Head of Internal Audit Operations & QA/IP

OKX•New York, NY

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and highly organized Head of Internal Audit Operations & QA/IP to join our Global Internal Audit (IA) team. This is a critical role responsible for supporting the efficient and effective functioning of the IA department by managing its reporting, resource planning, budget, technology, initiation of the QA/IP programme and operational logistics. This role is essential for enabling the IA function to operate smoothly, communicate its insights effectively to senior management and the Audit Committee, drive continuous improvement in compliance/execution and demonstrate its value to the organization. Reporting to the Head of Audit - Professional Practice Group (HoA-PPG), you will be the central pillar supporting the IA leadership team. You will drive operational excellence, manage key performance indicators (KPIs), develop frameworks for driving quality/iterative improvements and ensure our team has the tools, data, and support needed to deliver high-impact work.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Project Management, Law or a related field.
Minimum of 8 years of experience in a programme management, operations, business management, change management, implementation or "chief of staff" role.
Experience within an internal audit, risk management, compliance, or professional services (e.g., Big 4) function is strongly preferred.
Advanced proficiency in creating executive-level reports and presentations, with expert-level skills in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.
Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) is highly desirable.
Proven experience managing departmental budgets, resource planning, and project coordination.
Experience as a system administrator for GRC or audit management software is a significant plus.
Experience in having successfully undergone or managed an External Quality Assessment (EQA) is highly desirable.
Professional certification (e.g., PMP, CIA, CISA) is highly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Project Management & Organization: Exceptional organizational skills. Meticulous attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced agile environment spanning multiple timezones.
Analytical Skills and Critical Thinking: Excellent analytical skills with the ability to synthesize data from multiple sources (e.g., plan status, findings, budget) into clear, insightful, and actionable reports.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication. Must be able to distill complex information into clear and concise messages for executive audiences.
Stakeholder Management & Service Orientation: A proactive, service-oriented mindset focused on enabling the team's success. Ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with IA team members and key stakeholders across the business.
Technical Acumen: Strong understanding of project management principles, financial management, and resource planning. Ability to quickly learn and manage new technologies.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate high-level strategy into actionable departmental workflows.
Professionalism and Ethics: Unquestionable integrity, objectivity, and commitment to the IIA's Code of Ethics. Ability to handle sensitive information with complete confidentiality.

Responsibilities

Lead the process for developing the risk-based Annual Audit Plan, ensuring alignment and evolution with organizational strategy, IA policy and internal audit standards.
Lead the preparation and consolidation of all reporting for the Audit Committee and senior executive management, including drafting presentation decks, dashboards, and narratives.
Manage the function's system for tracking audit findings and recommendations. Prepare regular reports for management on the status of remediation efforts.
Develop and maintain a dashboard of the IA function's KPIs (e.g., plan completion, budget vs. actual, team utilization, audit finding themes).
Own and maintain the master internal audit plan, tracking the status, timelines, and resource allocation for all active and planned projects.
Lead the function's resource management and scheduling process, forecasting team capacity, identifying potential bottlenecks, and working with IA leadership to optimize resource deployment.
Manage the complete lifecycle of the IA function's budget, including annual planning, monthly forecasting, tracking actual expenditures, processing invoices, and managing vendor relationships.
Establish the foundations for ensuring our IA activity conforms with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (the Standards) and our own internal methodology:
Iteratively develop, document, and roll out the foundational components of a QAIP framework, policies, and procedures in line with Global Internal Audit Standards.
Design and implement "ongoing monitoring" processes, including checklists and scoring rubrics for in-flight and end-of-engagement file reviews.
Establish and track key quality metrics (KPIs) to monitor the health and performance of the IA function.
Conduct the function's initial "periodic self-assessment" to create a baseline of conformance with the Standards.
Socialise the QAIP with the IA team, focusing on its role as a collaborative tool for improvement.
Act as the primary system administrator and "super user" for the Internal Audit management software (e.g., AuditBoard, TeamMate, Workiva).
Provide training and support to the IA team on audit methodology, tools, and software.
Partner with the IA team to identify and leverage data analytics opportunities to enhance audit efficiency and insight.
Manage the IA team's internal knowledge-sharing platform (e.g., SharePoint, Confluence), ensuring methodology documents, templates, and training materials are organized and up-to-date.
Coordinate the end-to-end onboarding process for new hires within the IA team.
Manage talent strategy by overseeing the department’s training curriculum development, learning development/sourcing and delivery, professional certification tracking (CIA, CISA, etc.), and competency mapping.
Drive initiatives related to team engagement, inclusion and positive culture
Project manage key departmental initiatives, strategic projects, and team-wide meetings or events.
Coordinate the IA function's contribution to other corporate reports (e.g., annual reports, risk management updates).
Represent IA’s contribution to combined assurance, coordinating with Risk, Compliance, and Legal to ensure a unified approach to risk coverage and minimize "audit fatigue" for business owners.
Special Projects: Lead ad-hoc high-priority projects or investigations as directed by the HoA-PPG and CAE.