Associate Director, Audit Services
Northern Trust
Associate Director, Audit Services
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world's most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The Associate Director, Audit Services is a senior, high-visibility leadership role within Northern Trust's APAC Audit Services team. The role provides a clear opportunity to operate at a strategic level, influence outcomes, and build a strong regional and global profile within Audit Services.
Reporting to the Head of Audit Services, APAC, you will lead a small, geographically dispersed team based in Australia and Manila and oversee the planning and delivery of a portfolio of internal audits primarily covering Northern Trust's Australian entities, with selected audits extending across the broader APAC region. The role requires confident engagement with senior management, first and second lines of defense, and global Audit Services colleagues across the US, Europe, and Asia.
You'll be well supported by a mature, well-established audit methodology and professional practices, so the fundamentals are already in place, allowing you to focus on stakeholder management, team development, and continuously improving audit quality and outcomes.
This position is well suited to an experienced audit leader who combines strong regulatory expertise with the ambition, presence, and judgement required to operate credibly at senior forums in a complex, highly regulated environment. This role is open in both Melbourne, Sydney and Philippines locations.
Senior-level ambition and visibility – A strong growth mindset and the confidence to operate at a senior level within Audit Services, influencing outcomes and engaging credibly with senior stakeholders and governance forums
Global orientation – Comfortable working across time zones and cultures, navigating complex organizational structures, and partnering effectively with colleagues across the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia
Deep Australian regulatory expertise – Strong, practical knowledge of the Australian regulatory environment, including the Financial Accountability Regime, APRA prudential standards, ASIC regulatory guides, AML/CTF, and Privacy requirements, with sound judgement around governance and disciplined execution
US-headquartered banking experience – The ideal candidate will have experience working within, or alongside, a US-headquartered global financial institution, with an understanding of US banking and regulatory expectations and how these intersect with local regimes
Collaborative, relationship-driven leadership – A proven ability to build trusted relationships across geographies, business lines, and control functions, combining effective challenge with a strong partnering mindset
Lead and oversee a portfolio of internal audits across Australian entities and selected APAC-wide audits
Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, providing clear, practical insight on risk, control effectiveness, and emerging issues
Manage multiple audits concurrently, integrating work across teams to drive efficiency and consistent coverage
Build and develop team capability through coaching, review, and targeted development opportunities
Partner with global Audit Services teams and co-sourced providers to optimize coverage, skills mix, and quality
Lead strategic risk assessments and recommend updates to the audit universe and coverage model
Propose audit plans, including scope, coverage, timing, and budget, and track internal audit obligations across legal and regulated entities
Ensure audit engagements are delivered on time, within budget, and to required quality standards
Oversee validation of remediation for audit and regulatory issues
Contribute to workforce planning and scheduling, including recommendations for staff and Senior Audit Manager hiring
Advanced knowledge of internal audit and accounting principles, supported by a relevant degree
Strong practical knowledge of the Australian regulatory landscape
Strong analytical, communication, and senior stakeholder-management skills
Professional qualifications such as CPA, CIA, CISA, ACA, ACCA and/or MBA
10+ years' experience in banking or financial services (or relevant public accounting experience), including at least 5 years in internal audit
Proven experience leading teams and managing complex audit portfolios in a global environment