Audit Director - Artificial Intelligence

Job Summary

Audit Director, Artificial Intelligence (AI) leads the execution of the Bank’s strategy for independent assurance over Artificial Intelligence risks across Technology and Operations. The portfolio covers the governance and safe adoption of AI and machine learning solutions throughout their lifecycle, including development, deployment, validation, monitoring and oversight, as well as emerging risks relating to generative AI, large language models and other evolving AI technologies. Key areas of assurance include AI governance, model risk management, data integrity, model bias and fairness, explainability, model drift, AI security, third-party AI risk and compliance with evolving regulatory expectations

Key Responsibilities

Group Internal Audit & Investigations (GIAI) represents the third line of defence, whose primary role is to help the Board and Executive Management protect the assets, reputation and sustainability of the Group. GIAI provides independent assurance over management’s awareness of risks and the effective operation of controls within business activities undertaken by the first line, as well as the relevance, effectiveness and monitoring of risk-related controls maintained by Risk Framework Owners and Policy Owners in the second line.

• •    Lead and oversee the AI Risk audit portfolio, ensuring effective coverage of emerging AI and technology risks.
• Drive annual audit planning, prioritisation, and portfolio management activities.
• Allocate resources across engagements, ensuring the right skills and expertise are assigned to each review.
• Provide oversight and challenge throughout the audit lifecycle, ensuring quality, consistency, and timely delivery.
• Review and validate reporting to ensure observations, conclusions, and risk assessments are accurate and meaningful.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on AI risk, technology governance, and control matters.

Strategy

• •    Lead the risk assessment and development of the risk-based Audit Plan for the assigned portfolio, ensuring that key risks, regulatory expectations, strategic priorities and relevant business changes are appropriately considered.
• •    Maintain the relevance of the assigned Audit Plan throughout the year as the business and risk profile changes, and recommend changes where appropriate.
• •    Ensure that assigned audits address the key risks identified through risk assessment, audit planning and continuous monitoring.
• •    Drive relevant GIAI priorities and initiatives that improve audit delivery, risk coverage and the quality of assurance.

People & Talent

• •    Lead by example and build a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture that promotes wellbeing, psychological safety, professional objectivity and constructive challenge.
• •    Set clear objectives and accountabilities for direct reports, manage performance, provide timely feedback and address performance or conduct matters appropriately.
• •    Develop audit talent through coaching, career development, succession planning, on-the-job learning and relevant formal training.
• •    Allocate people and specialist capabilities across the portfolio to meet audit-plan priorities, manage capacity constraints and support effective delivery.
• •    Build relevant audit capability within GIAI through knowledge sharing, talent identification, recruitment and targeted development.
• •    Drive innovation and continuous improvement in audit approach, methodology, analytics, automation and continuous monitoring.

Governance

• •    Represent GIAI at relevant governance committees and senior management forums, providing independent challenge and clear reporting on key risks, audit outcomes, issue themes and emerging risks.
• •    Ensure that portfolio activities comply with the Audit Charter, GIAI methodology, quality standards, delegated authorities and applicable regulatory expectations.
• •    Oversee timely escalation of significant audit issues, delivery risks, overdue remediation and matters requiring senior management or committee attention.
• •    Support regulatory and external assurance engagements relating to the assigned portfolio, ensuring that responses and supporting information are accurate, consistent and timely.

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• •    Display exemplary conduct and uphold the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• •    Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, regulatory conduct and business conduct across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance, in letter and spirit, with all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• •    Support GIAI in achieving the outcomes set out in the Bank’s Conduct Principles.
• •    Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key stakeholders

• •    Senior business, Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance and control-function stakeholders relevant to the assigned portfolio.
• •    GIAI stakeholders, including the Audit Executive Team, Senior Audit Directors, Audit Directors, Team Leaders and Product, Functional, Country and Regional audit teams.
• •    Regulators and relevant governance committees, where required, including responding to requests relating to audit work and coverage.
• •    External auditors and professional services firms, where required.

Our Ideal Candidate

• •    Extensive senior-level experience with 15 years of significant track record in internal audit, risk management or senior managerial roles in technology, data or AI-related domains discipline within a complex, regulated organisation.
• •    Strong knowledge of AI risk, technology process, governance, risk management and control frameworks relevant to complex business, technology and operational environments.
• •    Strong experience in AI environments, including the development, deployment and oversight of AI and machine learning solutions, with exposure to AI lifecycle management, governance frameworks, model validation and data-driven decisioning. 
• •    Leads assurance over Artificial Intelligence risks, including governance, safe adoption, and emerging AI risk landscape
• •    Familiarity with key AI risk areas including model bias, explainability, data integrity, model drift, and AI security; practical experience in assessing or managing these risks is highly valued
• •    Ability to assess organisational maturity relating to AI adoption, governance, and risk management.
• •    Proven people leadership experience, including performance management, coaching, capability development and effective deployment of resources.
• •    Continuous development in emerging AI topics, including generative AI, LLMs, and AI-related regulatory expectations
• •    Credibility and influence with senior business, risk, audit and regulatory stakeholders.
• •    Relevant university degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering or a related discipline is required; advanced qualifications are highly desirable.
• •    Training or certification in AI governance, model risk management, or related frameworks
• •    Internal audit experience is not required; however, experience in audit or risk management roles would be an advantage.

Role Specific Technical Competencies

• Internal Audit
• Governance, Risk and Controls
• Risk Assessment and Audit Planning
• Audit Delivery and Quality Assurance
• Regulatory Risk and Governance
• People Leadership and Talent Development
• Stakeholder Management and Effective Communication
• Data Analytics, Automation and AI

About Standard Chartered

We're a global bank connecting clients to our differentiated network, offering growth opportunities in the world's most dynamic markets. Our strategy, which combines cross-border capabilities and leading wealth management expertise, helps us deliver our purpose - to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity.  Over our 170-year history, and across a unique geographical footprint connecting Asia, Africa and the Middle East to each other and the world, we've built a bank like no other, with diverse capabilities and partnerships that set us apart.

What we offer

• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions, and geographies.
• In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.
• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global employee assistance programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and self-help toolkits.
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual, and digital learning.Visit our careers website to learn more about us: www.sc.com/careers.

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