OPT Governance Risk And Compliance Jobs
Governance, risk, and compliance jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in business, information systems, finance, or law. Most GRC roles qualify as specialty occupations, supporting STEM OPT extension eligibility for qualifying degree fields. Demand spans financial services, healthcare, and tech.
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INTRODUCTION
Join our team as a GRC Analyst and play a key role in regulatory compliance, IT risk management, security. You'll assess risks, support audits, and develop policies that align with industry standards. If you have a solid IT security background, experience in regulating environments (healthcare/finance), and a proactive mindset, we want to hear from you! Ready to make an impact? Apply now!
Position Summary:
In this role, you will play a critical part in ensuring our organization adheres to client and regulatory requirements while identifying and managing technology risks effectively. Work performed by this individual results in the measurable reduction of costs and/or risks relating to risk management and controls. The ideal candidate will possess practical experience across multiple IT and security domains as well as experience working in highly regulated environments, particularly healthcare and financial services. This position may require occasional work after-hours or on weekends. Management reserves the ability to request other functions from this position. Exceptional customer service, written, and oral communication skills are a must.
Responsibilities
The duties listed below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. They are not to be construed as an exclusive list of all job functions performed in this position.
IT Compliance
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Work with Legal, Privacy, and Compliance to monitor and assess client and regulatory requirement changes to ensure that the IT program fulfills client and regulatory obligations.
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Collaborate with cross-functional teams to communicate, implement, and maintain IT compliance initiatives.
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Assist leadership with development and maintenance of departmental policies and procedures.
Risk Assessment and Management
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Conduct internal and external risk assessments to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities.
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Develop, maintain, and perform outbound assessments to vendors, suppliers, and partners.
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Evaluate the impact and likelihood of identified risks.
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Accurately respond to inbound assessments from clients and regulators.
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Work closely with business units to develop and implement risk mitigation strategies.
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Maintain the IT Risk Register.
Audit and Monitoring
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Conduct audits to assess IT compliance with policies, standards, and regulations.
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Coordinate user entitlement reviews and assist with ensuring data safeguards and controls are in place.
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Develop and implement monitoring programs to track compliance and risk metrics.
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Collaborate with internal and external auditors during scheduled audits.
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Document audit procedures performed ensuring audit methodology is consistently followed and conclusions are appropriately reached.
Security Operations and Incident Response
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Assist cyber incident handling as part of the computer incident response team.
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Assist in the maintenance, governance, and execution of Threat and Vulnerability Management processes.
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Assist in the scoping, solution, design, and implementation of operational security projects.
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Maintain Subject Matter Expertise knowledge in relevant tools and services.
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Assist in the maintenance and testing of various plans, policies, and procedures for IT and Security, including but not limited to Incident Response, Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity.
Reporting and Communication
- Generate and maintain regular reports for management review, including program level metrics and KPIs.
Education, Skills, Personal Attributes, and Experience Required
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Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, or other relevant discipline strongly preferred.
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3+ years of experience working in a similar industry or within a consulting firm.
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Experience reviewing and completing security questionnaires.
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Experience reviewing compliance and security reports (SOC 2, PCI, ISO, etc.)
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Experience working cross-functionally to achieve objectives.
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Prior practical experience in one or more of, application security, security threat, and vulnerability management, identify and access management, computer forensics, red-team examinations, and computer incident response strongly preferred.
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Experience performing security and due diligence reviews of vendors.
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In-depth knowledge in information security best practices and frameworks, such as NIST Special Publications and Cyber Security Framework, CIS Controls, ISO/IEC 27000/31000 series, and OWASP.
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Knowledge of common cloud infrastructure platforms and applications (e.g., AWS, Azure, M365) is a plus.
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Proficiency in tools like JIRA and Confluence preferred.
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One or more of the following certifications is preferred: CISA, CRISC, CISSP, SSCP, Security+.
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Proven subscription to the company’s core values of integrity, adaptability, service-focused, accountability, curiosity, and community.
