Business Audit Director -
Internal Audit | Business Audit | Financial ServicesRole OverviewThe Business Audit Director is responsible for leading internal audit coverage across assigned lines of business, products, strategies, and risk areas, with specialized focus on Credit Risk, Global Corporate & Investment Banking, and Japanese Corporate Banking. The role oversees audit planning, execution, issue management, portfolio risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement of the audit function. This leader provides independent challenge, commercial perspective, and strategic guidance to senior stakeholders while ensuring audit work is delivered in accordance with audit methodology, Quality Assurance standards, regulatory expectations, and enterprise performance indicators.
Key ResponsibilitiesPortfolio Leadership and Risk Coverage
- Lead internal audit coverage across assigned business lines, products, strategies, internal controls, and risk areas, including Credit Risk, GCIB, JCB, and related wholesale banking activities where applicable.
- Maintain and manage the portfolio universe and related risk assessments to ensure appropriate representation, calibration, and prioritization of auditable entities.
- Develop a forward-looking view of regulatory changes, emerging risks, new products, and services that may affect the audit portfolio.
- Dynamically manage the audit plan throughout the year and recommend changes when portfolio risks, priorities, or business conditions evolve.
- Drive the annual audit plan, budget, and resource/staffing plans for the assigned portfolio.
Credit Risk, GCIB, and JCB Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as a subject matter expert for wholesale Credit Risk Management across Global Corporate & Investment Banking, Japanese Corporate Banking, and related second-line Credit Risk Management functions.
- Provide independent assurance over the effectiveness of the Credit Risk Management Framework, including credit governance, policies, limits, risk appetite, underwriting, portfolio management, problem loan management, credit administration, and credit quality control.
- Demonstrate deep understanding of end-to-end wholesale credit processes, including client and deal screening, credit package preparation and approval, underwriting review and challenge, borrower rating reviews, credit conditions, covenant monitoring, portfolio management, and ongoing exposure management.
- Apply expertise in GCIB business segments, products, and risk profiles, including corporate banking, sponsor finance, direct lending, funds finance, structured finance, project finance, asset-based finance, supply chain finance, transaction banking, capital markets, and other credit-related products and services.
- Maintain strong knowledge of Japanese Corporate Banking business activities, including U.S.-based coverage of Japanese corporate customers, relationship and portfolio management processes, transaction origination, monitoring and lifecycle management, and coordination with Japan-based primary offices and related stakeholders.
- Assess the design, implementation, and operating effectiveness of first-line and second-line controls across GCIB, JCB, and Credit Risk Management, including controls related to origination, underwriting, supervisory review, credit approvals, borrower ratings, credit reviews, issue remediation, and ongoing monitoring.
- Maintain a forward-looking view of emerging credit risks, regulatory developments, macroeconomic trends, market disruptions, geopolitical events, industry vulnerabilities, and portfolio concentrations affecting GCIB, JCB, and wholesale credit portfolios.
- Credibly challenge business and risk management stakeholders on credit decisions, risk identification, risk measurement, risk appetite alignment, underwriting quality, portfolio trends, issue root causes, and sustainability of corrective actions.
- Support integrated audit coverage between business audit and credit risk audit teams to evaluate first-line business controls and second-line risk management controls in a coordinated, risk-based manner.
- Leverage credit risk data, audit analytics, continuous monitoring, and business intelligence tools to identify portfolio trends, control weaknesses, emerging risks, and opportunities to improve audit coverage and execution.
Audit Delivery and Issue Management
- Oversee the team responsible for internal audits that assess the effectiveness of controls, accuracy of financial records, efficiency of operations, and compliance with governmental regulations.
- Accountable for audit delivery, issue management, and portfolio coverage within required KPIs, audit methodology, and quality assurance standards.
- Schedule audits effectively to improve audit duration, maintain team utilization in line with capacity expectations, and distribute audit work evenly throughout the year.
- Set risk-based audit engagements that demonstrate appropriate coverage of key business, strategic, regulatory, financial, operational, and reputational risks.
- Oversee project management of multiple audit engagements, including timelines, supervision of team deliverables, timely review of workpapers, validation of findings, and confirmation of management action plans.
