Partner Risk & Performance Lead

Position Description

Title: Partner Risk & Performance Lead

Classification: Salaried, exempt

Position Type: Full Time

Reports to: President, Bank Partnerships

Location: Prairie Village, KS (In Office, Hybrid Potential)

The Lead, Partner Risk Strategy & Performance is responsible for establishing and maintaining the risk governance framework supporting the Bank Partnerships vertical. This role oversees partner risk assessments, policy alignment, control mapping, ongoing monitoring, performance oversight, and governance activities designed to ensure partnership programs operate within the Bank's risk appetite, regulatory expectations, and strategic objectives.

This position serves as the bridge between partnership growth and Safety & Soundness by ensuring risk management principles are embedded throughout the partner lifecycle—from onboarding and implementation through ongoing monitoring and performance management.

Success in this role is demonstrated through effective risk assessments, well-defined control frameworks, meaningful performance monitoring, strong policy alignment, timely identification of emerging risks, and the delivery of actionable insights that support informed decision-making while maintaining a safe, compliant, and scalable partnership portfolio. As the function matures, success will also be measured by the ability to establish repeatable governance processes, expand team capacity, and effectively lead and develop additional resources in support of the growing portfolio.

• Conduct initial and ongoing partner risk assessments.
• Develop and maintain partner risk rating methodologies.
• Evaluate operational, compliance, credit, strategic, reputational, and information security risks associated with partnership activities.
• Support governance reviews throughout the partner lifecycle.
• Recommend risk mitigation strategies and monitoring requirements.

• Map partnership activities to applicable Bank policies, standards, and governance requirements.
• Develop and maintain partnership control inventories.
• Validate implementation of required controls during onboarding and ongoing operations.
• Support policy exception reviews and remediation activities.
• Identify control gaps and recommend enhancements.

• Establish and maintain key risk indicators (KRIs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Monitor partner operational performance, portfolio trends, complaint activity, vendor performance, servicing performance, and program outcomes.
• Coordinate periodic partner reviews and annual program assessments.
• Identify emerging trends requiring escalation or management attention.

• Develop executive reporting frameworks supporting partnership oversight.
• Analyze risk, performance, and operational trends across the partnership portfolio.
• Support development of dashboards and reporting that communicate portfolio health, operational performance, earnings impacts, and emerging risks.
• Translate complex risk information into actionable management insights.

• Support Executive Management, Board, and committee reporting.
• Participate in governance reviews and risk oversight activities.
• Provide independent challenge and risk perspective on partnership initiatives, changes, and growth opportunities.
• Support ongoing enhancement of the Bank Partnerships governance framework.

• 5–10 years of experience in risk management, enterprise risk management, third-party risk management, compliance, operational risk, or partnership oversight.
• Strong understanding of consumer lending and partnership-based business models.
• Experie…