What is the prospect?

The Operational Excellence Associate Director drives execution of audit remediation activities and operational excellence initiatives within the Client Lifecycle Management pillar. This role serves as a primary "doer" embedded within CLM operations, responsible for executing audit responses, managing action plans, and implementing control improvements. Unlike a governance function, this role maintains accountability into CLM Pillar heads for work execution and prioritization, ensuring audit requirements translate into concrete operational improvements.

The Associate Director coordinates audit responses across regulatory examinations, manages compliance-related documentation, and ensures sustainability of implemented controls. This position bridges the centralized Audit Engagement team and day-to-day CLM operations, ensuring timely resolution of identified issues while preventing recurring deficiencies.

What will you do?

Audit Response Planning & Execution

Coordinate with 1st, 2nd line and 3rd line groups on review & exam scheduling and work planning

Participate in quarterly advance planning sessions to anticipate regulatory examination cycles

Support centralized intake management by providing pillar-level resource availability and capacity

Maintain work inventory and prioritize activities aligned with internal review and external regulatory exam timelines

Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned audit areas; coordinate directly with CLM Pillar heads & Head of Operational Excellence on work scope and priorities

Develop detailed audit response narratives with supporting documentation, process maps, and data samples

Track and manage audit action plans from initiation through completion and validation





Maintain audit-ready documentation with clear evidence of control effectiveness and remediation status

Respond to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests within agreed timelines

Control Assessment, Design & Governance

Identify control gaps and design preventive or detective controls aligned with operational risk and regulatory expectations

Recommend process improvements to CLM Pillar heads with supporting business cases

Participate in self-identified issues management (EIM) to document and remediate deficiencies

Support RCSA (Risk Control Self-Assessment) reviews and attestation processes

Chairing and Coordination of CLM Monthly Risk and Control Forum.

Perform periodic analysis of OREs, Breaches & Complaints to drive strategic remediation

Coordinate with 1LODb & 2LOD teams to review CLM specific training requirements

Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge

Maintain current knowledge of regulatory expectations in regulatory exams, KYC/AML requirements

Work with the CLM Leadership & Head of Operational Excellence to translate regulatory findings into operational remediation activities

Support privacy impact assessments, operational resilience reviews, BIA/BCP plan updates & Intragroup Outsourcing Documentation

Ensure compliance with regulatory examination protocols and timelines

Escalate emerging regulatory trends or examination focus areas to CLM leadership

Issue Management and Sustainability

Ensure comprehensive documentation of identified issues, root causes, and remediation plans





Assess sustainability of implemented controls and recommend enhancements

Monitor duplicate issue identification and coordinate resolution with central audit team

Track remediation metrics and provide status updates to CLM Pillar heads

Identify systemic risks requiring structural or process-level changes

Decision Making

Determines scope of audit response work and required supporting documentation; prioritizes remediation activities in consultation with CLM Pillar heads and central audit team

Assess control design and operating effectiveness; recommends process improvements and enhanced control procedures

Makes go/no-go decisions on completeness and accuracy of audit response documentation before submission

Escalates emerging regulatory expectations or examination risks to Head of Operational Excellence and CLM Pillar heads

Prioritizes work activities based on regulatory examination timelines and pillar operational capacity

Execution

Recommends specific remediation actions and control enhancements to CLM Pillar heads and process owners

Advises on regulatory examination preparation and required evidence packages

Suggests process improvements to reduce audit findings and control deficiencies

Recommends resource allocation and timeline adjustments based on examination complexity and scope

What do you need to succeed?

Must have

Minimum 3-7 years in regulatory examination response, KYC/AML compliance, or Client Due Diligence functions

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Law, Compliance, Business Administration, or related field

Direct experience with regulatory exams (National Futures Association, FINRA, SEC, or OCC preferred) or equivalent international regulatory frameworks

Strong unde

📌 Associate Director - Operational Excellence - Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) (Winnipeg)
🏢 Royal Bank of Canada
📍 Winnipeg