Director - Audit Project & Change Management - job 1 of 5

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

The Internal Audit Group (IAG) plays a critical role within Amex with our mission to protect and enhance the overall organization. We are committed to continuous improvement with our Winning Aspiration to be a world class internal audit function that:

• Leverages data and analytics to expand the breadth, depth, and quality of assurance. Delivers valuable risk insights that challenge the status quo and leverages external perspectives. Develops great leaders who can influence and inspire. 
• Collectively, IAG’s strategic initiatives, combined with our greatest asset – our people – enable IAG to utilize advanced data analytic capabilities, provide greater and continuous assurance, and help ensure quality products and services are provided to American Express customers. 
• We are looking for those who share our mission and aspirations and are passionate about the use of data and technology in a collaborative, people-focused environment.

Our Internal Audit Group is a worldwide function with 300+ team members and offices across nine countries within American Express.  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:

The Director, Project & Change Management within the Audit Department plays a critical role in managing change initiatives within IAG. This role will be responsible for overseeing a small team dedicated to the governance process for audit change initiatives including establishing and directing overall project management practices.  The role serves as a central coordinator for change management between Professional Practices, the Audit Teams and the Company’s Project Governance function. This new team will also act as a change lead for leading certain change initiatives. 

This is an exceptional opportunity for you to showcase and further expand your project and change management skills, internal audit skills, and ability to influence positive change!

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the IAG project and change management strategy aligned with organizational goals and the Company’s project management standards.
• Establish IAG’s project and change governance frameworks, tools, and methodologies to ensure effective stakeholder engagement, communications and training, prioritization of change initiatives, and successful execution and adoption of changes.
• Lead the central IAG project and change management coordination and act as a key liaison between Professional Practice change leads, the Audit Team change leads and the Company’s Project Governance function.
• Identify, mitigate and escalate change and project risks
• Implement performance metrics and dashboards and ensure transparent communication of progress, risks and benefits to IAG management and the IAG organization.
• Champion the adoption of new technologies, agile practices and digital tools to enhance project and change management execution.
• Act as change lead for the designing and implementation of designated audit process changes.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of project and change management professionals.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 7+ Years experience in audit, compliance, risk management consulting or within the financial services/banking industry with knowledge of financial and banking regulations
• Strong knowledge of change and project management frameworks with demonstrated experience leading project and/or change management processes.
• Strong and effective written and verbal communication skills
• Effectively works independently, within a team and across teams in a fast-paced environment to drive business results, utilizing related project management skills, employing creative thinking, a focus on quality, and the ability to work on competing priorities
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working within an internal audit department or second-line risk/control function.
• Familiarity with audit methodologies and audit management systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and program management skills.
• Proficiency in using data analytics, audit management tools, and agile delivery principles is a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and evolving environment.
• Advanced degree
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CPA, CIA, CISA, CRMA) preferred.

Salary Range: $130,000.00 to $205,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the U.S. is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.