Vice President of Change and Control Management - job 1 of 12

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.

How will you make an impact in this role?

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 Vice President, Change & Control Management within the Audit Department plays a critical leadership role in strengthening the department’s control environment and risk management practices. This leader will be responsible for overseeing a team dedicated to identifying and assessing audit operational risks, managing internal testing protocols, driving issue and event management, supporting audit remediation activities, and ensuring governance structures are in place to reduce audit process risk.  This role will also be responsible for leading the governance process for large audit change initiatives including overall project management.  The role is essential to enabling a well-controlled, resilient audit function that operates with integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

Change & Project Management: Oversee the development and execution of IAG’s change and project management processes to support the audit change initiatives and ensure adequate governance and controls are in place related to the changes.

Risk Identification & Assessment: Lead the identification and proactive assessment of risks impacting the Audit department’s operations, execution, tools, processes, and audit programs.

Control Testing: Oversee the development and execution of a testing strategy to evaluate the design and effectiveness of controls supporting audit operations.

IAG Owned Issue & Event Management: Manage the intake, documentation, resolution, and reporting of IAG owned external assessment recommendations, control issues and operational risk events within the audit department.

Remediation Oversight: Drive effective root cause analysis and action plan development for identified issues; oversee timely execution and validation of corrective actions.

Governance & Reporting: Establish and maintain a strong governance framework that enables transparency, accountability, and timely escalation of risk matters to audit leadership and relevant enterprise forums.

Process Risk Reduction: Partner across audit functions to review end-to-end processes and recommend control enhancements that improve consistency, reduce risk, and support regulatory expectations.

Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain trusted relationships with internal audit leadership, enterprise control partners, risk, compliance, and operational stakeholders.

Team Leadership: Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing control and change management team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, risk awareness, and operational excellence.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., CPA, CIA, CISA, CRMA) preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in internal audit, risk management, control functions, or related fields within financial services.
• Strong knowledge of control frameworks, operational risk principles, and regulatory expectations.
• Proven experience leading risk/control or governance programs with measurable impact.
• Strong knowledge of change and project management frameworks with demonstrated experience leading change management processes.
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex control environments and design effective risk mitigation strategies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and experience presenting to executive level audiences. 
• Ability to influence senior leaders and drive cross-functional outcomes.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing teams.

Preferred Competencies:

• 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.

Candidates must be willing to work hybrid out of the nearest AMEX location located in New York, North Carolina, Utah, or Arizona.

Salary Range: $185,000.00 to $260,000.00 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