Sustainability/ESG Specialist

About Northern Trust :

Northern Trust, a Fortune company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since .

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity.

With more than years of financial experience and over 22, partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role / Department : ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) Audit Specialist / Internal Audit Services

This is a unique opportunity to become an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) Specialist in our Internal Audit department.

In this role, you join a global team of experts, whose common goal is to provide independent and objective assurance, as well as consulting activities, that together assess the risks and protect the assets, reputation, and sustainability of Northern Trust.

Specifically, as the ESG Specialist, you will be responsible for reviewing Northern Trust’s environmental, social, and corporate governance policies and procedures, including internal and external ESG-related disclosures, reporting, and performance improvement plans for third-party ESG frameworks.

You will be required to be current on the evolving ESG industry and regulatory activities and guidelines, and understand and interpret how they impact the company’s risk and control framework.

Through collaboration with other team members, you will assist in the end-to-end execution of audit engagements and gain exposure to senior management across Northern Trust.

In this role, you will make critical recommendations to enterprise-wide leadership on ESG strategy and procedures, partnering closely with internal stakeholders to understand their priorities, and balancing growth against risk.

Success is measured through the quality of the documentation, integrity of the assessment, timeliness of the deliveries, and your ability to foster relationships both internally in the audit department and with key stakeholders.

This position will report locally to the Managing Director in Chicago, and you’ll be expected to work closely with partners in Chicago, London, and Manila.

The key responsibilities of the role include :

• Contribute to the evolution of the ESG internal audit strategy including risk assessment and coverage strategy
• Coordinate and collaborate with the global ESG team on the identification of risks and execution of audits in line with the internal plan
• Provide strategic thinking, thought leadership, and guidance on identifying key risks and assessing the design and operating effectiveness of the controls supporting ESG activities
• Plan, oversee, and direct regulatory ESG activities as required
• Establish strong working relationships and communications with key ESG stakeholders
• Maintain active involvement with, and present at, executive, oversight, and steering committees, as required
• Ensure that all deliverables are issued accurately, completely, and timely - both internal and external to Audit Services
• Monitor audit progress and budgets; escalate significant budget variances as needed
• Review work of junior members, including work paper documentation, findings, and recommendations as well as the final report, while ensuring that auditing standards and department methodology expectations have been met
• Stay abreast and maintain knowledge of regulatory developments and industry trends, and assist with continuous monitoring and knowledge-sharing efforts
• Assist in preparation of presentations to the Board, Audit Committee, and senior management as required
• Assist with ad hoc projects as necessary

Skills / Qualifications :

• Proven ESG subject matter expertise from the 1st, 2nd and / or 3rd lines (Business, Risk / Compliance, Audit)
• Strong analytical, leadership, and organizational skills
• An ability to work in a fast-paced environment as part of a global audit team across multiple time zones and jurisdictions.
• Exceptional cross-functional management skills; ability to bring people together around a common goal and lead by influence
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills, including documentation of findings and recommendations
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact in team environment and foster relationships
• Strong written and presentation skills for high-visibility storytelling, both internally and externally; adept at synthesizing complex inputs from multiple stakeholders
• Being passionate about building trusted relationships
• A College or University degree

The successful candidate will benefit from having :

• Knowledge of auditing techniques and approaches in the financial services industries
• Professional certifications (e.g., ACAMS, CPA, CIA, ACA, ACCA)

Working Model : Hybrid

We have a balanced hybrid working model to ensure you get the flexibility you need, and the successful candidate will spend their time between working in the office and working from home.

Working with Us :

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today.

Reasonable accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center .

We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.