Senior Head of Internal Audit – Banking, Austria

The Western Union Company; Wien; Hybrid; EUR 104,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive life and medical cover

Contributory pension plan

Luncheon vouchers

Employee discounts

Job summary

The Western Union Company (Vienna-based WUIB) seeks an experienced Internal Audit leader to shape a scalable third-line assurance function for its expanding Austrian banking activities, including lending, receivables finance, and regulatory compliance. You will partner with senior management, regulators, and the Audit Committee to provide independent challenge and strategic risk insights.

You will oversee the development of risk-based audit plans, leverage data analytics, and lead

Qualifications

• University degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum eight years of experience in Internal Audit, Risk Management, Compliance, or a related assurance function, including at least three years in an audit role within an Austrian banking environment.
• Strong knowledge of Austrian and European banking regulations and governance requirements, including prudential supervision, AML/CFT, sanctions, outsourcing, operational resilience, and regulatory reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously enhance the WUIB Internal Audit strategy, audit universe, risk assessment process, and annual risk-based audit plan, ensuring alignment with business strategy, regulatory obligations, and Board priorities.
• Act as the independent Third Line of Defense, providing objective assurance over governance, risk management, and control effectiveness across the Bank.
• Develop and execute a risk-based audit programme covering lending, factoring, financial crime, regulatory compliance, treasury, finance, technology, data governance, outsourcing, and operational resilience activities.
• Provide assurance over the Bank's lending and receivables finance activities, including onboarding, KYC/KYCC controls, credit underwriting, exposure monitoring, collections, settlement processes, and regulatory reporting.
• Assess whether governance, controls, and operating models adequately support business growth, market expansion, increased transaction volumes, and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of technology, cybersecurity, operational resilience, business continuity, change management, access management, and data governance controls.
• Challenge governance arrangements supporting critical services, including outsourcing relationships, intra-group dependencies, decision-making frameworks, escalation processes, and contingency planning.
• Leverage data analytics, continuous monitoring, and AI-enabled auditing techniques to identify emerging risks, assess control effectiveness, and enhance audit coverage and efficiency.
• Participate as an active member of Western Union's global Internal Audit leadership team, contributing to audit strategy, methodology development, talent initiatives, and continuous improvement activities.
• Coordinate regulatory engagements, audits, and supervisory reviews, serving as Internal Audit's primary point of contact with Austrian and European regulators and supervisory authorities.
• Present independent audit opinions, thematic insights, and risk assessments to executive management, the WUIB Advisory Board/Audit Committee, and the TWUC Audit Committee.
• Oversee issue management and validation activities, ensuring audit findings are evidence-based, focused on root causes, appropriately prioritized, and effectively remediated.
• Lead, coach, and develop internal and co-sourced audit resources while leveraging global Internal Audit expertise, methodologies, training, and specialist support.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Regulatory knowledge

English fluency

Education

Accounting/Finance degree

Job description

The Western Union Company (Vienna-based WUIB) seeks an experienced Internal Audit leader to shape a scalable third-line assurance function for its expanding Austrian banking activities, including lending, receivables finance, and regulatory compliance. You will partner with senior management, regulators, and the Audit Committee to provide independent challenge and strategic risk insights.

You will oversee the development of risk-based audit plans, leverage data analytics, and lead