Regulatory Change Assurance Specialist

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

Northern Trust is seeking a dynamic and strategic professional to join our team as a Regulatory Change Assurance Specialist. This role reports to the Head of Regulatory Change Assurance within the Global Regulatory Change Management (GRCM) Department. The successful candidate will play a dual role as both a lead assurance practitioner and program manager for the Regulatory Change Assurance team. The incumbent will lead and execute assurance reviews across the regulatory change lifecycle while also overseeing the operational management of the Assurance team. This includes managing the assurance pipeline, maintaining methodologies and workpapers, coordinating responses to regulators and auditors, supporting reporting and training activities, and driving the continuous enhancement of assurance practices. We are seeking a proactive and highly organized individual who can combine strong regulatory and assurance expertise with program management discipline to help mature and scale a growing assurance function.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience leading complex assurance, audit, compliance, or regulatory change initiatives from planning through execution and closure.
• Strong program management capabilities, including prioritization, stakeholder management, resource planning, issue tracking, and executive reporting.
• Experience developing and maintaining methodologies, procedures, templates, training materials, and operating models within assurance, risk management, compliance, or audit functions.
• Proven ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical frameworks, processes, controls, and assurance activities.
• Experience preparing regulatory examination responses, audit responses, remediation documentation, or issue closure packages is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify thematic issues, root causes, and opportunities for process improvement across multiple reviews and initiatives.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to develop regulator-ready and audit-ready deliverables.
• Several years of assurance experience within the financial services industry, ideally in internal audit.
• Thorough knowledge of project management principles related to people, systems, and processes, with the ability to deliver value quickly and enable change.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills to effectively conduct assurance reviews.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including advanced report writing and negotiation capabilities.
• Demonstrated success in achieving results in an agile, dynamic, and high-pressure environment.
• Leadership and organizational skills to set departmental goals, determine resource requirements, and manage performance.
• A college or university degree; auditing and/or systems experience in a financial institution or similar public accounting experience in the financial services industry is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute regulatory change assurance reviews across the organization, assessing the design and implementation of responses to new or amended laws, rules, and regulations.
• Provide thought leadership in the development and execution of the Regulatory Change Assurance Methodology, including assurance reviews, quality assurance assessments of GRCM-owned controls and processes, and targeted remediation initiatives.
• Apply a transparent, risk-based approach to evaluating regulatory change implementation activities and associated control environments.
• Manage multiple assurance projects concurrently, including scoping, planning, execution, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and verification of remediation activities.
• Engage with business, compliance, risk, and executive stakeholders to assess regulatory compliance risks, understand significant business changes, and identify emerging concerns.
• Monitor assurance observations and recommendations, and tracked through closure.
• Lead or participate in working groups, committees, and governance forums to identify trends, lessons learned, and opportunities to strengthen regulatory change management practices.
• Evaluate changes to the Regulatory Change Management processes, methodologies, and supporting technology platforms to ensure they remain fit for purpose and effectively implemented.
• Serve as the program manager for the Regulatory Change Assurance function, driving the planning, coordination, and execution of team departmental priorities.
• Maintain and oversee the assurance project pipeline by monitoring regulatory developments, remediation initiatives, audit findings, and strategic change activities to identify reviews requiring Assurance team’s engagement.
• Partner with key stakeholders across GRCM and the broader organization to proactively identify and prioritize assurance coverage based on regulatory risk and organizational impact.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously enhance assurance methodologies, workpaper templates, reporting standards, quality review procedures, job aids, and training materials.
• Maintain inventories of assurance observations, recommendations, lessons learned, and examples of good practice to support consistency and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate and lead the development of regulatory, audit, and management responses, including assurance reporting, issue closure packages, regulator deliverables, and supporting documentation.
• Produce management reporting and metrics regarding assurance coverage, observations, remediation activities, thematic trends, and emerging regulatory risks.
• Support regulatory examinations, internal audits, and external reviews by coordinating assurance-related materials, evidence requests, and management responses.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance departmental operating efficiency, scalability, and stakeholder experience.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, regulatory expectations, emerging risks, and leading practices to continuously improve the assurance framework.
• Manage and perform special projects as assigned.

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: Senior