"Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization"

Job Summary

• DATE POSTED: 1 day ago
• Schedule: Full-time
• Job Code: 4143
• Employee Status: Regular
• Grade: M
• Requisition ID: 107947
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid Eligible

Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, Office of the Chief Risk Officer

As a major Silicon Valley employer, Stanford University offers an exciting opportunity for the right individual. Stanford is not just about finding your “next job,” but where we hope you will discover a rewarding career, as well as life-changing experience filled with rich traditions, a deep passion for collaboration and innovation, an unparalleled respect for diversity and creative freedom, and a culture of excellence.

As one of the world’s premier research institutions, Stanford devotes tremendous resources toward the betterment of humanity. Hundreds of initiatives — in everything from medicine to engineering, the environment, peace, and national security — create an atmosphere humming with intelligence and excitement.

Stanford’s Office of the Chief Risk Officer (OCRO) enables Stanford’s strategic risk-taking while supporting essential safeguards and simplification of processes. Across the Stanford ecosystem, OCRO supports Stanford’s missions by providing strategic consultation, delivering independent assurance, and catalyzing coordinated, balanced action on risk and compliance matters. OCRO team members gain a broad enterprise perspective, support a wide variety of activities, and strive to make meaningful contributions daily.

The Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, is a member of OCRO senior staff and collaborates closely with other OCRO leaders, including Chief Audit Executives, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Privacy Officer, Executive Director of Risk Management and Insurance, and Director of Global Risk, as well as Enterprise Risk Management leaders and many other stakeholders across Stanford, to address complex and high-risk issues.

Job Description:

Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Stanford University, who also serves as Senior Vice President for Enterprise Risk Coordination for Stanford Health Care and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, the Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, leads OCRO strategic planning, operational effectiveness, technology integration, and performance management across OCRO. The Executive Director operates with delegated authority from the CRO and drives major initiatives, oversees policy execution, and leads both senior staff and broader cross-functional teams within OCRO.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, translates OCRO’s strategic vision into executable plans while promoting optimal OCRO resource allocation and organizational effectiveness. This role integrates strategic leadership, operational oversight, project portfolio management, technology operations, and performance analytics to drive efficiency and transparency throughout the OCRO organization. The Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, facilitates cross-departmental collaboration, manages high-priority initiatives, provides data-driven insights to leadership, and supports the Chief Risk Officer’s focus on enterprise risk strategy while maintaining OCRO operational excellence. Serving as both an internal leader and stakeholder engagement champion, the Executive Director, OCRO Strategy and Optimization, streamlines communication channels, fosters accountability, and promotes a culture that aligns with OCRO's mission and vision.

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management

• 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.

Project & Portfolio Management

• 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.

Financial Oversight & Reporting

• 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.

Technology & Process Optimization

• 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.

Performance Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• 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.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• 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.

Qualifications:

Minimum Required Experience:

• 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.

Desired: MBA, JD, or related advanced degree preferred.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 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.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Frequently sitting.
• Occasionally stand/walk, reach/work above shoulders, use a telephone, writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds;
• Rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 11-20 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Occasionally work evenings and weekends.

The expected pay range for this position is $206,749 to $261,619 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.