Regulatory Change Assurance Specialist at Northern Trust · Chicago

Regulatory Change Assurance Specialist

Location: Chicago, IL

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.

About the Role

Are you an experienced assurance professional with a passion for regulatory compliance, continuous improvement, and program leadership? Northern Trust is seeking a dynamic and strategic professional to join our team as a Regulatory Change Assurance Specialist.

Reporting 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.

Major Duties

Assurance Leadership

• 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.

Assurance Program Management & Function Enablement

• 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.

Skills/Experience

• 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.

Salary Range:

$114,700 - 194,900 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 MyHRHelp@ntrs.com, or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.