IT Audit Senior Manager - Data risk & Governance

Our Internal Audit Group is a worldwide function with 300+ team members and offices across nine countries within American Express. Our mission is to protect and enhance organizational value by providing independent, objective, risk-based assurance, advisory services and to influence the way the company manages risk.

We are committed to growing our audit staff significantly as we continue to expand and enhance the Internal Audit Group. Our assurance and risk professionals have diverse backgrounds including internal controls, consumer compliance, technology, operational risk, financial accounting, data analytics, and banking operations. Our audit teams align to key risk areas and business units to ensure IAG can provide comprehensive and risk-based audit coverage. In addition, IAG has a Professional Practices group responsible for managing audit operations, quality, and standards; regulatory relations; reporting; training and professional development; and key internal capabilities and technologies.

About the Role

Our Internal Audit group is seeking an eager IT Audit Senior Manager - Data risk & Governance to help advance and grow our audit coverage across our data audit portfolio. This portfolio spans data governance, data management, data quality, and data platforms across the organization, including auditing first-line and second-line data management and data risk processes. The ideal candidate will have strong problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to communicate audit results and data risk insights effectively.

• Act as an Auditor in Charge (AIC) on more complex audits and/or lead multiple simultaneous low-risk audits, executing and managing the audit engagement end-to-end, planning audit projects, defining objectives and scope, and coordinating with control groups and external auditors to ensure effective execution; conduct L1 reviews

• Analyze/review audit results and documentation to evaluate effectiveness and efficiency, synthesizing audit findings

• Lead audit client meetings and walkthroughs

• Develop test steps, audit findings, and the audit report in accordance with IAG policies and procedures

• Guide team on how to validate and execute corrective actions / Management Action Plans (MAPs) are impactful, sustainable, and improve the control environment of the business unit

• Support business monitoring activities with audit leadership, tracking key metrics to identify control issues and trends; stay up to date with evolving industry trends, external news and regulatory changes, and analyze the impact to the business exams

• Delegate tasks to team members; guide Senior/Staff in assessing risks, evaluating control design, and executing audit tests; review and provide feedback on work papers

• Serve as a People Leader, providing mentorship, coaching, and career development support for direct reports

• Effectively coach, teach, mentor, and develop less experienced colleagues and co-sourced resources in geographically diverse locations across all aspects of their role, the audit and analytic lifecycle, audit methodology and best practices

• Conduct post-audit feedback discussions with audit team members to provide actionable feedback, support development, and recognize accomplishments

• Guide team to proactively and routinely communicate task status, roadblocks, challenges, suggesting potential solutions to the team

• Begin to develop subject matter expertise in a specific line of business

• Serve as the first level of escalation, effectively navigating problems and difficult conversations

• Attend report / issue conversations with management, work with Director / Team Leader to communicate and action on next steps

• Report on assigned tasks in client reporting meetings; assist with preparing materials for Regulatory exams

• Follow-up with management to ensure management action plans are closed effectively and timely

• 6+ years of audit experience

• BA or BS in or equivalent in Information Systems, Computer Science, Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field

• Prior experience working at a Big Four / G-SIB

• Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills to deliver deliverables with quality, and actionable value-add feedback to management on issues, opportunity areas, and deficiency solutions 

• Effectively leads a team in a fast-paced environment to drive business results, utilizing related project management skills, employing creative thinking, and the ability to work on competing priorities

• Applies critical thinking to break-down complex problems into components, and solve using data analysis, process, risk control knowledge, and experience to drive risk-based conclusions and decisions

• Applies control theory and professional auditing practices throughout the audit lifecycle

• Understands regulations, regulatory risks, accounting, and financial industry best practices relevant to the business, including emerging technology and data considerations, and incorporates into the audit approach to enhance outcomes

• Strong knowledge of data management, data governance, and data architecture concepts, with experience applying data controls and risk mitigation techniques across modern data platforms (e.g., data lineage, data quality frameworks, ETL pipelines, cloud data environments, data lakes/warehouses, metadata management, etc.)

• Prior experience analyzing regulatory and industry data frameworks (e.g., BCBS 239, GDPR, DAMA-DMBOK, NIST data-related guidance) and applying these standards to audits of data governance, data quality, and data lifecycle controls

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with data analytic tools, data visualization, key risk indicators (KRIs), key performance indicators (KPIs), information systems / technology, and scorecards / dashboards, etc.

• Interest in working with data, interpreting results, analytic best practices and experience with data analytics tools and data visualization

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), or similar relevant data certification preferred

  Work Arrangements : 

  This role may be filled as either virtual or hybrid, depending on the selected candidate’s location and business needs. Candidates who live within commuting distance of a company office may be designated as hybrid and generally will be expected to work from the office three days per week. Candidates who do not live within commuting distance of a company office may be eligible for a virtual work arrangement, subject to company policy, business needs, and applicable law. Final work arrangement will be confirmed during the hiring process.
  Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.