Lead Associate Principal, Enterprise Project Management Office

Lead Associate Principal, Enterprise Project Management Office

THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR VISA SPONSORSHIP

The Lead Associate Principal-EPMO develops and maintains departmental procedures while leading cross‑functional collaboration between Project Management and Governance teams to ensure operational effectiveness and compliance. This role drives continuous improvement of EPMO processes through partnerships with GRC and second line of defense representatives. The position is instrumental in supporting the delivery of OCC's strategic initiatives through enhanced project management practices and governance.

• Develop and maintain departmental procedures and control frameworks aligned with compliance standards.
• Lead process gap analysis of controls to key regulations and industry standards.
• Implement continuous compliance monitoring methodologies and processes.
• Lead collaboration between Project Management and Project Governance teams to ensure operational effectiveness.
• Partner with first line GRC and second line of defense representatives to enhance process integration.
• Build and maintain key stakeholder relationships to drive strategic alignment.
• Drive continuous improvement of EPMO processes through data analysis and performance metrics.
• Support delivery of OCC's strategic initiatives through enhanced project management practices.
• Evaluate and recommend technologies and tools that improve efficiency, quality, and governance.
• Develop executive dashboards demonstrating control adherence and improvement opportunities.
• Prepare and deliver strategic reporting to support organizational decision‑making.
• Credibly challenge and advise on potential and emerging risks across project portfolios.

None

• Advanced familiarity with project management methodologies (Waterfall and Agile).
• Strong understanding of control frameworks and governance methodologies.
• Experience with regulatory compliance requirements in a highly regulated environment.
• Proven ability to manage projects throughout the entire lifecycle from initiation through completion.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries, particularly between business and technical teams.
• Self‑directed with strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Highly effective organization and planning skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including effective presentation skills for executive‑level reporting.

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office products (Project, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio).
• Experience with project management tools such as Microsoft Project and SharePoint (or similar PPM tool).
• Experience with Agile tools such as Jira.
• Ability to develop and interpret dashboards and reports demonstrating control adherence.
• Experience in driving process improvement through data analysis.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Project Management, or related field (required). Master's degree in related field preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in project management or project leadership role (required).
• Experience in financial services or regulated industry preferred.
• Proficiency with Confluence preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of application development and testing processes preferred.
• Knowledge of GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platforms and tools preferred.
• Experience with cross‑functional process improvement initiatives preferred.

• PMP Certification or equivalent preferred.
• Agile Certification or equivalent preferred.

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of…