IT Change Governance Leader (Hybrid)

***At Securian, the internal job title is Infrastructure Manager. Position Summary The Change Governance Leader is accountable for defining, enforcing, and continuously improving Securian's enterprise change management and release readiness practices. Reporting to the IT Technology Services leader, this role ensures that all production changes, whether manual or automated, are executed safely, compliantly, and predictably through policy-driven controls, auditable evidence, and readiness validation. Mission Statement To safeguard production stability and compliance by governing risk-aware, evidence-driven, and policy-aligned change practices that enable safe, auditable, and reliable technology delivery. Role Purpose The Change Governance Leaderowns the enterprise change policy, the control framework, and the service readiness governance functions forETproduction deployment. They define how changes are proposed, risk-assessed, approved,validated, andevidenced. Theypartnerwith engineering, operations, and compliancestakeholders to embed risk-based change governance, policy-as-code automation, and service readiness gates into the technology delivery lifecycle. By integrating governance into engineering and operational workflows, this role ensures that every change entering production meets defined criteria for testing, rollback readiness, security validation, and operational preparedness. Key Responsibilities 1. Change Governance & Policy Ownership Own and evolve the enterprise change management policy and supporting standards.Define and govern risk-based change classifications (Standard, Normal, Emergency) aligned with regulatoryand industryexpectations.Ensureevery change to production is authorized, tested,validated, andevidencedin accordance withpolicy.Maintain alignment with ITIL, GRC, and regulatory frameworks applicable to Securian's environment.2.Leadership& Organization Leadthe Change Enablement and Release team,focused onservice governance functionsFoster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and professional growthwithin the team3. Policy-as-Code & Continuous Compliance Partner with Platform & Reliability Engineering to implement automated guardrails that enforce policy-as-code across CI/CD pipelines.Define control evidence requirements for testing, approvals, rollback, and post-change verification.Govern the integration of change metrics, control data, andapprovalevidence within ServiceNow and related systems.Ensure real-time visibility of change posture, compliance, and risk exposure across production environments.4. Release Readiness & Service Validation Govern thereleasereadiness process for all critical deployments.Define and enforce Go/No-Go criteria - including validation of testing, observability instrumentation, rollback plans, and capacity readiness.Ensure operational validation across observability, performance, and failover preparedness before changes are deployed.Facilitate Service Readiness Reviews (SRR) and Operational Readiness Assessments (ORA) for all major initiatives.5.ChangeAdvisory & Risk Governance Modernize the Change Advisory Board (CAB) process,emphasizingrisk intelligence, automation evidence, and cross-domain visibility.Govern emergency change protocols and ensure 100% post-implementationreviews (PIRs).Partner with compliance, risk, and audit teams to ensure continuous control adherence andevidenceintegrity.Report on change success, emergency rates, andcompliancehealthacross all domains.6. Metrics, Transparency & Continuous Improvement Define and monitor KPIsincluding:Change Success Rate, Change Failure Rate (CFR), Emergency Change Rate, Approval Cycle Time, Evidence Completeness, and Audit Findings Closure.Leverage analytics from Reliability Insights & Analytics to detect patterns, preventregressions, andidentifyimprovement opportunities.Continuously evolve the change policy and readiness framework based on lessons learned, audit results, and incident correlations.Required Capabilities & Skills Deep understanding of ITIL-based change enablement and risk governance in regulated enterprises.Familiarity with policy-as-code concepts, CI/CD governance integrations, and ServiceNowITSM/Change modules.Working knowledge of release validation, operational readiness, and audit evidence frameworks.Understanding of GRC, security, and compliance controls relevant to financial services.Proven ability to govern enterprise-wide policy execution across distributed delivery and operations teams.Skilledat partnering with engineering and operations to balance agility with control.Experienced inworking with audit, risk, and compliance functions to ensure continuous readiness.Excellent communication andinfluence skills, capable of driving policy adherence at scale.Behavioral Competencies Governance-first mindset with balanced pragmatism for operational realities.Transparent and data-driven leader.Collaborative across technical and business functions.Advocate for proactive risk mitigation and continuous improvement.#LI-Hybrid**This position willhave a hybrid working arrangement, workingin-officefor a minimum of3days aweek.** Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. Ifyou'reina commutable distance (90 minutes)you'lljoin us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of business and personal schedules. The estimated base pay range for this job is: $110,200.00 - $203,500.00Pay may vary depending on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, knowledge, etc. More information on base pay and incentive pay (if applicable) can be discussed with a member of the Securian Financial Talent Acquisition team. Be you. With us.At Securian Financial, we understand that attracting top talent means offering more than just a job - it means providing a rewarding and fulfilling career. As a valued member of our high-performing team, we want you to connect with your work, your relationships and your community. Enjoy our comprehensive range of benefits designed to enhance your professional growth, well-being and work-life balance, including the advantages listed here: Paid time off: We want you to take time off for what matters most to you.Our PTO program provides flexibility for associates to take meaningful time away from work to relax, recharge and spend time doing what's important to them. And Securian Financial rewards associates for their service by providing additional PTO the longer you stay at Securian.Leave programs:Securian's flexible leave programs allow time off from work for parental leave, caregiver leave for family members, bereavement and military leave.Holidays:Securian provides nine company paid holidays.Company-funded pension plan and a 401(k) retirement plan:Share in the success of our company. Securian's 401(k) company contribution is tied to our performance up to 10 percent of eligible earnings, with a target of 5 percent. The amount is based on company results compared to goals related to earnings, sales and service. Health insurance:From the first day of employment, associates and their eligible family members - including spouses, domestic partners and children - are eligible for medical, dental and vision coverage. Volunteer time:We know the importance of community. Through company-sponsored events, volunteer paid time off, a dollar-for-dollar matching gift program and more, we encourage you to support organizations important to you. Associate Resource Groups:Build connections, be yourself and develop meaningful relationships at work through associate-led ARGs. Dedicated groups focus on a variety of interests and affinities, including: Mental Wellness and DisabilityPride at Securian FinancialSecurian Young Professionals NetworkSecurian Multicultural NetworkSecurian Women and Allies NetworkServicemember Associate Resource GroupFor more information regarding Securian's benefits, please review our Benefits page. This information is not intended to explain all the provisions of coverage available under these plans. In all cases, the plan document dictates coverage and provisions. Securian Financial Group, Inc. does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital or familial status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, veteran status, status in regard to public assistance or any other protected status. If you are a job seeker with a disability and require an accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, please contact us by email at Employment@Securian.com, by telephone 651-655-5522 (voice), or 711 (Relay/TTY). To view our privacy statement click here To view our legal statement click here