Sr Director - Head of Technology Disaster Recovery

Title: Sr Director - Head of Technology Disaster Recovery
Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust is one of the world's leading financial institutions. We specialize in providing asset servicing solutions and asset management to both institutional and personal clients. The delivery of products and services to this client base is supported through a network of offices in more than 40 countries around the globe.
Role:
The 'Sr Director - Head of Technology Disaster Recovery', is a key position within the Global Infrastructure team, responsible for growing and maturing the bank's Disaster Recovery (DR) program. Candidates must possess drive and ability to carve the path of this newly created role. Emphasis will be placed on candidates ability to manage operations, mature the governance model and enforce effective risk management across the DR Function. They will be responsible for achieving tactical and strategic priorities and ensuring compliance with global DR requirements. The successful individual will build and maintain vital relationships with all facets of the Technology organization:

• Mature a Disaster Recovery function for the Technology organization - quality review and monitoring of compliance with internal requirements, industry standards and regulatory guidance.
• Provide strategic direction on IT resiliency related topics (e.g., data backup and replication, data center recovery planning).
• Identify and manage risks related to planned and unplanned Disaster Recovery events.
• Manage global DR staff in execution of defined objectives.

Principal Responsibilities:
Leadership and Management

• Provide strategic thinking, thought leadership, and guidance on identifying key risks and assessing the design and operating effectiveness of the controls supporting the Disaster Recovery function.
• Plan, oversee, and direct the activities of the Disaster Recovery team to achieve the organization' objectives, and for timely reporting on test, control, audit and regulatory matters to management.
• Show integrity and a risk minded approach to challenges and a sustained drive to ensure completion of objectives.
• Establish strong working relationships and communications with key stakeholders globally.

Operational

• Mature and centralize DR planning and exercise programs across Technology, including the development of frameworks, policies, standards and controls as needed.
• Ensure that the Technology organization is enabled to meet their DR objectives, including internal and external requirements.
• Develop and review periodic metrics and ensure key messages are communicated to stakeholders across all technology and business areas.
• Manage global staff to ensure day-to-day DR operations are effective.
• Demonstrate a deep analytical approach by connecting the dots and identifying trends of DR activities across the organization.
• Show the ability to communicate complex problems into a simplified way, that would then support a discussion with senior management/stakeholders, which may not be overly familiar with the space.
• Conduct and/or manage special projects and ad hoc requests to support the senior leadership team.
• Work closely with the business continuity management and risk partners to ensure a unified approach to resiliency across the organization.

Required Skills:

• 15+ years experience in disaster recovery/business continuity/crisis management.
• 10+ years of experience in technology or in support of technology
• DRI certification (CBCP, MBCP, etc.) or other Industry recognized certification in Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery.
• Solid understanding of financial services technology landscape as it relates to Disaster Recovery including operating systems (Windows, UNIX, Linux, etc.), server management, information security, networking, application development, storage and backup, virtualization and/or cloud technologies (Azure, AWS).
• Experience facilitating group discussions, training/awareness meetings and exercise scenarios.
• Understanding of the DR Regulatory expectations and requirements for Financial Institutions.
• Experience interfacing with audit and remediating DR related items.
• Experience managing multiple vendor resources/contractors in support of the DR program objectives.
• Extensive experience in the planning and execution of large scale Technology Disaster Recovery exercises

Required Competencies:

• Highly motivated, self-starter who deals well with ambiguity and can drive execution across an organization.
• Independent thinker with ability to quickly grasp issues and creatively solve problems both large and small.
• Ability to develop a strategic plan and drive through tactical deliverables.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, leadership and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to build relationships, influence and motivate teams across the organization in order to ensure that the slate of work is established, understood, supported and completed.
• Monitor and/or deliver on key audits, remediations or regulatory requirements.
• Ability to challenge and influence stakeholders of differing viewpoints to reach consensus.
• Ability to gather and interpret data and information in different forms and / or states of maturity, and synthesize into a clear message.
• Ability to establish executable work plans and establish KPIs/KPIs to measure success of the organization.

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.