Senior Audit Manager - People Operations and Development 80-100%

Zurich Group Audit is a diverse international team of over 275 colleagues from 33 different nationalities, working globally as one function with a common purpose: to keep Zurich safe, today and for the future. Together, we bring our skills, capabilities, and unique strengths to provide real insights to our stakeholders and drive positive change. Our ambition is to be the best we can be for our company, our people, and our communities. We are committed to continuous learning and improvement, striving to excel in what we do and how we do it. To support this, we are transforming into a fully digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled function, maximising our human capabilities with technological innovation. We can't promise it will always be an easy journey and it may feel uncomfortable at times, but it will be a fulfilling one.

Audit Operations

The Audit Operations team sits at the heart of the internal audit function. Our role is to continuously improve how audit works - setting up the processes, tools and ways of working that enable audit teams globally to deliver our strategy effectively, while developing our people at the same time.

What you will do

As Senior Audit Manager – People Operations & Development, you will lead and shape people related activities across Group Audit, ensuring they are embedded throughout our core processes and ways of working and aligned to leading internal audit practices and standards. You sit within Group Audit (GA) Operations and ensure that people, capability and engagement are woven into our core processes – to ensure they are effective, consistent and joined up alongside methodology, tools, data, AI and delivery models. Reporting to the Group Audit COO, you will work in close collaboration with Audit Leadership, Operations colleagues and Centres of Excellence.

Auditors sit within countries and regions. Your role is to work closely with Audit Directors and Local Heads of Audit to create coherence across that landscape and enable leading audit ways of working: supporting people to join well, develop quickly, understand how we work and adopt new ways of working as the function evolves, alongside enabling effective workforce planning and scheduling across the function.
It requires strong judgement, relationship management and influencing skills, as well as strong discipline, to manage people-related activities across a complex, distributed global team.

Embed people into how Group Audit operates

• Integrate people, capability and engagement into core processes and ways of working, ensuring alignment with methodology, tools, data, AI and delivery models.
• Work closely with Audit Leadership, Operations colleagues and Centres of Excellence to support the adoption and embedding of new ways of working in particular Agile.
• Act as a trusted partner to leadership on people related matters.

Own recruitment, onboarding and employee experience

• Own and continuously improve the end to end recruitment and onboarding experience, ensuring people join well, understand internal audit expectations quickly.
• Ensure onboarding is structured, supportive and reflects how GA operates in practice.
• Champion GA’s values and culture, supporting how they are reflected in day to day experience.

Build capability and support development

• Maintain a clear view of skills and capability across the function, working with senior leaders to identify Group-wide priorities and actions and support and challenge local actions.
• Lead the development of the professional upskilling agenda, including professional requirements, co-ordinating training and targeted capability building.
• Support the shift towards practical, role relevant and on the job development approaches that strengthen auditor capability over time.

Enable workforce planning and delivery

• Deliver workforce planning, capacity analysis and scheduling in close collaboration with Heads of Audit and Centres of Excellence to support delivery of the audit plan.
• Provide and support forecasting, scenarios and insight to inform planning decisions and highlight capacity risks.
• Manage the relationship with co source providers, ensuring alignment with capability and capacity needs. 
  
  

Run governance, rhythm and communication

• Maintain the operating rhythm of the function, aligning key cycles, milestones and dependencies across teams.
• Facilitate leadership and governance forums with clear agendas and materials to support effective decision making and embedding of ways of working.
• Support communication and engagement across the function, including town halls and leadership messaging, with clear and practical communication of change.

Own core people processes and data

• Own and continuously improve core people processes, ensuring they are practical, consistently applied and aligned to professional standards.
• Ensure people data, records, metrics and controls are accurate, timely and support informed decision making.

What you bring

• Relevant degree in business administration, accounting, finance or a related field.
• Strong experience (typically 10+ years) in internal audit or a comparable environment, with exposure to people operations, workforce planning, capability development or audit delivery.
• Experience operating across a global, complex and distributed organisation, with the ability to connect teams and drive consistency without direct line authority.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence senior stakeholders
• Strong judgement, with the ability to navigate trade offs, prioritise effectively and make decisions in ambiguous or capacity constrained environments.
• Demonstrated ability to embed change into day to day ways of working, including adoption of agile approaches.
• Experience in workforce planning, capacity management or operational delivery, with the ability to translate data into practical insight beneficial
• Experience working in a regulated environment and understanding of internal audit standards is preferred.
• Highly organised, with a strong execution mindset, able to balance delivery, coordination and continuous improvement.
• Confident, pragmatic and hands on, with the ability to challenge constructively and improve how things work.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written English required); able to communicate clearly with both senior leadership and global teams.

You belong here. 

Imagine working in one of the world’s most sustainable workplaces. At Quai Zurich Campus, you’ll enjoy an environment designed to help you thrive, with benefits that support your well-being and impact, and opportunities to perform at your best, surrounded by top talent and supportive colleagues.  
You’ll have access to healthy food options, fitness facilities, and bright, collaborative spaces that spark creativity. Located in the heart of Zurich on the shores of Lake Zurich, the campus offers excellent public transportation links, making your commute simple. 
Grow with us through access to learning resources, on-the-job development, and continuous empowerment and support. Be part of a team that is creating a brighter future together. 
 

About Us 

Zurich is a leading multi-line insurer, serving over 82 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories with more than 65,000 employees.
For over 150 years, Zurich has been transforming insurance – offering not just protection, but also prevention services that promote well-being and climate resilience.
Guided by our purpose to ‘create a brighter future together,’ we aim to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. 

We look forward to receiving your online application today!

Information for recruitment agencies

Zurich does not accept any applications from recruitment agencies for this position. We refuse any responsibility for unsolicited applications, as well as any associated fees. 

Why Zurich

At Zurich, we like to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. We take an optimistic approach by focusing on the positives and constantly asking What can go right? 

We are an equal opportunity employer who knows that each employee is unique - that’s what makes our team so great! 
Join us as we constantly explore new ways to protect our customers and the planet.
 

• Location(s):  CH - Zürich 
• Remote working: Hybrid
• Schedule: Full Time
• Recruiter name: Grace Cunningham