Head of HR, Legal and Organizational Behavior Audit, MD

Head of HR, Legal and Organizational Behavior Audit, Managing Director

The Opportunity

State Street is seeking a senior audit and risk leader to lead its global audit coverage of Human Resources, Legal, Organizational Behavior and related areas, including Global Security, ESG, RIGA, Regulatory Affairs, Regulatory Liaison and Corporate Citizenship/Foundation. This Managing Director role requires a highly strategic leader who can operate effectively with executive management, provide independent and forward-looking assurance, and build audit approaches for evolving areas of risk. The successful candidate will bring strong leadership, sound risk judgment, executive presence, and the ability to translate complex and emerging risks into practical, effective assurance strategies. The role provides an opportunity to shape audit coverage across areas including organizational behavior, culture and conduct, investigations, Human Resources and Legal, while leading globally distributed teams and engaging with senior executives, Boards, and governance committees.

We are particularly interested in leaders who combine strong assurance or risk expertise with the ability to build, innovate, and influence, including developing frameworks in emerging areas where established audit approaches may still be evolving.

What You Will Be Responsible For

Strategic Audit & Assurance Leadership

• Set the strategic direction for global audit coverage across Human Resources, Legal, Organizational Behavior and related areas.
• Develop and execute risk-based audit and assurance strategies aligned with business priorities, emerging risks and evolving professional standards.
• Establish and operationalize audit frameworks and methodologies for emerging areas, including organizational behavior and culture-related risk.
• Maintain awareness of evolving Institute of Internal Auditors requirements and incorporate relevant developments into audit strategy and execution.

Organizational Behavior, Culture & Investigations

• Develop assurance approaches addressing organizational behavior, culture, and conduct risks within a complex global organization.
• Provide independent assessment of relevant governance, risk-management, and control frameworks.
• Oversee assurance related to investigations and associated governance, escalation, and remediation processes.
• Identify emerging behavioral, people and conduct risks and ensure appropriate consideration within audit planning and coverage.

Executive & Board Engagement

• Serve as a trusted and independent advisor to senior executives on key risks, control themes, and emerging issues.
• Communicate complex or sensitive matters clearly and credibly to executive stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver high-quality materials and messaging for Board, Audit Committee, and other senior governance forums.
• Exercise constructive challenge and influence across senior stakeholder groups while maintaining Internal Audit independence.

Global Leadership

• Lead global portfolios and geographically diverse teams, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and high standards of execution.
• Build effective partnerships across regions, businesses, and corporate functions.
• Develop talent, strengthen organizational capability, and create an environment that encourages strategic thinking, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Lead effectively through ambiguity, change, and evolving risk expectations.

Risk, Governance & Innovation

• Anticipate emerging risks and translate them into meaningful audit and assurance coverage.
• Challenge established approaches where appropriate and introduce innovative methods that enhance the relevance and effectiveness of Internal Audit.
• Evaluate interconnected risks across people, culture, governance, legal, conduct and organizational practices.
• Drive timely identification, escalation and communication of significant issues and themes.

What We Value

We are looking for a leader who brings:

• Strategic thinking: Sees beyond individual audits or issues and connects emerging risks, business priorities, and broader organizational themes.
• Executive presence: Communicates with clarity and credibility and is comfortable constructively challenging senior leaders.
• Strong risk judgment: Knows where to focus, asks the right questions, and can make sound decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Innovation: Is willing to challenge traditional approaches and develop new assurance methods for emerging areas such as organizational behavior and culture.
• Adaptability and learning agility: Can quickly develop expertise in unfamiliar or evolving areas and translate new expectations into practical frameworks.
• Influence and collaboration: Builds productive relationships across functions, regions and levels while maintaining the independence required of Internal Audit.
• Leadership: Sets clear direction, develops talent, creates accountability, and inspires globally dispersed teams to deliver at a consistently high level.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant experience, with a strong background in audit and/or assurance and related subject matter expertise.
• One industry-recognized certification (e.g., CIA, CPA, CISA) is required.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex global portfolios, programs or assurance activities across virtual and geographically diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Experience establishing, enhancing, or operationalizing audit, assurance, risk, or governance frameworks within a complex organization.
• Strong understanding of contemporary internal audit and assurance practices, including evolving IIA standards and requirements.
• Significant experience advising and influencing executive-level stakeholders and communicating complex or sensitive risk matters.
• Experience developing materials and messaging for Boards, Audit Committees, or equivalent senior governance forums.
• Experience with Organizational Behavior, behavioral risk, culture or conduct-related assurance, including designing or implementing related risk or assurance frameworks, is highly preferred.
• Experience with investigations, investigations governance, speak-up/whistleblower processes, HR and/or Legal audit or related assurance is preferred.
• Financial services experience strongly preferred; candidates from other highly regulated industries with comparable leadership and assurance experience will also be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree. Postgraduate qualifications are desired but not mandatory.

Salary Range:

The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home.

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.