Associate Vice President for Risk, Audit & Compliance

Northwestern University, one of the world’s leading private research universities, seeks an accomplished, strategic, and collaborative leader for the newly created role of Associate Vice President for Risk, Audit & Compliance.

Reporting to the Vice President for Operations, the Associate Vice President for Risk, Internal Audit, and Compliance will play a leadership role in enterprise risk management, internal audit, risk management, and compliance across the University. The AVP will work in close partnership with key Northwestern stakeholders to identify and implement best practices in risk management that are appropriate to a complex private research university with distributed ownership and governance of risk. Reflecting Northwestern’s integrated approach to comprehensive risk management, the AVP’s portfolio comprises internal audit, compliance, and risk management. Even within Northwestern’s decentralized management structure, each of these functions covers the entire institution.

The ideal candidate will be an adaptable, innovative leader with the capacity to establish and deliver a measurable value proposition to University stakeholders within the overall vision for how excellent and innovative risk, audit, and compliance services contribute to its mission. The AVP should have experience leading or overseeing, or should have real familiarity with, a high-functioning internal audit or Enterprise Risk Management program in a complex organization.  For a full description of the role please see: https://adobe.ly/3qjGhxb

Qualified candidates will possess a Master’s degree in accounting, finance, business, law, or other field related to risk, audit, or compliance, and at least 10 years of demonstrated leadership/supervisory experience in risk management, compliance, or audit in a complex, decentralized, academic, healthcare, non-profit, government, or corporate setting. Direct experience with enterprise risk management and general knowledge of compliance and risk issues facing higher education will be conducive to effective leadership in this role. Candidates will also possess a track record of team- and capacity-building, including the recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing staff.

The AVP should embrace and advance Northwestern University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and have a demonstrated ability and commitment to cultivating a work environment that is equitable and inclusive of faculty, staff, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds and social identities.

Opus Partners is assisting Northwestern University in this search. Please contact Katie Dean, Associate Partner, or Craig Smith, Partner, to apply or to seek additional information:

katie.dean@opuspartners.net / craig.smith@opuspartners.net

Northwestern University is an Affirmative Action / EEOC employer. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.