Environment
This position currently functions as a hybrid role working from both home and in-office environments. Any home office setting must be conducive to all guidelines outlined by the organization. This role is required to regularly attend in-person meetings, the frequency of which is determined by management based on departmental or organizational needs.
Work Conditions
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General office working conditions which may require sitting for extended periods of time.
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Infrequent overnight travel may be required.
Physical and Other Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Specific vision abilities require the ability to focus distant and near objects clearly. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands and arms to handle, feel and reach as well as operate a personal computer.
Disclaimer
This job description is designed to provide a general overview of the requirements of the job and does not entail a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities that will be required. The organization reserves the right to modify this job description at any time; including assigning or reassigning job duties or eliminating this position at any time.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Governance Risk And Compliance
Lead with your degree field alignment
GRC roles require a direct connection between your degree and the position. Emphasize coursework in risk management, auditing, cybersecurity, or compliance law in your resume so hiring managers and USCIS can clearly see the specialty occupation link.
Target employers with established compliance teams
Large financial institutions, healthcare systems, and technology companies maintain dedicated GRC departments and are more experienced with OPT work authorization. Smaller firms often lack the infrastructure to support international candidates through compliance-heavy hiring processes.
Pursue relevant certifications early
Certifications like CISA, CRISC, or CompTIA Security+ strengthen your GRC candidacy and signal commitment to the field. Employers in heavily regulated industries view certifications as evidence of specialized knowledge, which also reinforces your specialty occupation argument during OPT.
Clarify your OPT timeline upfront
GRC hiring cycles at banks and regulated firms move slowly. Be transparent about your OPT end date and H-1B visa eligibility from the first conversation so employers can assess sponsorship feasibility before investing significant time in the interview process.
Focus on regulated industries for H-1B pathways
Financial services, healthcare, and government contractors sponsor more GRC professionals than most other sectors. These industries operate under mandatory compliance frameworks, making GRC roles genuinely indispensable rather than discretionary, which strengthens the business case for sponsoring your H-1B.
Frame your international background as a compliance asset
Experience navigating multiple regulatory environments, foreign data privacy laws, or cross-border transactions is genuinely valuable in GRC. Articulate how your international perspective contributes to a firm's risk management capabilities rather than treating your background as a neutral biographical fact.
Governance Risk And Compliance OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do governance, risk, and compliance roles qualify as specialty occupations for OPT?
Most GRC roles qualify as specialty occupations because they typically require a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as information systems, finance, accounting, or cybersecurity. Job titles like compliance analyst, risk analyst, and GRC specialist have been approved under this standard. The key is that the role must require your specific degree field, not just any bachelor's degree.
Can I use STEM OPT extension for a GRC job?
Yes, if your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as management information systems, computer science, finance, or applied mathematics, and the GRC role is substantively tied to that field. Cybersecurity GRC and technology risk roles most reliably qualify. GRC positions focused purely on legal or policy compliance may be harder to connect to a STEM degree for extension purposes.
Which industries hire the most GRC professionals willing to sponsor visas?
Financial services, healthcare, and enterprise technology are the strongest sectors for GRC hiring and visa sponsorship. Banks, insurance companies, and hospital networks operate under strict regulatory mandates that require permanent GRC staffing. Government contractors and global consulting firms are also reliable sponsors, as GRC work is core to their service delivery rather than an optional function.
How do I find GRC jobs where employers are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for employers open to sponsoring F-1 OPT students, which removes the guesswork of applying to roles where your authorization status will disqualify you. Searching by GRC-related job titles on Migrate Mate surfaces positions from employers already familiar with OPT work authorization requirements.
What should I include on my resume to show I qualify for a GRC specialty occupation?
List your degree field prominently and connect it directly to GRC functions. Include relevant coursework such as audit methodology, risk frameworks, data privacy regulations, or financial controls. Certifications, internship experience involving compliance tools like GRC platforms, and any work involving regulatory reporting all reinforce that your role requires specialized academic preparation rather than general business knowledge.