Global Head of Internal Audit & Risk Governance

Canada Life; London; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to $2,000 education reimbursement

Mental health benefit $5,000

Pension plan

Share ownership program

Volunteer day

Job summary

Great-West Lifeco is seeking a Chief Internal Auditor to lead the Internal Audit function in Canada. The role focuses on governance, risk management, and control assurance across the organization, in partnership with leadership and 2nd Line functions.

The successful candidate will drive best-practice audit processes, build strong relationships with regulators and executives, and lead a diverse, high-performing team to continuously improve the control environment across global operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA/CA designation is an asset.
• 15+ years’ executive experience in a complex, regulated environment, ideally within financial services or insurance.
• Proven success leading an internal audit function and enterprise risk management capabilities.
• Strong experience managing relationships with regulators, external auditors, and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive a best-practice Internal Audit with a strong customer focus.
• Support stakeholders’ understanding of governance and risk management frameworks and ensure independence.
• Maintain a comprehensive risk profile across delegated areas with executive visibility.
• Create a flexible audit plan based on collaboration with executives and management.
• Deliver high-impact written reports and presentations to the Audit Committee and regulators.
• Lead and develop audit staff to deliver reliable audit opinions and improve the control environment.

Skills

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory experience

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA/CA designation

Job description

Great-West Lifeco is seeking a Chief Internal Auditor to lead the Internal Audit function in Canada. The role focuses on governance, risk management, and control assurance across the organization, in partnership with leadership and 2nd Line functions.

The successful candidate will drive best-practice audit processes, build strong relationships with regulators and executives, and lead a diverse, high-performing team to continuously improve the control environment across global operations.