Manager, GMNS Strategic Risk - International

Manager, GMNS Strategic Risk - International

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

How will you make an impact in this role?

The Manager, GMNS Strategic Risk - International, is part of the Risk & Business Operations team within Global Strategy, Operations & Performance (GSOP). GSOP serves as a Center of Excellence for Global Merchant & Network Services (GMNS), driving enterprise-level strategy, performance management, and operational execution.

The GMNS Strategic Risk team is a project-based group responsible for addressing key business questions that integrate strategic insight, detailed planning, and disciplined execution with a focus on delivering risk mitigation, remediation, and operational resilience across GMNS. The team also leads cross-business strategic program implementations that align to GMNS priorities.

The Manager will be responsible for leading key initiatives and overall management of these cross-functional projects to ensure compliance, process rigor, and readiness to meet evolving regulatory and operational demands.

The Manager will report to the Director, GMNS Strategic Risk - International.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the project management of strategic priority compliance and operational initiatives from inception through launch, collaborating with cross-functional partners.
• Apply the teams’ workstream and governance structures and tracking mechanisms to communicate progress, risk and outcomes, and the effectiveness of those risk mitigation actions.
• Apply innovative, strategic thinking to synthesize insights, customer needs, and market dynamics to inform business recommendations around remediation and mitigation efforts.
• Create structure in ambiguous and evolving situations, ask the right questions, and synthesize complex inputs to guide strategic direction. Use data, dashboards, and insights to guide project priorities.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships (across 1st and 2nd Lines of Defense, and GCO) and effectively communicate recommendations to GMNS partners and Senior Leadership, to facilitate decision-making and resolve strategic trade-offs.
• Foster strong collaboration and transparency across project teams and stakeholders, leading by example.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Highly motivated, strategic thinker with demonstrated success in delivering complex programs, projects or processes in a global, matrix environment.
• Proven experience in project management, risk management or process ownership, with a strong sense of urgency and focus on results.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate regulatory and operational complexity into actionable strategies for stakeholders across levels, including ability to build or work with process maps.
• Strong relationship management capabilities with all lines of defense.
• Self-starter with high intellectual curiosity, initiative, drive, and attention to detail.
• Proven experience in risk management, remediation, and regulatory execution across multiple markets and functions.
• Background in program management, process transformation, governance, compliance, operational excellence are all beneficial for success in this role.
• Proven strengths in learning and change agility.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in Spain is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Key skills/competency

• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Operational Resilience
• Compliance
• Stakeholder Management
• Process Transformation
• Governance
• Regulatory Affairs
• Global Operations