
• Chair the hybrid change advisory board (CAB) to safely approve complex cross-environment code deployments.

Key Requirements

Experience & Education

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS), Cybersecurity, Finance, or Computer Science.
• Fintech/Banking Experience: 5 to 7 years in IT governance, risk, or compliance (GRC) inside a US financial institution, regulated payment processor, or equivalent.
• Payment Domain Knowledge: At least 3 years of experience in an environment that processes high-volume US payment rails and card networks.

Required Certifications (At least two preferred)

• CGEIT (Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT)
• CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control)
• CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
• CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

Technical & Soft Skills

• Regulatory Expertise: Expert-level mastery of FFIEC handbooks, PCI-DSS, and US federal banking privacy laws.
• Hybrid Tech Literacy: Strong understanding of hybrid models (e.g., connecting on-prem database architecture with containerized cloud microservices).
• Communication: Ability to confidently bridge the gap between fast-moving DevOps engineers and conservative corporate bank attorneys.

Performance Success Metrics

• Flawless US Regulatory Audits: Zero material or critical findings from the FFIEC, OCC, or external accounting auditors.
• Unified Environment Controls: Successful deployment of governance policies that apply equally well to cloud infrastructure and physical servers.
• Safe Velocity: Maintenance of high-throughput payment uptimes without blocking the engineering department's agile sprint schedule.