OPT Risk Compliance Analyst Jobs
Risk Compliance Analyst jobs are well-suited for F-1 OPT students, particularly those with degrees in finance, business, law, or a related field. Many financial institutions and consulting firms sponsor H-1B visas, making this a strong long-term path. Your 12-month OPT window, or 24-month STEM extension if eligible, gives you real time to build a compliance career.
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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 as a Risk Compliance Analyst
Target regulated industries first
Banks, insurance companies, and asset managers face strict regulatory requirements and hire compliance analysts regularly. These employers have established visa sponsorship infrastructure and are far more likely to support H-1B sponsorship after your OPT period ends.
Highlight your degree field on applications
Risk compliance is a specialty occupation requiring a relevant degree, typically in finance, accounting, economics, or business. Explicitly connecting your coursework to compliance frameworks like SOX, BSA, or AML strengthens your application and supports future visa sponsorship eligibility.
Pursue relevant certifications early
Credentials like CRCM, CAMS, or CFE signal commitment to the compliance field and differentiate you from other OPT candidates. Hiring managers in regulated industries treat certifications as evidence of specialized knowledge, which also reinforces the specialty occupation argument for H-1B.
Ask about sponsorship before accepting an offer
Compliance roles at smaller firms may lack experience sponsoring international employees. Confirm the employer has sponsored H-1B workers before and is willing to do so for this role, ideally before you invest time in a lengthy interview process.
Explore STEM OPT extension eligibility
If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as financial risk management or applied economics, you may qualify for a 24-month OPT extension. This gives you three years total to find a sponsor, significantly improving your odds in a competitive H-1B lottery environment.
Build experience with compliance technology tools
Employers increasingly value analysts who can work with GRC platforms, transaction monitoring software, or data analytics tools. Hands-on experience with these systems makes you more hireable and signals the technical depth that strengthens specialty occupation classification for sponsorship purposes.
Risk Compliance Analyst OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Risk Compliance Analyst on OPT?
Yes, as long as the role is directly related to your degree field. Risk Compliance Analyst positions typically qualify under finance, business, accounting, or economics degrees. Your employment must be in a role that uses the knowledge from your degree, which most compliance positions at regulated firms clearly satisfy.
Do Risk Compliance Analyst employers typically sponsor H-1B visas?
Many do, particularly large financial institutions, consulting firms, and fintech companies. Compliance is a recognized specialty occupation because it requires a specific bachelor's degree or higher. Employers in banking and financial services tend to have established legal teams familiar with H-1B sponsorship, making them safer bets than smaller firms with no sponsorship history. Browse OPT-friendly compliance roles on Migrate Mate to find employers with active sponsorship track records.
Does a Risk Compliance Analyst role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not your job title. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as financial engineering, applied mathematics, or management information systems, you may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension even in a compliance role. Check your degree's CIP code against the DHS STEM list to confirm eligibility before applying.
What compliance certifications help OPT students get hired?
CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) is highly valued for AML and BSA-focused roles. CRCM (Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager) is recognized across banking compliance broadly. CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) applies well to risk and fraud compliance positions. Pursuing any of these during your OPT period signals long-term commitment and strengthens the specialty occupation case for future H-1B sponsorship.
How should I handle gaps in OPT employment as a Risk Compliance Analyst?
OPT regulations allow up to 90 days of unemployment during standard OPT, or 150 days if you have a STEM extension. Compliance hiring can move slowly due to background check requirements, so plan your job search early. Any period between roles counts toward your unemployment limit, so staying proactive is essential to maintaining valid F-1 status.