Director or Executive Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Office of Audit and Compliance, The University of Tennessee System Administration

The appropriate level—Director or Executive Director—will be determined based on the selected candidate’s demonstrated depth and breadth of enterprise risk management experience, scope of responsibility, and level of organizational leadership. Candidates with experience leading risk management initiatives for a campus, division, or major functional area would generally align with the Director level. Candidates with experience developing and advancing enterprise-wide risk management strategy, advising senior executives, establishing risk governance frameworks, and leading risk initiatives across complex organizations or multiple business units would generally align with the Executive Director level.

The Director/Executive Director, Enterprise Risk Management leads and advances the University’s enterprise risk management (ERM) program in support of the University’s mission, strategic plan, financial sustainability, academic excellence, research enterprise, and public stewardship responsibilities. In collaboration with the Chief Audit & Compliance Officer, the Director/Executive Director establishes an integrated, data-informed, and action-oriented ERM program that identifies, assesses, prioritizes, monitors, and communicates risks and opportunities across the University System.

The Director/Executive Director partners with System and campus leadership to embed risk-informed decision-making into strategy and operations. The role promotes a proactive risk culture and coordinates across assurance, compliance, legal, safety, security, audit, and operational functions to strengthen institutional resilience, accountability, and informed decision-making.

The Director/Executive Director is responsible for developing and maintaining a framework that assists senior leadership in the identification, measurement, assessment, and management of risks across the University and its component units, including campuses and institutes; functional areas such as finance, human resources, and information technology; and individual departments, projects, and special initiatives. Risks may include strategic, operational, compliance, financial, reputational, and other emerging risks.

The goal of the University’s ERM program is to improve organizational performance by supporting informed decisions regarding threats, opportunities, uncertainty, and tradeoffs. The Director/Executive Director works across organizational boundaries to strengthen the University’s ability to anticipate and respond to risk while enabling the institution to pursue its strategic priorities effectively.

Duties and responsibilities of the Director/Executive Director include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Develop strategies and processes for implementing ERM, monitor the effectiveness of the risk management approach, and implement needed changes.
• Collaborate with UT System, campus, and institute leadership to identify, analyze, and prioritize risks to the achievement of the University’s mission, goals, and objectives; evaluate current efforts to mitigate risks and identify response strategies; work with identified responsible officials to develop action plans to mitigate risks/take advantage of opportunities; monitor and assess progress on action plans; and report results.
• Coordinate the development of strategies and processes with System and campus leaders for implementing risk management, monitoring the effectiveness of the risk management approach, and implementing needed changes.
• Promote the integration of ERM into management structures (strategic planning, performance management, and budgeting process).
• In consultation with Institutional Compliance, Internal Audit, Risk Management, General Counsel, and other risk professionals, coordinate risk assessments across the enterprise to identify gaps, trends, interdependencies, and impacts; establish and monitor key risk indicators; evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation plans; and work collaboratively with senior leadership to identify emerging risks and evaluate opportunities.
• In consultation with Institutional Compliance, Internal Audit, Risk Management, General Counsel, and other risk professionals, prepare reports and present results of risk assessment, response strategies, and progress on action plans to senior management at the system-level and campuses/institutes and the Board of Trustees.
• Develop and provide education/training and support/consultation to management at all levels regarding risk management strategies, methods, and best practices.
• Coordinate with Institutional Compliance in serving as a liaison to the State of Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration to ensure compliance with the department’s guidelines and provisions of the Financial Integrity Act concerning risk and control assessment and reporting.
• Represent the University externally as it relates to risk management practices and participate in related conferences and professional associations.
• Collaborate with system and campus institutional effectiveness/research offices regarding processes and metrics in place for identifying and tracking risk indicators and determining effectiveness of risk mitigation efforts.
• Facilitate consideration of risk mitigation efforts with the budgeting process.
• Develop feedback/communication processes to ensure that information on changes in the internal or external environment and emerging risks and opportunities are appropriately communicated to stakeholders.
• Work with the System institutional effectiveness and communications teams in designing reports and other communications related to ERM to ensure accuracy of information and mechanisms for communicating progress to internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide support to University-wide initiatives as assigned and lead ad hoc projects, particularly those designed to reduce or mitigate risks as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

The position requires a Bachelor's Degree and 7-10 years of professional work experience in higher education administration, business/organizational development, risk management, auditing, legal services, strategic planning, or related field.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to translate complex risks, data, and uncertainty into clear recommendations for executives and Board audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate difficult conversations, build consensus, and constructively challenge assumptions.
• Knowledge of risk governance frameworks, internal controls, compliance, data governance, and institutional resilience practices.
• Ability to use qualitative and quantitative analysis, dashboards, trend data, scenario analysis, and key risk indicators.
• Understanding of the distinctive governance, academic, research, regulatory, and stakeholder environment of public higher education.
• Strong change-management and relationship skills across decentralized organizations.
• Exceptional skills in written and verbal communications and interpersonal relationships; exceptional listening skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Previous experience in higher education, business/corporate, government, or legal setting, with responsibility for enterprise-wide risk assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting strategies is highly desirable, as is demonstrated experience consulting and advising senior-level executives. Higher education experience in an operational and/or leadership role is also preferred. 

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Skilled in delivering public presentations to internal and external audiences of varying sizes
• Ability to multitask
• Self-motivation with the ability to work independently
• Ability to travel