Director, Internal Audit (PL)

Your Opportunity

Your opportunity

We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in the specified location(s).

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together.

The Internal Audit Department (IAD) at Charles Schwab provides independent and objective assessments to determine whether significant risks are identified and appropriately reported to the Board and Executive Management, to evaluate whether risks are adequately controlled, and to support governance, risk management, and internal controls through effectively challenging Management.

Within IAD, the Professional Practices Group (PPG) provides processes, training, and tools to support consistency and quality expectations. PPG also provides internal audit data, analysis and reporting to audit leadership, regulators, and the Company’s governance committees. PPG is seeking a Director, Quality Assurance to lead the QA team supporting the Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) by independently evaluating and effectively challenging that key internal audit activities continue to be performed in conformance with audit procedures, IIA Standards and regulatory expectations.

The QA team has a critical role in IAD that is scaling an efficient, risk-based quality assurance approach to strengthen audit quality. The team supports a growing department that continues to evolve using data analytics, automation and emerging technology to meet regulatory expectations of a large financial institution. The Director, Quality Assurance is a people leader reporting to the Director of Standards and Training within PPG.

This role will:

• Design, execute, and manage the annual Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) plan, balancing ongoing and periodic quality assurance reviews across IAD.
• Manage and develop a team of QA audit professionals providing coaching and professional guidance. 
• Review audit workpapers, QA team analysis, technology use, and reports to ensure QA activities are performed effectively and conclusions are well-supported to meet standards.
• Support external quality assurance reviews and regulatory exams related to QA and IAD.
• Prepare executive-level reporting of QA results, themes, and improvement opportunities (including action plan progress) for IAD leadership, the General Auditor, and the Board.
• Enhance aggregation, analysis, and reporting of QA results, and revise templates and procedures creating new QA methods enabling technology to support assessments while keeping pace with changes to standards, maintaining alignment with regulatory focus, and ensuring comprehensive internal audit coverage.
• Maintain the QAIP by consistently handling complexities, setting clear priorities, and fostering ongoing improvement to achieve performance goals.
• Provide complex audit guidance and consultation and promote and sustain a collaborative culture and partnership within IAD.
• Develop strategies and coordinate with IAD leaders, including those supporting training, methodology, communications and various strategic initiatives sharing identified enhancement opportunities based on QA themes and trends.
• Provide feedback on proposed methodology, training materials, and related communications to ensure content and messaging reflect areas of QA emphasis and ensure the QA Team is versed in upcoming changes to support guidance updates.
• Monitor financial services and internal audit key trends and changes and manage ad hoc projects supporting strategic initiatives.

What you have

  Required Qualifications:

• 12+ years of audit, risk, or compliance experience preferably within public accounting, financial services, and/or a regulatory agency with an emphasis on successfully designing and managing multiple workstreams of varying complexities, timelines, and stakeholders at once.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience (project-based leadership acceptable with clear scope and accountability).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Global Audit Standards, the Federal Reserve Supplemental Policy Statement on the Internal Audit Function and Its Outsourcing (SR 13-1) and Amended Interagency Guidance on the Internal Audit Function and its Outsourcing (SR 03-5).
• Knowledge of IT governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, NIST) and regulatory expectations applicable to large financial institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in leveraging emerging technologies, data analytics, or automation within audit, monitoring, or quality assurance activities.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear, impactful presentations and reports for internal and external audiences at all levels.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior leadership and providing a point of view and effective challenge.
• Strong risk and internal control knowledge and advanced ability to evaluate design adequacy and operating effectiveness of controls.
• Excellent analytical and project management skills with the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities and due dates, anticipate issues, and design appropriate solutions.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including articulating effectively and authoritatively with succinct and impactful messaging to influence positive change and collaborate effectively across all levels.
• Uses relationships and insights to successfully influence others. Creates genuine relationships for alignment and support.
• Self-starter, proactive, and able to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to travel 10–15%.

Preferred Qualifications

• CIA, CISA, CPA or similar certification strongly preferred.

What you are good at

What you have

  Required Qualifications:

• 12+ years of audit, risk, or compliance experience preferably within public accounting, financial services, and/or a regulatory agency with an emphasis on successfully designing and managing multiple workstreams of varying complexities, timelines, and stakeholders at once.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience (project-based leadership acceptable with clear scope and accountability).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Global Audit Standards, the Federal Reserve Supplemental Policy Statement on the Internal Audit Function and Its Outsourcing (SR 13-1) and Amended Interagency Guidance on the Internal Audit Function and its Outsourcing (SR 03-5).
• Knowledge of IT governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, NIST) and regulatory expectations applicable to large financial institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in leveraging emerging technologies, data analytics, or automation within audit, monitoring, or quality assurance activities.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear, impactful presentations and reports for internal and external audiences at all levels.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior leadership and providing a point of view and effective challenge.
• Strong risk and internal control knowledge and advanced ability to evaluate design adequacy and operating effectiveness of controls.
• Excellent analytical and project management skills with the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities and due dates, anticipate issues, and design appropriate solutions.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including articulating effectively and authoritatively with succinct and impactful messaging to influence positive change and collaborate effectively across all levels.
• Uses relationships and insights to successfully influence others. Creates genuine relationships for alignment and support.
• Self-starter, proactive, and able to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to travel 10–15%.

Preferred Qualifications

• CIA, CISA, CPA or similar certification strongly preferred.