Sr. Associate, Internal Audit

About the role

This role reports to the Head of Internal Audit and will be instrumental in building a world-class internal audit function that provides both assurance and advisory services regarding BioMarin’s governance, risk, and control effectiveness. The Sr. Associate partners with the Internal Audit team to perform audits, evaluate internal controls, identify non-compliance, and generate actionable business insights. The position requires robust experience in assessing risk, conducting internal audits, and serving as a trusted partner to the business.

Responsibilities

• Planning the audit
  • Participate in audit scoping discussions with cross-functional teams (e.g., Finance, Operations, IT) and Audit Leadership to understand relevant risk, controls, and associated data sources.
  • Conduct research and reference documentation to develop the risk and control matrix to inform the audit scope.
  • Develop audit planning memos memorializing the audit scope, objective, and approach.
  • Manage the collection, review, and storage of all supporting audit documentation within the audit system.
• Conducting the Audit
  • Coordinate audit interviews and process walkthroughs, including leading discussions and memorializing outcomes/notes.
  • Create the initial audit testing workbook detailing key risks, controls, and the testing plan required to assess control effectiveness.
  • Manage outreach to stakeholders to request relevant data or system reports for analysis of control effectiveness.
  • Perform audit testing, analyzing datasets to identify patterns, outliers, and potential issues related to internal policies and business processes.
  • Document conclusions from testing, including control effectiveness and identified instances of non-compliance/exceptions.
  • Communicate results with Audit Leadership and auditees to validate findings.
  • Conduct quality self-reviews for accuracy, clarity, completeness, and adherence to audit techniques.
  • Escalate critical audit issues to appropriate management.
• Reporting Results
  • Communicate issues and root causes with Audit Leadership and management of the area under audit to gain consensus on the path forward.
  • Draft initial materials to socialize results with auditees and department leadership.
• Other
  • Participate in enterprise risk assessment activities and conduct other audit engagements, including advisory engagements.
  • Maintain existing certifications and seek further certification where appropriate.
  • Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to monitor operational metrics and key risk indicators.
  • Support the development of continuous auditing and monitoring tools to proactively detect non-compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• One or more of the following certifications preferred: CPA, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), or Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in internal audit, compliance, advisory, or a global corporation, or a combination thereof.
• Biotech/Pharmaceutical/Life Science experience preferred.
• Strong problem-solving skills; ability to act as a "go-to person" to drive work to completion.
• Attention to quality and detail, data-driven mindset, critical thinking, and strong analytical skills.

Skills

• Fluent and self-starter in the use of AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT).
• Highly self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Proactively seeks knowledge, new tasks, and responsibilities.
• Ability to organize projects, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in data analytics and visualization platforms (e.g., Databricks, Power BI).
• Experience working with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) and audit management tools.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work with ambiguity and respond to a rapidly changing, innovative environment.
• Professional savvy and ability to interact with various levels of management.
• Strong skills in developing high-quality presentations, Excel formulas, and data analytics.