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Job Title: Director, SOX & Governance

The Director of SOX and Internal Control over Financial Reporting is a strategic and highly visible leadership role responsible for the end-to-end design, implementation, and execution of the company's Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 compliance program. This role ensures the company maintains a robust and efficient internal control environment over financial reporting (ICFR) to safeguard company assets, prevent material misstatements, and support the CEO/CFO's annual certifications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A. SOX Strategy and Leadership

• Program Ownership: Own and lead the company's annual SOX compliance lifecycle, including planning, scoping, documentation, testing, remediation, and final management reporting.
• Risk Assessment and Scoping: Direct the annual financial risk assessment to identify significant accounts, relevant assertions, and key controls. Adjust the SOX scope proactively to address organizational changes, system implementations, and acquisitions.
• Audit Coordination: Serve as the primary point of contact and liaison between management, control owners, Internal Audit, and the External Auditors for all SOX-related matters to ensure a co-ordinated, efficient, and cost-effective audit process.
• Executive Reporting: Prepare and present quarterly SOX status reports, control deficiency summaries, and remediation progress updates to Senior Management.

B. Control Environment and Efficiency

• Control Design: Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of both business process controls (e.g., Revenue, Procurement, Treasury) and IT General Controls (ITGCs) and application controls.
• Deficiency Management: Manage the process for evaluating, assessing the severity (e.g., deficiency vs. material weakness), and tracking the timely remediation of all control gaps.
• Control Optimization: Drive a continuous improvement mindset, identifying opportunities for control rationalization, process streamlining, and the adoption of automation (e.g., leveraging GRC tools, automated controls) to enhance compliance efficiency.
• Technical Expertise: Serve as the internal subject matter expert on all SOX-related regulations (SEC, PCAOB) and control frameworks (COSO).

C. Cross-Functional Partnership

• Process Owner Engagement: Partner closely with process and control owners across Finance, IT, and Operations to provide guidance, deliver training, and ensure control responsibilities are clearly understood and executed effectively.
• Change Management: Proactively assess and manage the SOX impact of new financial systems (e.g., ERP implementations), significant process changes, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Training and Culture: Develop and deliver SOX training programs to elevate the organization's overall understanding and commitment to internal controls.

• Policy Governance : (a) Policy Architecture: Spearhead the development, maintenance, and periodic review of global accounting and operational policies to ensure they remain aligned with evolving regulatory standards and business scale.; (b) Standardization: Drive the harmonization of processes across different business units to ensure a unified "single source of truth" for compliance and governance reporting.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Big 4 Requirement: Minimum of 5+ years of experience in a Big 4 accounting firm (Audit or Risk Advisory), specifically focused on SOX 404 audits and ICFR for large accelerated filers.
• Experience: Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in SOX compliance, Internal Audit, or financial controls, with significant experience managing a global SOX program for a publicly traded company.
• Certification: Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is strongly preferred. CISA is a plus.
• Technical Skills: Deep knowledge of SOX Section 404 requirements, the COSO Framework, and PCAOB auditing standards. Proven expertise in assessing and managing IT General Controls (ITGCs) and finance transformation.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, manage and develop staff, and communicate complex control issues clearly and concisely to non-financial executives and external auditors.