- Maintain regular stakeholder touchpoints to support effective issue management and promptly escalate challenges.
- Ensure audit files meet Quality Assurance standards and data quality expectations.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop and maintain constructive, collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders while providing effective challenge, guidance, and independent perspective.
- Share read-across themes, industry insights, external perspectives, and emerging risk observations with relevant stakeholders.
- Partner with stakeholders on initiatives and remediation activities to raise standards of controls, behaviors, and accountability across the control environment.
- Communicate effectively with leadership, committees, business partners, external auditors, and other relevant parties on audit plans, key risks, issues, and remediation progress.
Audit Process, Methodology, and Innovation
- Participate in the development and implementation of the long-term vision, strategy, and target operating model for Internal Audit.
- Provide expertise in audit scope, objectives, work plans, audit tests, controls evaluation, statistical methods, interviews, surveys, and computer-assisted audit techniques.
- Drive innovation and optimization in audit execution, continuous auditing, risk monitoring, data analytics, and reporting.
- Partner across the organization to develop, implement, and execute audit policies that support effective, efficient, and compliant processes.
- Communicate audit plans to leadership through clear narratives, process flows, key risk summaries, and internal control observations.
- Monitor an efficient and effective audit program, including complete documentation, productive interviews, analysis of business and reputational risks, identification of control design gaps, audit reporting, recommendations, and timely remediation.
- Ensure compliance with audit methodology, industry best practices, applicable regulations, and internal and external professional practice expectations.
People Leadership and Administration
- Hire, develop, coach, and retain high-performing audit talent.
- Promote collaboration across business units, corporate entities, and audit teams.
- Set expectations for transparency, accountability, inclusive leadership, and integrity.
- Support management reporting, presentations, administration, and other ad hoc requests as needed.
Qualifications:Work Experience
- Leadership experience in internal audit, external audit, or risk management.
- Extensive experience in the financial services industry, related markets, and applicable regulatory bodies.
- Proven success implementing continuous auditing and/or risk monitoring processes.
- Experience using data visualization and reporting solutions, including Power BI, Tableau, or comparable business intelligence tools.
Functional Skills
- Strong supervisory and project management skills within internal audit functions.
- Advanced knowledge of risk assessment, audit methodology, audit execution, and issue validation.
- Experience with Big Data, Python, machine learning, and advanced analytics techniques.
- Ability to apply data analysis methodologies and tools to improve the efficiency, coverage, and effectiveness of audit processes.
- Demonstrated ability to drive analytics innovation, credibly challenge management, and proactively influence risk and control environments.
Foundational Skills and Leadership Attributes
- Communicates effectively with senior leaders, stakeholders, and audit teams.
- Anticipates changing business needs, adjusts priorities, and allocates resources and budget to achieve objectives.
- Equips the business to compete effectively in a dynamic risk and regulatory landscape.
- Considers stakeholder needs, industry trends, best practices, and organizational priorities when making strategic decisions.
- Uses an agile, iterative approach to execution and continuous improvement.
- Serves as a flexible, decisive, and trusted advisor to senior leaders.
- Develops and fosters constructive relationships with business partners and management.
- Demonstrates effective negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Promotes systems thinking, transparency, collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Cultivates innovation, inclusive leadership, lifelong learning, and integrity.
Education
- Degree or equivalent work experience is required.
- Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related business discipline is preferred.
- Advanced degree is desirable.
Certifications
- Professional auditing certification such as CIA, CPA, CISA, or CFSA is preferred.
- Data Analyst, Tableau, Power BI, or similar analytics certification is highly desirable.
"Visa sponsorship/support is based on business needs. We do not anticipate providing visa sponsorship/support for this position."The typical base pay range for this role is $170-219K, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience and location. This role may also be eligible for certain discretionary performance-based bonus and/or incentive compensation. Additionally, our Total Rewards program provides colleagues with a competitive benefits package (in accordance with the eligibility requirements and respective terms of each) that includes comprehensive health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, educational assistance and training programs, income replacement for qualified employees with disabilities, paid maternity and parental bonding leave, and paid vacation, sick days, and holidays. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please click the link below.
Our hybrid work schedule is four days on-site and work remotely one day per week.
