Associate Director

Morgan McKinley; Cork; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley is seeking an Associate Director - Ethics, Risk & Compliance in Cork, Ireland. This permanent role leads global third‑party risk frameworks, forensic reviews, and data‑driven controls across jurisdictions.

You will drive risk assessments, analytics, and governance with Power BI/Excel, while guiding cross‑functional teams and presenting insights to senior leaders. Hybrid/flexible working is available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; professional credential in Accountancy, Audit, Law, or Compliance strongly preferred.
• 7+ years in internal audit, financial control, risk management, or regulatory compliance in a large multinational or regulated environment.
• 3+ years directly focused on third-party risk management, financial crime, forensic investigations, or internal audit testing.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience using compliance dashboards and reporting tools (Power BI, Excel).
• Leadership experience, independent work style, and ability to present insights to executives.

Responsibilities

• Governance & Audit Leadership: own and execute end-to-end third-party review frameworks in line with regulatory standards.
• Risk Evaluation & Investigative Oversight: manage risk-proportionate reviews for critical vendors and oversee forensic analysis.
• Digital Transformation & Automation: drive adoption of risk analytics and automated workflows to enhance controls.
• Analytics & Executive Reporting: develop dashboards and reporting for senior leadership using Power BI and Excel.
• Operational Control & Vendor Governance: oversee delivery, case allocation, and testing standards for defensible compliance.

Skills

Governance leadership

Risk assessment

Forensic investigations

Data analytics

Executive reporting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Professional credential in Accountancy/Audit/Compliance (e.g., ACA/ACCA/CPA/CIA/CFE)

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Role Title: Associate Director - Ethics, Risk & Compliance

Location: Cork, Ireland (GBS Little Hybrid / Flexible)

Reports To: Senior Director, Third-Party Compliance

Contract Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

We are seeking a high-caliber Associate Director - Ethics, Risk & Compliance with a strong background in Internal Audit, Financial Governance, or Regulatory Compliance to serve as the operational lead for the enterprise's global third-party risk framework. This is a high-visibility, transformation-focused role responsible for driving global risk assessments, forensic review standards, and data-driven compliance controls across international jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities

• Governance & Audit Leadership: Own and execute end-to-end third-party review frameworks in alignment with international regulatory standards, internal control policies, and corporate governance mandates.

• Risk Evaluation & Investigative Oversight: Manage risk-proportionate reviews for critical vendors, oversee forensic analysis of high-risk operational relationships, and serve as a senior subject matter expert.

• Digital Transformation & Automation: Drive the adoption of modern risk analytics, automated workflow platforms, and technology-enabled controls to optimize audit and compliance workflows.

• Analytics & Executive Reporting: Leverage forensic accounting principles and data analytics (Power BI, Excel) to develop executive dashboards and reporting for senior leadership.

• Operational Control & Vendor Governance: Oversee operational delivery, manage case allocation across the team, and establish robust testing standards to ensure regulatory defensibility.

What We Are Looking For

• Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required; professional credential in Accountancy, Audit, Law, or Compliance (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIA, CFE, or equivalent) strongly preferred.

• Experience: 7+ years in internal audit, financial control, risk management, or regulatory compliance within a large multinational or heavily regulated environment.

• Core Competencies: 3+ years directly focused on third-party risk management, financial crime, forensic investigations, or internal audit testing.

• Technical Skills: Strong analytical mindset with experience utilizing compliance dashboards, financial data modeling, and reporting tools (Power BI, Excel).

• Leadership & Autonomy: Proven track record of operating independently, leading cross-functional risk initiatives, and presenting insights to executive stakeholders.