Lead SOX Risk Advisor

Responsibilities

• Serve as an end-to-end process and control expert advising control and process owners on SOX requirements, risk assessment, control design, and optimization strategies.
• Drive the readiness intake and assessment process of new initiatives or business transformations to identify the relevant financial statement risks, financial statement line items, and SOX implications with clear rationale.
• Develop, drive, and execute detailed project plans to ensure SOX readiness projects are delivered on time and with high quality, resulting in well-designed and effective controls.
• Draft risk and control matrices (RCMs), including key systems, tools, and service providers, based upon review of management’s artifacts (i.e. process documentation, dataflow diagrams, etc.) and walkthroughs across stakeholder groups.
• Design and execute testing to ensure control evidence and scope are sufficient and aligned with risk.
• Manage the deficiency evaluation process including root cause analysis, management action plan development, and remediation monitoring and validation.
• Partner with process owners and control owners to drive awareness and understanding of SOX requirements and protocols, control design requirements, and enterprise control strategy.
• Challenge and optimize control design decisions while balancing business objectives and risk mitigation.
• Lead with an extreme sense of ownership and forward-looking mindset to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement within our control environment.
• Proactively lead and influence cross-functionally and at all levels of management. Cultivate strong relationships with leaders in Accounting, Finance, and across the Business in order to facilitate timely, high-quality decision-making in connection with the SOX control environment and related financial risk.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant work experience in Big 4 Public Accounting, risk consulting, and/or in SOX industry experience, Fintech or Software industry experience preferred.
• BA/BS degree in Accounting, Finance or related field. CPA required. CIA or MBA is a plus.
• Must be able to come to Atlanta, San Diego or Mountain View offices 3 times a week.
• Strong understanding of financial reporting risk, internal controls (business process and ITGC), and PCAOB requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate new processes or changes to processes, assess and identify potential financial reporting risks and advise on optimal control design.
• Must possess strong attention to detail, excellent organizational and multitasking skills in order to work flexibly across stakeholders and navigate a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in order to articulate a complex problem and independently provide a clear, data-backed recommendation.
• Ability to simplify complex concepts into clear and action-oriented communications and work through ambiguity, with confidence in making tough calls and leading through adversity with a sharp focus on driving the right outcomes.
• Ability to proactively look ahead, identify and resolve roadblocks, think creatively to achieve the best outcomes, and elevate issues to the right level when needed, to resolve.
• Hands-on experience with SOX readiness, automation or transformation initiatives is a plus.