ISG Governance Executive - Cross Governance & Horizontal Support

Job Description:

Merrill Wealth Management is a leading provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment products and services for individuals, companies, and institutions. Merrill Wealth Management is one of the largest businesses of its kind in the world specializing in goals-based wealth management, including planning for retirement, education, legacy, and other life goals through investment advice and guidance. Merrill’s Financial Advisors and Wealth Management Client Associates help clients pursue the life they envision through a personal relationship with their advisory team committed to their needs. We believe trust comes from transparency. Our trusted advisory teams are equipped with access to the investment insights of Merrill coupled with the banking convenience of Bank of America.

At Merrill, we empower you to bring your whole self to work. We value diversity in our thoughts, business, and within our employees and clients. Our Wealth Management team represents an array of different backgrounds and bring their unique perspectives, ideas, and experiences, helping to create a work community that is culture driven, resilient, results focused and effective.

Job Description:

This Investment Solutions Group (ISG) Governance role is a senior, executive-facing position within the ISG Cross Governance & Horizontal Support team. The successful candidate will lead a team of 4 governance professionals, driving governance strategy, reporting, and process standardization across the broader ISG Governance organization, and will serve as the primary governance partner to ISG Strategy and Business Enablement leadership.

This role is a key advisor to senior stakeholders across ISG, responsible for shaping and executing critical business priorities, driving enterprise-wide process transformation, and leading horizontal initiatives that elevate governance effectiveness, operational excellence, and risk management across the platform. This job is responsible for partnering with lines of business to design an effective risk and control environment and ensure adherence to enterprise-wide standards. Key responsibilities include establishing and overseeing the governance structure including managing meeting routines, process inventory administration, policy and procedures and exception management. Job expectations include working directly with enterprise and line of business partners or leadership to implement solutions that resolve critical business challenges.

Job Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead a team of 4, setting direction for governance reporting and process standardization across horizontal functions within the ISG Governance organization.
• Serve as primary governance partner and trusted advisor to ISG Strategy and Business Enablement leadership.
• Serve as the central point of escalation and coordination for cross-functional and horizontal governance activities, driving consistency and efficiency across the platform.
• Own and elevate executive-level reporting, providing senior leadership with clear visibility into initiatives, deliverables, risks, and key milestones across ISG Governance.
• Own and continuously strengthen horizontal core processes (e.g., AIM/Job Codes, BCP, Change Management, Complaints, Global Records Management, Model Risk Management, My Learning, Operating Losses, Registration & Licensing, Policies & Procedures, Sustainable & Impact Investing).
• Proactively identify control gaps and lead cross-functional efforts to design, implement, and track remediation strategies.
• Manage content for governance forums and executive meetings, including the ISG Risk Forum, Regulator QRR, ISG All Hands, and ISG governance leadership offsites.
• Drive critical, high-visibility analysis on complex business issues and develop executive-ready materials to inform senior leadership decision-making.

 

Required qualifications

• 12 -15+ years of experience in business management, governance, or control functions within financial services.
• Familiarity with FINRA, SEC, and other relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Strong understanding of supervisory frameworks, control environments, and governance routines.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate a team's work and deliverables.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of driving strategic initiatives and process improvements.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to develop executive-level materials and advise senior/executive management.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects independently.
• Strong relationship management skills, partnering with Wealth Management Business Controls, ISG FLUs, Compliance, Audit, Technology, Operations, and other control partners.

Desired qualifications:

• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and comfortable operating with limited direction.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to quickly learn new processes, adapt to changing priorities, and react effectively to emerging needs.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Prior experience coordinating governance reporting/processes across multiple teams or functions preferred.

Skills:

• Corporate Governance Management
• Data Governance
• Issue Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Regulatory Relations
• Analytical Thinking
• Oral Communications
• Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
• Risk Management
• Strategy Planning and Development
• Credit and Risk Assessment
• Data Management
• Research
• Strategic Thinking
• Written Communications

Shift:

1st shift (United States of America)

Hours Per Week: 

40

Pay Transparency details

US - NJ - Pennington - 1600 American Blvd - Hopewell Bldg 6 (NJ2600), US - NY - New York - ONE BRYANT PARK - BANK OF AMERICA TOWER (NY1100)

Pay and benefits information

Pay range

$200,000.00 - $280,000.00 annualized salary, offers to be determined based on experience, education and skill set.

Discretionary incentive eligible

This role is eligible to participate in the annual discretionary plan. Employees are eligible for an annual discretionary award based on their overall individual performance results and behaviors, the performance and contributions of their line of business and/or group; and the overall success of the Company.

Benefits

This role is currently benefits eligible. We provide industry-leading benefits, access to paid time off, resources and support to our employees so they can make a genuine impact and contribute to the sustainable growth of our business and the communities we serve.