Inside Higher Ed · 1 month ago
Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization
Palo Alto, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$207K/yr - $262K/yr
10+ years expStanford University is a major Silicon Valley employer and one of the world’s premier research institutions. They are seeking an Executive Director for the Office of the Chief Risk Officer to lead strategic planning, operational effectiveness, and performance management while collaborating with various stakeholders to address complex risk and compliance issues.
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Responsibilities
Lead the translation of OCRO’s vision into integrated strategic and operational plans that span risk, compliance, and risk navigation efforts across the University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Stanford Medicine (including School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health)
Drive alignment across OCRO functions to support organizational coherence with institutional priorities
Oversee technology and process optimization within OCRO, developing and implementing policies that improve overall effectiveness
Align internal infrastructure with organizational priorities, leading implementation and evolution of coherent, efficient, and outcome-driven systems
Lead OCRO senior staff and cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals, including support for hiring, retention, and professional development
Oversee, track, and support OCRO management of OCRO Integrated Plan projects, facilitating resource alignment across the portfolio
Partner with OCRO leaders to track that highest-priority OCRO projects meet milestones, KPIs, and deliverables on time and within scope
Lead special projects and initiatives from conception through execution to support OCRO objectives
Prepare compelling, data-driven reports and presentations for senior leadership, budget groups, and external stakeholders
Oversee budget planning, forecasting, and financial reporting to support sound fiscal management and optimal resource allocation
Assess impact for new initiatives and provide recommendations for investment or restructuring
Oversee OCRO’s leveraging of IT infrastructure and systems that support efficient operations and collaboration among risk management functions
Oversee implementation of new platforms and technology solutions and guide OCRO’s adoption of cutting-edge tools
Lead and support process improvements within OCRO to optimize operations for efficiency, accuracy, and transparency
Supervise technology training, optimizing productivity and efficiency
Maintain and evolve standardized metrics and dashboards to track performance trends, workflow, and accomplishments, providing OCRO with data-driven insights
Strengthen centralized tracking systems for OCRO work and initiatives, enabling leadership to generate reports for executive briefings
Establish a culture of continuous improvement with clear guidelines and workflows
Develop feedback mechanisms to gather stakeholder insights and integrate them into improvement efforts
Serve as a representative of OCRO to senior leadership at Stanford University and Stanford Medicine. Build partnerships and cross-organizational alignment to position OCRO’s work to reflect and support Stanford-wide priorities in risk, compliance, and operational resilience
Represent the OCRO in cross-functional committees and working groups as delegated by the CRO
Oversee planning for communications among the CRO, OCRO senior staff, and stakeholders, promoting clear communication of priorities and messaging
Prepare and brief the CRO for key meetings and events, creating presentations, data analyses, and strategic talking points
Facilitate productive relationships with Stanford partners to advance OCRO's mission
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree and ten or more years of relevant experience in strategic planning and administrative and financial management, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
Experience managing an enterprise risk management program at a university
Track record of success in orchestrating communications and packaging information for the executive levels regarding enterprise risk management, compliance, and internal audit
Experience working in professional services and/or technology sectors
Demonstrated strategic leadership, organizational planning, and enterprise-level change management experience within complex institutions
Proven ability to lead across multiple operational domains (strategy, finance, technology, and analytics) with measurable institutional impact
Advanced financial expertise, including multi-year budget planning, forecasting, and long-range resource strategy
Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and political acumen; able to influence senior leadership, build consensus across functional boundaries, and lead with credibility
Expert analytical and problem-solving skills, including the use of performance metrics, dashboards, and data-driven decision support tools
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level briefings and strategic presentations
Deep understanding of enterprise risk management, compliance, internal audit, and regulatory standards within higher education or similarly complex environments
Subject matter expertise in organizational strategy, business operations, and institutional risk functions
Preferred
MBA, JD, or related advanced degree preferred
Benefits
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position.
At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.
The Cardinal at Work website ( https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards ) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees.
Company
Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed is the online source for news, opinion, and jobs related to higher education.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
unknown2022-01-10Acquired
2006-08-31Series Unknown
Leadership Team
Stephanie Shweiki
Director, Foundation Partnerships
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