Senior Director, Internal Audit

Forward Financing•Boston, MA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way. As the first dedicated Internal Audit resource, you will report to the Chief Financial Officer (while also providing regular updates to the Board) and will lead and mature our internal audit function. This leader will design and execute a risk-based audit plan covering financial, operational, technology, and compliance risks across a multi-location organization that originates and services all revenue based financing (RBF) and lending products. The ideal candidate has internal audit leadership experience in lending, fintech, or broader financial services, and understands the complexities of U.S. financial services regulations, scalable credit operations, and a distributed workforce. In this role you will: Audit Leadership & Strategy Develop and execute a risk-based internal audit plan aligned with company strategy, risk appetite, and state and federal regulatory expectations. Establish audit policies, methodologies, and a multi-year roadmap for a growing, multi-office organization. Present annual audit plans, findings, and risk assessments to the CFO and audit committee. Financial & Operational Audits Lead audits across the financing lifecycle, including: underwriting and credit decisioning funding and disbursement portfolio monitoring and servicing collections, recovery, and loss mitigation accounting and financial reporting Evaluate workflow, process, and control effectiveness across teams located in the U.S., Canada, and the Dominican Republic. Regulatory & Compliance Oversight (U.S. Market Focus) Conduct audits focused on compliance with U.S. federal and state regulations, consumer protection laws (where applicable), fair lending expectations, and financial reporting requirements. Partner cross-functionally to create multiple ways to ensure consistent application of U.S. and/or local regulatory standards across international employee locations, as applicable Technology, Data & Cyber Audits Oversee IT audits related to cybersecurity, access management, data integrity, vendor oversight, and controls for proprietary systems and credit models. Assess controls around the loan origination systems (LOS), CRM, data pipelines, and underwriting tools supporting operations. Risk Management & Advisory Identify emerging risks and provide insights on operational efficiency, control gaps, and process improvements. Serve as an independent advisor on major initiatives, including system modernization, automation, and process redesign projects tied to operations. Team Leadership & Management Build and lead a high-performing audit team, including internal staff and strategic co-sourcing partners. Establish consistent audit documentation, workpapers, testing standards, and quality assurance processes across globally distributed teams.

Requirements

10+ years of internal audit experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role.
Background in specialty lending, fintech, or financial services serving U.S. customers.
Experience with specialty lending, revenue-based financing, or SMB-focused financial products with strong understanding of the credit lifecycle
Prior experience establishing or scaling an internal audit function.
Experience auditing teams spread across multiple countries while operating under a U.S.-centric regulatory and compliance framework.
Deep familiarity with COSO, IIA standards, and risk-based audit methodologies.
Strategic and analytical with strong business judgment with a track-record of demonstrating Independence and objectivity while maintaining strong partnership with business leaders.
Strong operational understanding, especially in high-volume U.S. financing environments.
Cross-border leadership capability, managing workflows across U.S., Canada, and Dominican Republic teams.
High integrity, confidentiality, and ethical standards.
Ability to communicate complex issues clearly to executives, regulators, and the audit committee.
Experience using data analytics and testing automation (SQL, Python, Power BI).
Self-motivated with strong work ethic, proactivity, desire to learn, and the ability to produce high-quality outputs
Excellent communication, attention to detail, and organizational capabilities
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
CPA, CIA, CISA, CRCM, or related certifications.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a risk-based internal audit plan aligned with company strategy, risk appetite, and state and federal regulatory expectations.
Establish audit policies, methodologies, and a multi-year roadmap for a growing, multi-office organization.
Present annual audit plans, findings, and risk assessments to the CFO and audit committee.
Lead audits across the financing lifecycle, including: underwriting and credit decisioning funding and disbursement portfolio monitoring and servicing collections, recovery, and loss mitigation accounting and financial reporting
Evaluate workflow, process, and control effectiveness across teams located in the U.S., Canada, and the Dominican Republic.
Conduct audits focused on compliance with U.S. federal and state regulations, consumer protection laws (where applicable), fair lending expectations, and financial reporting requirements.
Partner cross-functionally to create multiple ways to ensure consistent application of U.S. and/or local regulatory standards across international employee locations, as applicable
Oversee IT audits related to cybersecurity, access management, data integrity, vendor oversight, and controls for proprietary systems and credit models.
Assess controls around the loan origination systems (LOS), CRM, data pipelines, and underwriting tools supporting operations.
Identify emerging risks and provide insights on operational efficiency, control gaps, and process improvements.
Serve as an independent advisor on major initiatives, including system modernization, automation, and process redesign projects tied to operations.
Build and lead a high-performing audit team, including internal staff and strategic co-sourcing partners.
Establish consistent audit documentation, workpapers, testing standards, and quality assurance processes across globally distributed teams.