Jobs › Northern Trust

AI Risk & Controls Lead

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $137,400–$233,600 a year · Full time

Posted Jun 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a control framework you set up that people actually followed. What made it stick?

What they are checking: Whether they have built practical controls that teams adopt, not just documents.

Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical risk to senior leaders or a committee.

What they are checking: Whether they can make AI risk clear and actionable for decision-makers.

What would you do

A business team wants to launch an AI tool next month, and your controls review isn't finished. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can enable innovation with proportionate controls without becoming a blocker or rubber stamp.

How would you partner with second-line Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit so first-line AI controls meet their expectations?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the three lines of defense and can align with them early.

An audit finds an AI tool was deployed without completing required controls. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they respond with remediation and root cause fixes instead of blame.

About the work

How would you design a first-line-of-defense control framework for AI that covers design, build, deployment and monitoring?

What they are checking: Whether they can structure controls across the whole AI lifecycle and tie them to enterprise risk standards.

What risks are unique to generative AI and large language models compared with traditional models, and how would you control them?

What they are checking: Whether they understand hallucination, data leakage, prompt injection and similar risks, not just classic model risk.

How does model risk guidance like SR 11-7 apply to AI solutions, and where does it fall short?

What they are checking: Whether they know existing bank model risk rules and can see where AI needs more.

What would you monitor once an AI model or tool is in production?

What they are checking: Whether they think about drift, output quality, misuse and incidents after launch.

How would you build an inventory of AI use across a large firm where teams are adopting tools on their own?

What they are checking: Whether they know you can't control what you can't see and have a plan to find it.

How do emerging rules like the EU AI Act affect how a global bank should govern AI?

What they are checking: Whether they follow regulatory developments and can turn them into control requirements.

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The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Role Purpose The AI Risk & Controls Lead is responsible for establishing and operationalising first-line-of-defence (1LOD) controls for AI across the enterprise. This role ensures that AI solutions are designed, deployed, and managed in line with regulatory, risk, and audit expectations , while enabling responsible innovation at scale. Key Responsibilities 🔹 AI Governance & Control Framework • Define and implement AI control frameworks aligned to enterprise risk standards • Embed 1LOD controls across AI lifecycle (design → build → deploy → monitor) • Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Audit to ensure alignment with enterprise policies 🔹 AI Model Management & Oversight • Oversee AI model inventory, classification, and lifecycle management • Define and enforce model governance standards (documentation, approvals, controls) • Ensure traceability of models, datasets, and decision logic 🔹 Documentation & Regulatory Readiness • Own end-to-end AI documentation standards (models, use cases, controls) • Ensure readiness for internal audit, regulatory inspection, and model validation • Maintain audit-ready evidence repositories 🔹 Controls Monitoring & Reporting • Define and track AI control metrics, usage tracking, and compliance indicators • Monitor adherence to policies (ethical AI, data usage, model risk) • Provide risk dashboards and reporting to leadership 🔹 AI Risk & Audit Partnership • Act as primary 1LOD interface with 2LOD (Risk) and 3LOD (Audit) • Support audits, reviews, and issue remediation • Translate regulatory expectations into practical control execution 🔹 Enablement & Advisory • Advise AI delivery teams (CoPilot, Digital Co-Worker, ACE, etc.) on control requirements • Embed controls into AI operating model and delivery pipelines • Drive awareness of responsible AI practices across teams Key Skills & Experience Required • Deep experience in: • AI governance / AI audit / model risk management • Control design and operationalisation (1LOD) • AI model lifecycle & documentation practices • Experience with: • Model inventories, usage tracking, and control frameworks • Audit readiness and regulatory expectations 🔹 Desirable • Financial services / regulated environment experience • Understanding of: • AI/ML concepts (not necessarily data scientist level) • Regulatory landscape (EU AI Act, SR 11-7, model risk frameworks) Success Measures • % of AI use cases onboarded into governance framework • Audit findings / control gaps reduction • Time to evidence production for audit • Coverage of AI model inventory & tracking • Adoption of AI control standards across platforms Salary Range: $137,400 - 233,600 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

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