About Northern Trust:
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.
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 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The Global Head of Wealth Compliance is responsible for leading, developing, and executing the compliance strategy for the firm’s global wealth management business. This role ensures that the organisation meets all regulatory obligations across jurisdictions, maintains robust conduct and fiduciary standards, and implements effective compliance frameworks that support sustainable business growth, protect clients, and safeguard the firm’s reputation.
This is a senior leadership position that requires deep expertise in wealth and investment management regulation, strong risk management acumen, and the ability to influence executive‑level stakeholders globally. The role oversees a global team of compliance professionals and reports directly to the Global Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer (CCEO).
Key Responsibilities:
- Partner with the CCEO to develop and execute the compliance strategy for Global Wealth Compliance in alignment with business objectives, regulatory expectations, and the firm’s risk appetite.
- Provide forward-looking compliance guidance on business initiatives, regulatory change, and emerging risk trends.
- Lead and enhance the end-to-end Global Wealth compliance program, including regulatory compliance, conduct risk management, financial crimes compliance (e.g., AML, sanctions), conduct adherence partnering with relevant peer leaders as required
- Oversee the effectiveness of policies, controls, monitoring activities, and quality assurance across the Wealth business.
- Support the Global Wealth business in the identification of emerging compliance risks and ensure proper monitoring, testing, and mitigation strategies are in place.
- Support the Global wealth business in the identification of emerging compliance risks and ensure proper monitoring, testing, and mitigation strategies are in place.
- Integrate Wealth Compliance activities with the broader Enterprise Risk Management framework.
- Serve as the primary Compliance point of contact for regulators overseeing the Global Wealth business.
- Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders and product teams on new initiatives, new product approvals, digital wealth solutions, and client onboarding models.
- Provide clear, pragmatic guidance to support commercial objectives while protecting the firm and its clients
- Lead interactions related to exams, inquiries, remediation activities, and regulatory reporting specific to the Global Banking and Markets business.
- Partner with Compliance Senior Leadership Enterprise Compliance members to lead the implementation of the Wealth Compliance Program across the Wealth legal entities
- Advise business partners, including senior management, on compliance risks specific to the Wealth business
- Oversee compliance with global, regional, and local regulatory requirements (e.g., FCA, SEC, FINRA, MAS, ESMA, ASIC, SFC).
- Ensure effective regulatory change management for wealth‑related rules, including suitability, best‑interest duties, AML/CTF, sanctions, cross‑border marketing, data privacy, and consumer protection partnering with peer leads as appropriate
- Participate in governance forums, and regional/legal entity forums as appropriate providing regular updates on compliance risk matters, inclusive of themes, regulatory developments, and significant incidents
- Provide relevant subject matter expertise for training programs to ensure employees understand regulatory obligations and ethical standards.
- Lead and develop a high-performing, globally distributed team of Compliance Officers.
- Promote collaboration, professional development, and operational excellence.
- Ensure strong succession planning and resource management.
The successful candidate will demonstrate some of the following skills:
- Foster a strong compliance risk management and accountability across the Wealth organisation.
- Champion behavioural expectations aligned with Northern Trust’s values and conduct risk principles.
- Provide leadership and guidance to staff, fostering an environment that encourages employee participation, teamwork, and communication
- Deep knowledge of wealth‑related regulatory frameworks across major jurisdictions.
- Strong understanding of investment products (e.g., funds, structured products, discretionary portfolios, alternatives, ESG offerings)
- Abide by all regulatory and corporate requirements
- Promote Northern Trust’s OneNT strategy of strengthening resiliency and manging risk, optimizing growth and driving productivity through the NT enablers of technology, talent and data.
- Act as a role model and demonstrate cultural behaviours of being relentlessly client centric. Constantly managing risk, respectfully candid, intentionally inclusive and always accountable.
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will benefit from having:
- 15+ years of progressive Compliance experience
- Deep knowledge of global regulatory frameworks (SEC, FRB, FCA, PRA, MAS).
- Strong understanding of compliance risk management, conduct risk, and financial crimes compliance.
- Proven ability to influence regulators, boards, and executive leadership.
- Excellent strategic thinking, analytical skills, and judgement.
- Strong leadership presence with outstanding communication skills.
- Bachelor’s degree required; JD, MBA, CAMS, or other advanced qualifications preferred.
Salary Range:
$171,700 - 300,500 USDSalary 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.
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. #MadeForGreater
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 at [email protected].
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.
Skills Required
- 15+ years of progressive compliance experience
- Deep knowledge of wealth and investment management regulatory frameworks (SEC, FRB, FCA, PRA, MAS)
- Strong understanding of compliance risk management, conduct risk, and financial crimes compliance (AML, sanctions, CTF)
- Proven ability to influence regulators, boards, and executive leadership
- Experience leading and developing global compliance teams
- Excellent strategic thinking, analytical skills, judgement, and communication skills
- Bachelor's degree
- JD, MBA, CAMS, or other advanced qualifications
Northern Trust Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northern Trust and has not been reviewed or approved by Northern Trust.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are positioned as a standout, with a 401(k) plus an additional employer-funded pension described as a differentiator. This combination is repeatedly framed as a meaningful offset within total rewards, especially for long-term financial security.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits are depicted as generous, spanning paid time off, holidays, and dedicated paid volunteer time. The breadth of leave options is highlighted as a consistent strength that supports work-life balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is characterized as comprehensive, typically including medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support through an assistance program. The offering is portrayed as robust and family-supportive, with multiple plan options in some descriptions.
Northern Trust Insights
What We Do
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing and investment solutions, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise and integrity. A globally recognized Fortune 500 Company in continuous operation since 1889, we’ve built a legacy of empowering clients to reach their goals with confidence. Since our roots as a trust bank, we’ve grown to a global presence with more than 24,000 employees in more than 20 countries and across six core business units: Wealth Management Asset Management Asset Servicing Technology Corporate Functions Enterprise Operations Join a Team That’s Achieving Greater At Northern Trust, we refer to our employees as partners – with good reason. We understand that relationships are the key to our success. Here you’ll join a diverse and inclusive team of innovators with the drive to challenge the way things have always been done. Instead of choosing between a dynamic career and work-life balance, enjoy working with a team that supports your goals in the office and at home. We’ll help you get where you want to go without sacrificing what matters most to you. Delivering value and adhering to our enduring principles What are enduring principles? Since our founding, they have guided our strategy and success. Thanks to the dedication of our partners, Northern Trust continues to thrive by adhering to three enduring principles: service, expertise and integrity . What does this mean? Service Northern Trust has a relentless drive to provide exceptional service to our clients, our partners and our communities. We set new standards and go above and beyond in our commitment to delivering greater results. Expertise Expertise is at the core of who we are. We focus sharply on what we do well. From expanding our capabilities, to hiring talented professionals to developing innovative solutions, our expertise is why we continue to be a trusted advisor for generations of families and institutions. Integrity Operating with uncompromising ethics is central to Northern Trust’s heritage. As a result, our clients, partners and communities know they can rely on us. For more than 130 years, our integrity has been our guide – and that will never change.
Why Work With Us
At Northern Trust, we go further because we go together. We embrace flexibility, encourage balance, and prioritize inclusion at all levels, working together to keep you connected. We are committed to our employees—all 24,000 of them. Whether this is a first step or a bold new leap in your career, we’re here to help you move forward.
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