Associate Director - Personal Independence

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all. 

Job Description – GDS Independence | Process Lead

Role title   GDS Independence Process Lead

Position summary

The Process Lead is accountable for the governance, quality, and overall health of an assigned GDS Independence process portfolio. Acting as the process steward and independent quality oversight leader within the operating model, the role provides a consolidated view of process performance, recurring issues, control effectiveness, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities across the portfolio.

The role establishes process priorities, directs and supports Process SMRs, and drives assurance, remediation, and capability initiatives to strengthen consistency, compliance, and operational effectiveness. Working closely with Global Process Owners, Geo Leads, Regional/Country Leaders, and other stakeholders, the Process Lead ensures global standards are effectively embedded, risks are proactively managed, and process improvements are implemented in a controlled and sustainable manner.

Through strong governance, data-driven insights, and continuous improvement, the Process Lead enables consistent execution, strengthens process maturity, and supports the delivery of high-quality Independence services across GDS.

Key Responsibilities

Process Governance & Portfolio Leadership:

• Lead the governance agenda for assigned GDS processes.
• Maintain an integrated view of process health, quality, risks, capability, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish portfolio priorities and determine focus areas for assurance, remediation, and process improvement.
• Drive consistent application of Global standards and approved process requirements.
• Partner with Global and Regional Process Owners to support effective process governance and decision-making.

Quality, Assurance & Risk Oversight:

• Approve and oversee risk-based quality and assurance coverage across the portfolio.
• Review significant findings, recurring issues, control weaknesses, and emerging risks.
• Determine when additional review, remediation, or escalation is required.
• Oversee thematic reviews, trend analysis, and quality assessments to identify systemic risks.
• Ensure assurance outcomes lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements.

Issue Resolution & Continuous Improvement:

• Analyse recurring issues, root causes, assurance findings, and process risks across the portfolio.
• Establish remediation priorities and monitor progress to closure.
• Hold designated owners accountable for delivering corrective actions.
• Confirm remediation activities address underlying causes and reduce future risk.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and improve process effectiveness.

Process Change & Knowledge Management:

• Oversee implementation of approved process improvements and changes across GDS.
• Maintain process documentation, SOPs, playbooks, controls, job aids, and knowledge repositories.
• Translate approved Global changes into practical guidance and readiness actions.
• Ensure process standards remain current, accessible, and consistently applied.
• Support successful adoption through effective communication and learning strategies.

Stakeholder & Process Stewardship:

• Partner with Global Process Owners, Geo Leads, Regional/Country Independence Leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen process performance and governance.
• Provide clear recommendations on process risks, quality concerns, and improvement opportunities.
• Influence decisions through data-driven insights and objective process oversight.
• Represent the process portfolio in governance forums and strategic discussions.
• Foster strong collaboration between process, service, and delivery teams.

People Leadership & Capability Development:

• Lead, coach, and develop assigned Process SMRs.
• Establish clear expectations, ownership, and accountability for portfolio outcomes.
• Drive calibration and consistency of technical judgment across teams and locations.
• Strengthen succession planning, knowledge continuity, and leadership readiness.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of process stewardship capability to support future organizational needs.

Success measures

• Quality: Quality at source, rework, Second-line review themes, business escalations, independent QA themes and sustained remediation
• Experience: RIL pulse, Voice of Customer, communication quality.
• People: Capability, engagement, retention, coaching, succession and primary/secondary coverage
• Risk & Assurance: Reduced systemic risks and recurring quality issues through effective assurance and independent oversight.
• Improvement & Transformation: Measurable improvements in process effectiveness, efficiency, standardization, and user experience.
• Capability & Succession: A strong pipeline of capable Process SMRs supported by effective coaching, knowledge continuity, and succession planning.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthen stakeholder confidence through effective governance, strategic insights and Global alignment.

Skills and attributes for success

• Strong Independence or risk and compliance knowledge, with the ability to link process decisions to regional and business outcomes.
• Experience in quality management, assurance, root cause analysis, risk assessment, control effectiveness reviews, and remediation oversight. Able to identify recurring and systemic issues, assess risks, and drive practical, sustainable improvements.
• Proven leadership of multi-location teams, with clear accountability for capacity, performance, risk and people outcomes.
• Strong executive communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships.
• Sound judgment, using service, quality, demand, people and stakeholder insights to set priorities and improve performance.
• Inclusive and culturally aware leadership, with a strong focus on coaching, talent development and succession.
• Proven ability to lead change, drive technology adoption and deliver sustained service improvements.

To qualify for the role

• A university degree (master’s or post-graduate degree) or equivalent professional experience in business, accounting, finance, risk, compliance, operations or a related area.
• 12-14 years of relevant experience in professional services, global delivery, Independence, risk or another controlled service environment.
• Demonstrated people leadership, stakeholder management, Quality and controls and change implementation.
• Excellent written and spoken English and confidence operating across time zones and cultures.
• Evidence of portfolio leadership, senior stakeholder credibility and cross-process judgment appropriate to Rank 62 or aspiring Rank 62.

What you can look for

• A team of people with technical experience, business acumen and enthusiasm to learn new things in this fast-moving environment.
• A team of professionals driven by growth and client enablement mindset, while safeguarding EY’s brand name.
• A team which focuses on supporting its colleagues to excel in their respective domains and provides avenues to help acquire and demonstrate new skills.
• A team that functions with One-Team mindset and values diversity and inclusiveness.
• Opportunities to work with regional teams and stakeholders on strengthening the compliance framework.
• A team that thrives on continuous improvement and bringing in efficiency to processes.

What we offer

EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) is a dynamic and truly global delivery network. We work across six locations – Argentina, China, India, Philippines, Poland and UK – and with teams from all EY service lines, geographies and sectors, playing a vital role in the delivery of the EY growth strategy. From accountants to coders to advisory consultants, we offer a wide variety of fulfilling career opportunities that span all business disciplines. In GDS, you will collaborate with EY teams on exciting projects and work with well-known brands from across the globe. We’ll introduce you to an ever-expanding ecosystem of people, learning, skills and insights that will stay with you throughout your career.

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

EY | Building a better working world 

EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.