Principal Research Analyst - Audit Professional Practices

About ISACA

ISACA® (www.isaca.org) champions the global workforce advancing trust in technology. For more than 55 years, ISACA has empowered its community of 195,000+ members with the knowledge, credentials, training and network they need to thrive in fields like information security, governance, assurance, risk management, data privacy and emerging tech. With a presence in more than 195 countries and with more than 230 chapters worldwide, ISACA offers resources tailored to every stage of members’ careers—helping them to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape, drive trusted innovation and ensure a more secure digital world. Through the ISACA Foundation, ISACA also expands IT and education career pathways, fostering opportunities to grow the next generation of technology professionals.

Overview

A Principal Research Analyst at ISACA leads the development, delivery, and continuous enhancement of high-quality forward-thinking content, guidance, and practitioner aids for their assigned area of expertise, ensuring alignment with ISACA’s Professional Practices Program Strategy and industry standards. This role partners closely with business units, marketing, events teams, and ISACA leadership to integrate practice-area content consistently across conferences, webinars, publications, and other member-facing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Content Leadership & Development
  Lead the creation, review, and delivery of content including articles, audit programs, whitepapers, secondary research reports, and practitioner aids. Ensure content aligns with ISACA’s Professional Practices Program Strategy and industry standards. Provide input on materials, frameworks, and references to maintain high-quality outputs. Use AI responsibly and in compliance with organizational policies.

• Subject Matter Expertise & Volunteer Engagement
  Serve as internal SME within assigned professional practice (e.g., audit, emerging tech, GRC, information security, privacy). Recruit, mobilize, and manage volunteer SME groups to co-develop and validate ISACA content. Provide guidance and leadership during content and research project cycles e.g., exam prep materials, journal articles.

• External Representation & Thought Leadership
  Represent ISACA at industry events, panels, podcasts, and webinars to promote the organization’s research and frameworks. Evaluate conference proposals and review final presentations for technical and strategic accuracy.

• Knowledge Advancement & Inquiry
  Support ISACA by responding to member and partner technical inquiries within area of practice. Maintain up-to-date knowledge by attending professional seminars, reviewing literature, and monitoring trends.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  Partner with business units, marketing, and events teams to ensure consistent, relevant integration of practice-area content across conferences, webinars, podcasts, and publications. Collaborate with ISACA leadership to align professional practice content with organizational messaging and priorities.

• Strategic and Brand Support
  Support ISACA’s marketing and brand-building efforts through strategic communication and collaboration. Participate in activities that foster partnerships and elevate ISACA’s visibility and credibility in the global ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Required Field of Study: Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field of study from an accredited university, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum Years Of Experience Required: Minimum of 8 years of experience in a similar role or capacity, with a demonstrated record of success.

• Experience conducting secondary research and reporting
  Track record of public-facing thought leadership: conference speaking, webinars, podcasts, or published articles

• Related experience in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, energy) or working with regulators and compliance programs

• Experience assessing AI technologies, e.g., models, MCP servers, etc.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills to synthesize data into actionable findings

• Experience auditing cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP)

• Experience assessing readiness against U.S. government mandates and/or public sector standards (e.g., CMMC, NIST)

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Field Of Study: Master’s Degree in Accounting, Business, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field from an accredited university.

• Preferred Years Of Experience: 10+ years of experience in a similar role or capacity, with a demonstrated record of success.

• Related experience in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, energy) or working with regulators and compliance programs

• Experience assessing AI technologies, e.g., models, MCP servers, etc.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills to synthesize data into actionable findings

• Experience auditing cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP)

• Experience assessing readiness against U.S. government mandates and/or public sector standards (e.g., CMMC, NIST)

Required Certifications

• CISA

Preferred Certifications

• AAIA, CCA, CCP

Benefits Information

Benefits Information available below:

• ISACA Career Opportunities and Benefits