Head Audit Japan

Location: Tokyo, JP

About the Role

As Head of Audit Japan for Group Internal Audit, you will work within an agile framework, collaborating with peers to support Audit Directors to oversee and execute audit activities for Swiss Re's operations in Japan and the wider Asia Pacific region. Your work will provide independent assurance to the Board of Directors of Swiss Re Group and relevant Legal Entities in the Asia Pacific region, ensuring robust audit coverage for Swiss Re's Japan businesses.

Together with the audit team, you will ensure strong execution and delivery of audits, contribute strong business insights, and uphold internal standards and quality. You will also provide technical expertise for GIA strategic initiatives, projects, committee and regulatory reporting as required. Additionally, you will work with Audit Managers and Directors to ensure robust execution of the continuous and bottom-up risk assessment processes, which underpin our risk based and agile auditing approach. This approach relies on both quantitative and qualitative information to ensure appropriate audit coverage through regional or global audits.  

This role offers a unique opportunity to address themes with organizational impact at the most senior level, driving the risk culture of Swiss Re. You will be challenged to learn new areas of Swiss Re's global business, assess the effectiveness of relevant processes, risks and controls, and devise practical solutions for complex business problems. While this role does not have direct reports, you will collaborate virtually with auditors across Swiss Re, benefitting from their expertise and experience.

Relevant work experience together with the ability to analyse, structure and assess difficult circumstances, to work collaboratively as well as speaking and writing in a concise manner, are key success capabilities required for this position. Your engagement combined with your talent to negotiate effective solutions will make a difference!

Main Responsibilities
As the Head of Audit Japan (Principal Senior Auditor), you will:

• Operate within an agile framework, self-organize with peers to deliver on GIA related activities, including audits, initiatives, projects, and committee/regulatory reporting.
• Deliver independent assurance over the Risk and Control Framework in Japan and, as required, the wider Asia Pacific Region.
• Understand Swiss Re's enterprise risks and collaborate with the audit team across Asia to drive and execute continuous and bottom-up risk assessments processes, with the aim to identify key control issues and ensure appropriate audit coverage.
• Own audit task delivery, playing a key role in the end-to-end audit process, including planning, scoping, fieldwork and reporting.
• Ensure all audit reports and outputs are delivered with robust quality, offering valuable and compelling insights to Senior Management and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate expertise in GIA methodology and its application across audits.
• Support Audit Managers and Audit Director in Committees, Executive board meetings, and regulatory reporting as required.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships, particularly with the first and second line of defence, to identify potential red flags and ensure emerging risks and control issues are managed or mitigated.
• Participate in strategic GIA initiatives, take ownership and accountability for achieving objectives, and timely delivery.
  

About the Team

Group Internal Audit is an international team of Auditors. Our vision is 'Advancing Swiss Re's Resilience'. We aim to be problem solvers who lead from every seat, challenge the status quo, understand risk, and demonstrate responsiveness to risk.
We apply innovative and risk-focused techniques to ensure our audit effort is proportionate to risk, and we continuously extend the use of data analytics and automation within our audit processes.

About You

We are seeking a highly organized, results-oriented individual with excellent communication skills and a talent for innovative problem-solving. The ideal candidate will be a critical thinker who can see the big picture, manage multiple audits and projects under pressure, and work effectively both independently and in cross-functional teams. If you are a motivated team player with a commitment to quality and timely delivery, we would love to hear from you.

Essential

• 8 -12+ years of related work experience in external and/or internal audit
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Japanese
• Strong awareness of internal audit methodologies and current/emerging issues for the (re)insurance industry, particularly within Asia
• Good knowledge of (re)insurance (Life & Health and Property & Casualty), and its governance, risks and controls
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access)
• University degree in Accounting, Business or Finance

Preferred

• Deep understanding of local insurance regulations in Japan, with exposure to APAC regulations
• Experience interacting with JFAS on industry matters
• External Audit experience with a Big 4 firm, with exposure to (re)insurance audits, or internal audit experience in an (re)insurance organisation
• Data analytics experience, with a track record in adopting data analytics for risk assessment, scoping and testing
• Professional certification (CPA, CA, CIA or CISA)

The base salary range for this position will be shared with you during the interview process.