About Northern Trust
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
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.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy and capability development
- 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.
Analytics, AI, and technology enablement
- 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.
Audit delivery and assurance impact
- 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.
Leadership and change adoption
- 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.
Required Qualifications
- 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.
Preferred Qualifications
- 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.
Salary Range:
$137,400 - 240,400 USD
Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including 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, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Work Authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.
Reasonable Accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.