Head of Internal Audit - SOX Compliance

Warner Bros. Discovery•Knoxville, TN

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Internal Audit and Advisory strengthens Discovery Global’s ability to create, protect, and sustain value by providing the board and management with independent, risk-based, value add, objective assurance, advice, insight, and foresight. Discovery Global Internal Audit’s vision is to accelerate innovation, increase efficiency and effectiveness while providing value added assurance and advisory services, while anticipating and mitigating risks. Our approach is designed to directly influence and drive change, facilitating the development of strategic relationships and bolstering the company's ability to anticipate and mitigate risks effectively. This role will serve as the Internal Audit lead for Discovery Global’s Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance program, with primary responsibility for overseeing key SOX and internal audit activities, coordinating with management, second line and external auditors to support a sustainable, scalable, and effective SOX program that supports business growth, transformation initiatives, and regulatory expectations. We are seeking a dynamic and innovative SOX Internal Audit & Advisory leader, focusing on enhancing the achievement of Discovery Global’s ongoing business strategies and objectives. This includes informing the development and execution of transformation initiatives designed to foster growth, innovation, and efficiency, while maintaining Internal Audit’s objectivity and independence. The Head of SOX will be responsible for identifying key financial reporting risks, evaluating business process controls, determining annual SOX scope, and serving as the primary subject matter expert for SOX and ICFR across the enterprise. The role also aggregates program-wide insights and trends related to SOX risks and deficiencies to support executive and Audit Committee decision-making. This role will lead the end-to-end SOX governance and oversight model, including coordination with external auditors. The Head of SOX will ensure SOX activities are risk-based, adequately supported by documentation, and aligned with regulatory expectations and Internal Audit standards. This role has primary responsibility for executive-level SOX reporting, including clear articulation of risk posture, trends, and key judgments to senior leadership. The Senior Director will confidently facilitate discussions with stakeholders, present outcomes, and develop clear, actionable recommendations for senior management that strengthen the control environment and support business objectives. As a primary point of contact, the Head of SOX will maintain strong, productive relationships with peers and senior leadership across the organization, playing a key role in driving the success of the SOX program and the broader Internal Audit function, including leading SOX operating model enhancements and transformation initiatives. The successful candidate will be a leader capable of influencing change, with a sharp focus on programmatic objectives who can support business leadership by providing independent insight and challenge that informs the translation of strategy into focused initiatives and risk-aware decision-making. Exceptional leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and effective communication skills (both written and verbal) are critical to successfully leading SOX and audit activities and engaging executives across the business. This strategic position demands an agile, proactive, and insightful leader committed to advancing business practices, critical thinking, creativity, and excellence in stakeholder engagement. The Head of SOX will be asked to perform the following:

Requirements

10+ years of experience in Big 4, Management Consulting, Multinational Corporate Environment, Internal Audit, Audit, IT, or related field.
MBA or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, IT, Finance, Business, or related field.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or equivalent.
Demonstrated experience governing and overseeing SOX compliance programs, including hands-on responsibility for scoping, testing oversight, deficiency evaluation, and remediation validation in a complex, multinational environment.
Serve as a trusted advisor on SOX, ICFR, and control-related matters to senior leadership, providing practical, risk-based guidance that supports business objectives.
Act as the primary liaison between management, Internal Audit, external auditors, and any co-sourced SOX providers to ensure effective, timely, and high-quality SOX execution through coordination, oversight, and issue resolution.
Experience managing and governing co-sourced SOX delivery models, including direct oversight of third-party testing partners, ensuring alignment on scope, testing approach, quality standards, issue resolution, and delivery timelines.
Strong planning and organization skills, with the ability to be agile and manage large complex projects and synthesize information into executive presentations.
Exceptional people management, including ability to lead and mentor more junior team members.
Ability to break down complex and ambiguous problems into manageable components, enabling effective analysis and solution development.
Possesses strong critical thinking skills, capable of challenging the status quo and thinking broadly to translate problems into actionable strategies that drive organizational progress.
Experience developing feasible, actionable, recommendations to address process and control improvement opportunities across business teams and organizations
Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives through strategic insights and thematic risk perspectives.
Skilled in building and maintaining effective relationships across all levels of the business, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Possess the ability to compile robust reporting that delivers clear and valuable insights, making them impactful and actionable for the business.
Ability to confidently develop and communicate clear and insightful reporting and executive summaries, both written and verbally, to convey outcomes and influence change.
Must maintain a continuous improvement mindset and focus on automation opportunities to drive efficiencies and reduce costs.
Fluent English.
Ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment.
Self-starter who can work independently and spearhead projects.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the media & entertainment industry.
Experience scaling, modernizing, or automating SOX compliance programs in complex or transforming organizations.
Consulting, audit, and control advisory experience.
Experience working with data analysis and visualization tools desired.
Ability to leverage complex stakeholder relationships to obtain consensus and drive successful completion of projects with understanding that success is based on influence rather than direct authority.
Experience in customer-facing, translating technical concepts and solutions to non-technical and executive audiences.
High level of self-confidence, strong people and management skills, strong influencing skills preferred.
Knowledge of agile audit principles and methodologies preferred.
The position may require domestic/international travel

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a strong understanding of Discovery Global’s business objectives, financial reporting risks, transformation initiatives, industry trends, leading practices, and emerging risks to inform a risk-based SOX and internal audit strategy and multi-year SOX roadmap aligned with enterprise priorities.
Lead Internal Audit’s SOX governance, oversight, and assurance activities, providing independent evaluation of the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting across business processes and relevant IT systems.
Expertly prepare and present insightful analyses and reports, detailing and delivering them to business unit leaders, C-suite executives, and senior leaders, including the Discovery Global Audit Committee. Emphasize strategic foresight and value-add outcomes in each report, seamlessly integrating broader business visions into clear, risk-informed insights and recommendations that support management-developed action plans and catalyze informed decision-making.
Own SOX risk assessment, scoping decisions, and testing strategy, ensuring alignment with business changes, transformation initiatives, and emerging risks.
Oversee the identification and evaluation of control deficiencies; independently review and assess the adequacy of management-owned remediation plans; validate remediation effectiveness upon completion; and escalate unresolved or significant issues as appropriate including aggregation and trend analysis of deficiencies to inform enterprise risk insights and executive reporting.
Serve as the primary liaison with external auditors for SOX matters, coordinating walkthroughs, testing approaches, issue resolution, and Audit Committee communications.
Serve as a SOX, business process, risk, and internal control subject matter expert across designated business process and IT areas, informing SOX and internal audit strategies and related innovations.
Structure high-level and ambiguous SOX, risk, and control problems soundly, develop clear insights and effectively translate it to work planning and process, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Mentor direct reports and other team members to develop strong problem-solving skills.
Lead cross-functional change efforts by influencing stakeholders and promoting the adoption of risk-informed improvements to processes and controls across the organization.
Engage in effective change management by articulating the need for change, providing independent recommendations and insights, and supporting management decision-making related to desired changes, while managing stakeholder expectations.
Oversee SOX program financial management, including budget planning, strategic forecasting, monthly variance analysis, and ad hoc analysis to inform resourcing, scoping, and delivery decisions.
Drive continuous improvement of the Internal Audit SOX program through process optimization, automation, and use of analytics, while maintaining compliance and audit quality.
Exemplify the highest degree of trust and integrity by continually upholding the principles of the internal audit profession and through the Global Internal Audit Standards.