Product Due Diligence & Risk Approval Lead

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced VP - Product Due Diligence & Risk Approval Lead to support the execution, governance, and operational management of product due diligence and risk approval processes for new and enhanced product launches.

The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in governance management, launch readiness, risk and control processes, cross-functional coordination, and executive-level stakeholder communication within highly regulated financial services environments.

This role will work closely with Product, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Technology, and Operations teams to ensure all pre-go-live conditions, approvals, dependencies, and governance requirements are completed successfully before product launch.

Key Responsibilities

Product Due Diligence & Risk Governance

• Coordinate end-to-end due diligence and product risk approval activities across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Ensure all governance processes and approval workflows are executed in a timely and controlled manner.
• Track and manage:
  • Product approvals
  • Risk assessments
  • Compliance reviews
  • Control validations
  • Pre-go-live conditions

Launch Readiness Management

• Drive closure of:
  • Open action items
  • Approval dependencies
  • Validation evidence
  • Risk mitigation tasks
• Ensure launch readiness across Product, Operations, Technology, Risk, and Compliance functions.
• Validate completeness and accuracy of due diligence documentation and supporting evidence.

Governance & Reporting

• Maintain governance artifacts including:
  • RAID logs
  • Decision logs
  • Workplans
  • Approval dashboards
  • Status trackers
• Prepare executive-level reporting and escalation materials.
• Provide concise updates on:
  • Risks
  • Issues
  • Dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Approval status

Stakeholder Coordination

• Facilitate:
  • Governance checkpoints
  • Working sessions
  • Status reviews
  • Escalation discussions
• Coordinate across:
  • Product teams
  • Risk & Controls
  • Legal
  • Compliance
  • Technology
  • Operations

Risk & Control Management

• Proactively identify risks, blockers, and governance gaps.
• Support risk mitigation and timely escalation management.
• Ensure adherence to enterprise governance, compliance, and operational risk standards.

Tools & Process Management

• Utilize tools and platforms including:
  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • Governance dashboards
  • Workflow management systems
  • Documentation repositories
• Maintain structured tracking and evidence management processes.

Required Skills

Mandatory Skills

• Strong experience in:
  • Product governance
  • Risk approval workflows
  • Due diligence processes
  • Launch readiness management
• Expertise in:
  • Risk & issue tracking
  • RAID management
  • Governance reporting
  • Executive communication
• Experience working in:
  • Financial services
  • Banking
  • Regulated environments
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint

Preferred Skills

• Product launch governance experience.
• Knowledge of operational risk and compliance frameworks.
• Experience supporting enterprise product approval programs.
• Strong documentation and governance discipline.

Experience Required

• 8-12+ Years