Associate Vice President Forensic Risk & Due Diligence

Brand Defence & Integrity (BDI) | Mumbai | Full-Time

Brand Defence & Integrity is looking for an experienced Associate Vice President – Forensic Risk & Due Diligence to lead complex forensic investigations, risk advisory assignments, integrity due diligence mandates, client engagements, and practice growth initiatives.

This is a leadership role combining hands-on forensic expertise, senior stakeholder management, client relationship management, team leadership, and business development.

Key Responsibilities

Forensic Investigations

• Lead investigations involving employee misconduct, financial irregularities, bribery and corruption, vendor/procurement fraud, conflicts of interest, asset misappropriation, regulatory breaches, whistle blower allegations, and internal control failures.
• Define investigation strategy, scope, methodology, and evidence requirements.
• Conduct fact-finding, document reviews, transaction reviews, evidence analysis, and stakeholder interviews.
• Review financial records, contracts, emails, system records, and supporting documentation.
• Work with legal counsel and senior client stakeholders.
• Translate findings into actionable recommendations and remediation plans.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Conduct fraud risk assessments, compliance health checks, and governance reviews.
• Evaluate internal controls, ethics frameworks, and anti-fraud/anti-corruption programs.
• Assess risks arising from third-party relationships and business partnerships.
• Support clients during regulatory enquiries and investigations.

Integrity Due Diligence & Business Intelligence

• Lead pre-investment, pre-transaction, and reputation due diligence assignments.
• Review corporate structures, beneficial ownership, litigation exposure, and adverse intelligence.
• Identify red flags and reputational risks and prepare concise reports for senior decision-makers.

Digital & Technology-Enabled Investigations

• Manage digital evidence review, preservation, and analysis.
• Coordinate reviews of emails, documents, chat records, mobile extractions, and system-generated data.
• Work with forensic technology specialists to identify relevant evidence and investigative patterns.

Client Management & Business Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact for key client engagements.
• Build relationships with CXOs, legal counsel, compliance heads, promoters, audit committees, and senior management.
• Lead client meetings, workshops, and steering committee discussions.
• Identify opportunities across forensic investigations, fraud risk, integrity due diligence, regulatory compliance, dispute support, corporate intelligence, and internal investigations.
• Contribute to proposals, presentations, strategic alliances, referral channels, webinars, training programs, and industry events.

Team Leadership & Practice Building

• Mentor and guide junior team members.
• Review investigation reports and work products.
• Develop methodologies, templates, onboarding material, and internal training programs.
• Build a culture of quality, accountability, integrity, and professionalism.

Requirements

Education

• Chartered Accountant (CA) from ICAI or
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Additional Certifications

• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or Certified Financial Crime Specialist is preferred.

Experience

• CA: 6–8 years of post-qualification experience
• LLB: 8–12 years of post-qualification experience
• Strong hands-on experience in forensic investigations, end-to-end engagement management, client-facing assignments, report writing, presentations, and independently managing multiple assignments.

Preferred Background

Experience in Big 4 firms, boutique forensic firms, investigation firms, consulting firms, law firms, risk advisory firms, or corporate investigation teams.

Important: Candidates holding only ACCA or CPA without CA from ICAI or LLB need not apply.

Technical Skills

Exposure to:

• Intella
• Oxygen Forensics
• Cellebrite UFED
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• AI-enabled investigation and research tools
• Data analytics and visualization
• Technology-assisted forensic reviews

What We're Looking For

• Strong ownership and a self-starter mindset
• Commercial awareness and growth orientation
• High ethical standards and discretion
• Strong analytical and attention-to-detail skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Ability to independently manage senior stakeholders
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced advisory environment
• Willingness to travel across India when required

Why Join BDI

This opportunity is suited for professionals looking to build a leadership career across forensic investigations, risk advisory, client management, and practice growth within a high-growth advisory environment.

Location: Mumbai, India

Employment Type: Full-Time

Travel: Occasional travel across India as required

Interested candidates can apply through LinkedIn or share their profile with the hiring team.