Vendor Control Verification Specialist

Job Description:
Mercer India is seeking candidates for the following position based in the Gurgaon office

We are looking to hire a highly skilled and motivated professional responsible for both day-to-day operations of the Vendor Control Review Program and its continued expansion to new regions throughout the globe. This role will report to the Vendor Control Review Program Director and collaborate closely with Business Management, Vendor Management, and Technology to evaluate control environments for vendors receiving sensitive data and providing critical services.

Responsibilities:
- Lead and coordinate meetings with Vendor Relationship Owners to ensure their understanding of program requirements and timely provision of documentation.
- Be the primary Control Verification contact for regional leadership in day-to-day communications, business working groups, and standard governance meetings.
- Document, understand, analyze, and assess vendor control environments.
- Complete reviews of vendor issued audit reports in a timely, accurate, and complete manner.
- Develop metrics related to vendors' financial position and control environment to be shared with global and regional leadership.
- Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in the controls expected to see in place with vendors.
- Advise business partners on the implementation of contractual protections and complementary controls to mitigate vendor risk as gaps in vendor controls arise.
- Support Control Verification colleagues in the review process and act as a point of escalation for both business contacts and within the Risk & Controls team, as necessary.
- Support quarterly risk reporting relevant to Vendor Management Control Verification.
- Discretion to assess, consult, and provide guidance on matters of risk management.

Program Coordination:
- Support expansion of the Control Verification program into the Asia Region, including Onboardings, Report Reviews, Subservice Organization Monitoring, Financial Wellness, and governance.
- Lead the development & training of resources, setting a tone of professionalism and competence.
- Monitor work of the team to ensure that the Vendor Control Review Program is completed for vendors meeting program criteria.
- Manage workflow and workload across the Vendor Control Review Team. Set prioritization of work as needed.
- Support ongoing migrations from current program activity to the M-Trust platform.
- Facilitate creation and maintenance of documentation related to team processes, procedures, and best practice. Ensure program documentation is up to date and current.
- Plan, organize, and facilitate bi-weekly meetings with the team to discuss topics relevant to the vendor control review program, work progress, goals, and challenges.
- Partner with Vendor Management and Vendor Risk team resources to deliver the Control Verification program and support expansion efforts where possible.
- Perform final peer review of onboarding and report review project plans across all regions and businesses.
- Support reporting efforts and governance-related activities.

Requirements:
- Graduation/post-graduation in any stream
- 13+ years overall experience with 8+yrs of progressive experience in Vendor Risk / Vendor Due Diligence/ TPRM for a global organization working with vendors in US / Europe / Pacific
- Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and execute projects/audit while ensuring deliverables and specifications are met.
- Excellent technical, analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to present complex issues/data with a high level of clarity and impact.
- 3+ year experience of having directly managed teams 5-6 Members
- Ability to independently communicate & present to senior management
- Demonstrated ability to plan, manage and execute projects while ensuring deliverables and specifications are met.
- Strong knowledge of MS Office Suite, specifically Excel and Word
- Experience independently managing multiple projects at one time, including the ability to plan, assign tasks, and evaluate and report on progress toward objectives
- Strong project management skills: ability to model desired work values and practices for other team members and create a team setting that encourages both individual and team accomplishments.
- Critical thinker with a solution-driven mind-set
- Ability to work independently and initiate and lead projects with senior stakeholders while at the same time being an effective member within a team environment
- Proven self-starter with ability to work independently and coordinate with remote teams
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines for deliverables
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment
- Sound professional judgment with an in-depth understanding of controls and audit techniques.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is strongly preferred.
- Experience with Third Party Risk Management (TPRM).

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