Director of Risk

​Heidrick & Struggles
Chicago
Workplace: RemoteFull timeUSD 197,000 - 270,000 annuallyFunction: Legal, Risk & ComplianceExperience: 6-10 yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Analytical thinking","Sound judgment","Relationship building","Driving results","Focus on quality"]

Own and continuously improve the firm’s risk management framework across client/engagement risk, including public sector and government engagements, and vendor/third-party risk. Lead risk register ownership, risk appetite and escalation thresholds, and translate sanctions/export control and regulatory changes into practical vetting updates. Oversee federal contracts risk and compliance activities, support audits and investigations, and supervise the client vetting workstream.

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​Heidrick & Struggles
​Heidrick & Struggles
11 hours ago

Director of Risk

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 11 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Own and continuously improve the firm’s risk management framework across client/engagement risk, including public sector and government engagements, and vendor/third-party risk. Lead risk register ownership, risk appetite and escalation thresholds, and translate sanctions/export control and regulatory changes into practical vetting updates. Oversee federal contracts risk and compliance activities, support audits and investigations, and supervise the client vetting workstream.
Location: Chicago
Workplace: Remote
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Legal, Risk & Compliance
Seniority: Director level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Own end-to-end client/engagement risk and vetting, including risk criteria, tiering, escalation thresholds, and decision rights for acceptance and continuance.
  • •Serve as escalation point for heightened-risk clients/candidates/engagements and recommend accept/decline/conditional acceptance based on sanctions, adverse media, conflicts, and reputational exposure.
  • •Develop and lead risk review for public sector engagements and manage US federal prime contract risk across solicitation, award, performance, modifications, renewal, and closeout.
  • •Own enterprise/regional/functional risk registers, including risk taxonomy, scoring, control mapping, mitigation plans, and target dates; deliver board-ready risk reporting, dashboards, and heat maps.
  • •Embed vendor and third-party risk requirements into due diligence and contracts with Procurement, Security, Finance, and Legal; supervise and develop the client vetting workstream and analysts.
Travel: Low travel

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 197,000 - 270,000 annually
Perks:MedicalDentalVisionDisability LeaveParental LeavePaid Leave401k

Key Requirements

  • •Bachelor’s degree and 6–10 years of relevant experience in risk management, compliance, governance, or legal operations.
  • •Hands-on expertise building risk-based frameworks, escalation processes, and governance across both client/engagement and vendor/third-party risk.
  • •Experience supporting federal prime or subcontract work, or state and local government contracts.
  • •Strong working knowledge of FAR and DFARS (including relevant supplements) and other public sector procurement requirements.
  • •Proven ability to build and maintain risk registers, risk appetite statements, and board-level risk reporting.
Experience:6-10 yearsProfessional servicesConsultingGlobal organizations
Education:Bachelor's
Skills:Analytical thinkingSound judgmentRelationship buildingDriving resultsFocus on quality
Certifications:CRMACRISCCTPRPCCEPCIPP/USARM
Tech Stack:GRCThird-party riskScreening platformsMicrosoft OfficeAI

Company Brief

​Heidrick & Struggles
Global executive search and leadership consulting firm specializing in senior-level executive recruitment, board advisory, leadership assessment, and culture shaping services for multinational corporations across industries.
Industry: Recruitment Agencies
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Chicago, United States
Founded: 1953
WebsiteLinkedIn