Senior Data Analytics Internal Auditor

Cushman & Wakefield • Chicago, IL

1d

About The Position

This is a senior, highly independent role within the Internal Audit Department, reporting to the Director of IT Audit & Data Analytics. The Senior Data Analytics Internal Auditor will lead the Internal Audit data analytics function and serve as the primary driver of advanced analytics, automation, AI-enabled solutions, and continuous auditing capabilities across the department. This role is responsible for identifying, developing, and executing data-driven audit solutions that enhance audit effectiveness, efficiency, and risk insight across audit, SOX, and enterprise risk activities. The role requires strong hands-on technical expertise, sound audit judgment, and the ability to translate complex data into practical, actionable insights aligned with audit objectives. The Senior Data Analytics Internal Auditor will work closely with Internal Audit leadership, including Senior Director of Internal Audit, audit teams, and business stakeholders to embed analytics into audit planning, execution, and reporting. This individual will act as a trusted partner and data champion within Internal Audit, building strong relationships with data owners and system leaders to enable timely, reliable access to data. This role offers significant autonomy and influence, with the opportunity to shape how data analytics, automation, and continuous auditing are applied across Internal Audit’s assurance, SOX, and risk activities. The ideal candidate brings strong energy, intellectual curiosity, and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to work independently while driving meaningful outcomes in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment in accordance with Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) standards and the ISACA COBIT framework.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience applying advanced data analytics, automation, and data-driven control testing within Internal Audit, SOX, compliance, and/or enterprise risk environments.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Data Science, Management Information Systems, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Proven track record of delivering audit and risk solutions through the application of data analytics, scripting, and programming skills (e.g., Python, R, SQL) and relevant analytics platforms.
• Strong experience across the full data analytics lifecycle, including data acquisition, cleansing, transformation, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience designing and delivering continuous auditing capabilities, dashboards, and monitoring solutions that provide reliable, timely performance metrics and actionable insights.
• Experience working with enterprise platforms such as Workday, JD Edwards (JDE), Salesforce, and similar systems, including extracting, analyzing, and validating data for audit and risk purposes.
• Experience using data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI or similar) to communicate insights and themes effectively to audit leadership and senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across audit teams and business stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Appropriate professional certifications and/or training relevant to Internal Audit (e.g., CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP) and/or data and cloud technologies (e.g., AWS Certified Data Analyst, Google Cloud Certified, Databricks Certified) preferred.
• Working knowledge of the commercial real estate industry is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Internal Audit data analytics function, serving as the primary point of expertise for data analytics, automation, AI-enabled solutions, and continuous auditing within the department.
• Apply a data-driven mindset to build, enhance, and execute Internal Audit data solutions that deliver advanced audit capabilities, including automation, continuous auditing, and data analytics.
• Lead and oversee data analytics initiatives supporting audit, SOX, and risk projects, leveraging advanced analytical techniques to enhance audit procedures, expand coverage, and identify risks.
• Design and execute data-driven testing of key controls across in-scope processes, systems, and programs, elevating levels of assurance, consistency, and audit efficiency.
• Develop and implement AI-enabled and advanced analytics solutions using available tools to support audit teams and audit operations.
• Drive automation across audit, SOX, and risk activities, unlocking efficiencies and improving the quality and scalability of testing and analysis.
• Develop and enhance continuous auditing capabilities, including dashboards and monitoring solutions that provide timely control and business insights to support management action.
• Serve as a data champion within Internal Audit by elevating awareness of appropriate, effective, and responsible uses of data in assurance and advisory work.
• Collaborate closely with audit teams to integrate analytics into audit planning, execution, and reporting activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key data leaders, system owners, and data custodians to enable timely and reliable access to data required for audit and risk initiatives.
• Leverage enterprise systems such as Workday, JD Edwards (JDE), Salesforce, and other core platforms as key data sources to support audit analytics, continuous auditing, and data-driven control testing.
• Use existing data sources and structures to provide more quantitative, evidence-based assessments of key risks, controls, and audit conclusions.
• Evaluate and recommend data tools, technologies, and methodologies to enhance audit capabilities and remain current with industry trends and leading practices.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and knowledge sharing to Internal Audit team members on data analytics techniques, tools, and best practices.
• Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, delivering high-quality outcomes within agreed scope, timelines, and expectations.
• Maintain flexibility to support ad-hoc audit, risk, and analytics initiatives as needed.

Benefits

• Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work.
• In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior