Director - Data Analytics, Audit Services

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Internal Audit Data Analytics will lead the strategy, development, and adoption of advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation capabilities across the Audit Services methodology and audit lifecycle. The role will position Audit Services as a proactive, insight-driven assurance partner by enabling enhanced risk sensing, broader audit coverage, continuous assurance, and more timely, data-driven insights. This leader will define and execute a multi-year roadmap that integrates people, processes, data, and technology to modernize audit execution. The role will oversee the development of scalable analytics and AI-enabled capabilities, including audit agents, bots, and automation solutions, with appropriate governance, security, and human oversight. Working closely with Audit leadership, audit teams, Technology, Data, Risk, and enterprise AI governance partners, the Director will ensure that analytics and AI investments address priority risks, meet regulatory and professional expectations, and deliver measurable assurance and operational value. This role will be based in Chicago, reporting to Managing Director, Audit Services.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in internal audit, risk management, data analytics, technology, or a related field, including experience leading significant transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing multi-year strategies that modernize audit, risk, or control functions through data, technology, analytics, or AI.
• Strong understanding of internal audit execution and the ability to translate audit, risk, and business challenges into scalable analytical or technology-enabled solutions.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering outcomes across functions, regions, and time zones.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex analytical and technical concepts clearly to senior leaders, audit professionals, technical teams, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience leading organizational change, including stakeholder alignment, communications, training, and adoption.
• Strong judgment and understanding of governance, risk, control, data quality, and regulatory considerations associated with analytics, automation, and AI.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with SQL, Power BI, Snowflake, Microsoft Copilot, or comparable analytics, data, visualization, and AI technologies.
• Experience implementing continuous auditing, continuous assurance, automated control testing, or risk-monitoring capabilities.
• Familiarity with responsible AI, model governance, data privacy, information security, and technology risk management principles.
• Relevant professional certification, such as CIA, CPA, CISA, or a data analytics, technology, or AI-related credential.
• Experience within a complex, global, and highly regulated financial services organization.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the Audit Services data analytics, AI, and automation strategy, aligned with enterprise priorities, the audit plan, regulatory expectations, and evolving technology capabilities.
• Develop and execute a multi-year roadmap to embed analytics and AI across audit planning, scoping, testing, reporting, continuous assurance, and risk assessment.
• Establish a sustainable operating model covering talent, technology, data access, governance, prioritization, and delivery.
• Maintain a prioritized portfolio of analytics, automation, and continuous assurance opportunities across the audit universe, with particular focus on horizontal risks and cross-functional insights.
• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of scalable analytics and technology solutions that support risk identification, automated testing, continuous monitoring, and on-demand insights.
• Define and advance Audit Services’ AI strategy, including the responsible use of Microsoft Copilot and other approved AI capabilities.
• Partner with Northern Trust’s AI governance bodies and relevant control functions to identify, evaluate, approve, and implement high-value Audit use cases.
• Chair the Audit AI Working Group and establish a disciplined process for identifying, prioritizing, developing, testing, and scaling AI-enabled solutions.
• Guide the development of AI-enabled audit capabilities, agents, bots, and automation solutions with appropriate controls, documentation, validation, and human oversight.
• Ensure analytics and AI solutions comply with applicable data governance, information security, privacy, model risk, records management, and responsible AI requirements.
• Oversee the delivery of analytics for individual audits to increase coverage, improve testing effectiveness, automate repeatable procedures, and generate deeper risk insights.
• Partner with audit leaders and engagement teams to translate complex audit and business risks into practical analytical solutions.
• Develop continuous assurance capabilities that provide timely indicators of emerging risks and control performance.
• Ensure analytical methods, data sources, assumptions, and outputs are appropriately documented, explainable, reproducible, and aligned with Internal Audit methodology and professional standards.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators that measure delivery, adoption, efficiency, audit coverage, insight quality, and assurance impact.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a global multidisciplinary team with expertise across internal audit, business analytics, data science, AI, and automation.
• Build strong partnerships across Audit Services and with Technology, Data, Risk, Compliance, and other enterprise functions.
• Lead change management, communications, training, and stakeholder engagement to drive sustained adoption of data-driven audit practices.
• Advance analytics and AI fluency across Audit Services through targeted learning, mentorship, practical tools, and hands-on enablement.
• Represent Audit Services in relevant enterprise forums and build external credibility through engagement with professional associations, regulators, peers, and industry thought leaders.

Benefits

• retirement benefits (401k and pension)
• health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability)
• paid time off
• parental and caregiver leave
• life & accident insurance
• other voluntary and well-being benefits
• discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director