Director, Compliance and Policies

Copeland•St. Louis, MO

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Compliance & Policy is a senior leadership role responsible for building and overseeing the company’s SOX compliance program and serving as the enterprise leader for accounting policy governance. This leader ensures the organization maintains a strong internal control environment, meets all SOX regulatory requirements, and operates with clear, current, and well‑governed policies. This role partners closely with Internal Audit, Finance, IT, Legal, and business process owners to establish a strong internal control environment, ensure compliance with SOX requirements, and maintain clear, accurate, and up‑to‑date accounting policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field
10+ years of audit and accounting experience from a combined external audit and public company environment
Deep knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC reporting requirements, and PCAOB auditing standards
Proven experience working directly with external auditors and executive leadership
Strong background in public company SOX compliance requirements, accounting, and finance processes, including a solid understanding of the concepts of control design and operational efficiency
Familiarity with financial systems as they relate to reviewing and improving internal controls
Prior experience leading teams, including improving and reinforcing performance in others and facilitating their skill development by providing clear, specific performance feedback
A customer focused mindset to help business process owners navigate the SOX program, especially with non-accounting business partners

Nice To Haves

AuditBoard, Oracle and OneStream experience preferred
Professional certification including CPA or CIA
Experience with global operations and complex legal structures
Big 4 experience
Strong technical accounting knowledge, including US GAAP topics relevant to a public company (close and consolidation, tax, treasury, stock compensation, etc.)
Interest in or experience applying AI and automation to compliance and audit processes
A customer focused mindset to help business process owners navigate the SOX program, especially with non-accounting business partners

Responsibilities

Own and manage the SOX 404 compliance program, including scoping, risk assessment, control design, documentation, remediation, and reporting
Lead a structured transition of certain SOX 404 program activities currently supported by Internal Audit (i.e. process narratives, flowcharts, RCM documentation, control owner inventory remediation follow-up, etc.), ensuring a clean handoff that restores Internal Audit independence
Oversee the SOX lifecycle, including annual planning, control design evaluation, documentation updates, remediation tracking, and reporting
Maintain SOX control documentation (process narratives, flowcharts, RCMs) and ensure timely updates by control owners
Coordinate with Internal Audit and work with control owners to develop and track remediation plans and expected completion dates as well as ensure timely remediation of any identified deficiencies
Review testing results provided by Internal Audit and assess deficiencies, including severity (deficiency, significant deficiency, material weakness), likelihood and impact, and aggregation of deficiencies across processes
Own and manage the SOX 302 sub-certification process, including coordinating with business unit and functional leaders to confirm the integrity of financial reporting controls on a quarterly basis
Serve as the primary liaison with external auditors for SOX-related matters
Monitor regulatory changes and emerging risks to ensure the SOX program remains aligned with best practices and evolving requirements
Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on SOX readiness, issues, and remediation progress
Own the accounting policy framework, including drafting, updating, and publishing accounting policies in collaboration with policy owners and technical accounting leaders
Ensure accounting policies are aligned with U.S. GAAP, regulatory requirements, and industry standards
Maintain a centralized repository of accounting policies with appropriate version control and documentation
Drive the annual accounting policy review cycle and ensure timely updates
Provide guidance to Finance and business teams on the interpretation and application of accounting policies
Monitor changes in accounting standards and coordinate policy updates, communication and training as needed
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on internal controls, SOX readiness, and accounting policy matters
Partner with Finance, Internal Audit, IT, Legal, and business units to ensure alignment between controls, processes, and accounting policies
Support compliance-related assessments, investigations, and special projects as needed
Build strong relationships with external auditors and manage compliance audit-related communications
Lead a high-performing compliance and accounting policy team
Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities
Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement