Director of Risk Management

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Director of Risk Management in the Business Operations and Support Services department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The Business Operations and Support Services department, in the office of the Chief Operating Officer, works to enable organizational and operational effectiveness by partnering with ACLU staff across the enterprise to provide business solutions, training, physical space planning, facilities operations, capital projects, records management and archives services.  The department continually evaluates operations to maximize resources, mitigate risk, and achieve the organization’s strategic goals. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Risk Management will provide strategic leadership for the organization’s Enterprise Risk Management, Insurance, and Business Continuity functions, ensuring a coordinated and forward-looking approach to risk and resilience. This role partners closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to identify, assess, and manage enterprise risks that could impact the organization’s mission, operations, and long-term sustainability. The Director leads the development of practical, actionable strategies that strengthen preparedness, protect organizational assets, and support informed decision-making. Central to the role is aligning risk management practices with the organization’s values and mission, ensuring that how risks are assessed managed reflects programmatic and organizational value commitments.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Lead, manage, and continuously evolve the organization’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program, integrating strategic, operational, financial, compliance, and reputational risks into core decision-making. 
• Partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to identify, assess, prioritize, and mitigate enterprise risks, ensuring clear ownership and accountability. 
• Translate risk insights into actionable recommendations that support organizational strategy, resilience, and long-term sustainability. 
• Embed organizational values into Enterprise Risk Management program and processes. 
• Partner with the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives (ASNI) Team to support Affiliate Risk Management program development. 
• Oversee the organization’s insurance program, including risk financing strategy, coverage design, renewals, claims management, broker relationships, and cost optimization. 
• Ensure insurance coverage aligns with the organization’s risk profile, contractual obligations, and evolving operating environment. 
• Lead the cross-functional Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery team, ensuring preparedness and leading communications for operational disruptions, emergencies, and crises. 
• Manage the coordination and/or development, testing, and maintenance of business continuity plans, crisis management protocols, and recovery strategies across departments. 
• Coordinate enterprise-wide business impact analyses to identify critical functions, dependencies, and recovery priorities. 
• Establish clear governance, reporting, and metrics for ERM, insurance, and business continuity, providing timely risk reporting to senior leadership. 
• Monitor emerging risks, regulatory changes, and industry trends, proactively adjusting risk strategies as needed. 
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on risk-related matters, balancing risk mitigation with mission delivery and operational flexibility 

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Qualifications 

• Demonstrated progressive experience in risk management, insurance, business continuity, or related disciplines, including leadership or people management experience. 
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, managing, or maturing an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program within a complex organization. 
• Proven experience establishing risk governance structures, policies, metrics, and reporting that support transparency and accountability. 
• Strong working knowledge of insurance and risk financing, including coverage analysis, broker management, renewals, and claims oversight. 
• Proven experience leading business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management planning, including plan testing and after-action improvements. 
• Experience working across diverse functions and levels of an organization, with the ability to influence without direct authority. 

Core Competencies 

• Strategic Risk Leadership: Ability to connect enterprise risks to organizational strategy, mission, and performance, and to guide leadership toward informed risk-based decisions. 
• Risk Assessment and Analysis: Skilled in identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks using qualitative and quantitative methods, including risk registers, heat maps, and scenario analysis. 
• Business Continuity and Resilience: Deep understanding of operational resilience, business impact analysis, continuity planning, and crisis response coordination. 
• Insurance and Risk Transfer Expertise: Ability to evaluate coverage adequacy, negotiate terms, manage claims, and align insurance strategy with enterprise risk appetite. 
• Project Management: Skilled at managing cross-functional and enterprise level projects using structured project management methodologies while balancing competing priorities, managing project risks, and ensuring clear timelines and deliverables. 
• Effective and Clear Communication: Exceptional ability to communicate complex risk issues clearly and concisely to staff at all levels. 
• Collaboration and Relationship Management: Trusted partner who builds strong relationships across departments, fostering shared ownership of risk and resilience. 
• Change Management and Continuous Improvement: Ability to lead change, embed risk awareness into organizational culture, and continuously improve programs based on lessons learned. 
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead high-performing cross-functional teams of colleagues and peers in a collaborative, inclusive environment. 

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.