VP, Digital Assets Risk Specialist, Approvals & Portfolio Oversight

Reports to: Head of Digital Assets Risk Approvals and Portfolio Oversight

Role Summary: This is a critical individual contributor role supporting Citi's strategic evolution in Digital Assets. The incumbent will provide independent analysis and support for the authoritative approval process of Digital Asset use cases across the enterprise, contributing to the firm's overall Digital Assets risk posture. This role is essential for balancing innovation with robust risk management within a dynamic and often unregulated global landscape.

Digital Assets, in this context, refers to Crypto, Stablecoins, tokenized securities, Blockchain, Central Bank Digital Currencies, and such related tokenized real-world assets.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Risk Review & Analysis

• Act as a key contributor to the 2nd Line of Defense (2LOD) approval authority for Digital Asset use cases firm-wide, supporting the assessment of the aggregate risk posture of the Digital Assets portfolio.
• Contribute to the implementation of the strategic vision for Digital Assets risk management within the portfolio, ensuring frameworks are effectively applied and aligned with Citi's risk appetite.
• Participate in efforts to challenge existing processes and contribute to the re-engineering of workflows to unlock efficiency and simplicity in Digital Assets risk management.

Independent Analysis & Credible Challenge Support

• Provide independent analysis and recommendations on Digital Asset initiatives, from strategy and design through execution and post-production monitoring, leveraging technical expertise.
• Apply subject matter expertise in critical Digital Asset risk areas, including market integrity, liquidity risk, operational resilience, smart contracts, distributed ledger technology, cryptography, custody solutions, interoperability, anti-money laundering (AML), combating the financing of terrorism (CFT), sanctions compliance, and consumer protection, to assess and contribute to the mitigation of novel risks, ensuring all use cases are robust and compliant with existing and emerging regulations.
• Assist in conducting thematic reviews to identify emerging risk trends related to Digital Assets and ensure the control environment remains effective as Digital Assets technology and regulation evolve.

Governance, Execution & Continuous Improvement

• Support the execution and continuous refinement of the Digital Assets Risk Management Framework, assisting in adapting processes to meet evolving technological and regulatory demands.
• Contribute to the definition, monitoring, and reporting of Key Performance and Risk Indicators (KPIs/KRIs) to govern progress and ensure the realization of committed business value from Digital Asset initiatives.
• Ensure governance frameworks are applied consistently across all teams and that changes to Digital Asset use cases are rigorously reviewed and approved throughout their lifecycle.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Serve as a Digital Assets risk subject matter expert, supporting senior leaders and business/function heads in articulating complex risk exposures.
• Collaborate with a high-performing team of risk professionals, fostering a culture of proactive partnership, expertise, and credible challenge.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 6+ years of experience in a large, complex financial institution, regulatory body, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in risk management, audit, model governance, or technology risk.
• Demonstrated understanding of Digital Assets, including current and emerging technologies such as Crypto, Stablecoins, tokenized securities, Blockchain, Central Bank Digital Currencies, Smart Contracts, and Distributed Ledgers, and their specific risk implications within a financial services context.
• Proven track record of contributing to large, complex Digital Asset or technology initiatives.
• Ability to provide independent analysis and recommendations on complex issues.
• Experience operating effectively in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, demonstrating resilience and sound judgment under ambiguity.
• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.

This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.