Senior Manager - Internal Audit

FERGUSON

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

Since 1953, Ferguson has been a source of quality supplies for a variety of industries, aiming to build better infrastructure, homes, and businesses. As a Fortune 500 company, Ferguson provides best-in-class products and services across sectors like Commercial/Mechanical, Facilities Supply, HVAC, Industrial, and Waterworks, with approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations. The Senior Manager – Internal Audit, within the Field Audit function, is a highly visible and impactful role reporting to the Director – Internal Audit. Key responsibilities include supporting the strategic direction of North American Field Audit programs, overseeing people management, leading program content development and delivery, creating executive-level trend reporting, and acting as a lead investigator for field investigations. This position offers flexibility, approved to be fully remote anywhere in the United States or hybrid out of Ferguson's corporate offices in Newport News, VA, requiring availability to work East Coast hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related area
Minimum of 10 years progressive experience in Internal or External Audit, Accounting, mix of equivalent experience in Operations will be considered
SOX 302 and 404 experience required
Experience leading direct reports
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite including PowerBI and Visio
Certification required (other certifications not listed below will be considered for applicability): Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) - The Institute of Internal Auditors - North America, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) – Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Must be available to work East Coast hours
Thorough with extensive expertise in project handling complex engagements
Well-developed problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills
Great teammate, collaborative and exhibits flexibility to adapt to changing priorities

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred
Big 4 public accounting experience a plus
Knowledge of Workday, AuditBoard, Oracle and Sage X3 a plus
Experience working in a remote environment a plus

Responsibilities

Support the creation and execution of the strategic direction of the North American Field Audit programs
Oversee people management for the entire team including performance management, development, and coaching
Lead the management of program content development, delivery of the North American Field Audit plan, and communication of results to all stakeholder groups including field leadership and functional VPs, ensuring reporting is driving change at the program level
Lead creation of executive level trend reporting ensuring impactful analysis and socialization with various leadership teams preparing it for Director review
Act as lead investigator driving direction of field investigations, proper escalation of findings, and communication of findings to relevant leadership
Leads an engagement ensuring that the planning, work, and reporting align with the IPPF framework and implements comprehensive auditing strategies tailored to organizational risk and Company-specific needs
Provides guidance on selecting appropriate assurance and risk management methodologies based on the nature of the engagement and risk assessment
Aligns audit & advisory activities with enterprise’s strategic priorities
Leads integrated assurance & advisory initiatives (such as assurance mapping) by coordinating cross-functional teams, evaluating methodologies, optimizing processes through automation, and advising management to leverage coordinated assurance efforts to enhance risk oversight and efficiency
Roll up your sleeves and dig into documentary evidence and data to identify root cause issues and emerging risks, and to substantiate project report-outs
Directs the development of concise, well-structured audit & advisory reports and communications that clearly convey findings, root causes, and recommendations that make valuable contributions to the organization
Presents an executive summary of findings, conclusions, and results to senior management (SVPs, VPs, GMs, Sr Directors, Directors, etc.), highlighting critical risks and action plans
Provides guidance to internal auditors on structuring findings, recommendations, and conclusions for clarity and impact
Prepare Audit Committee presentation materials and socialize with management as appropriate
Independently leads audit & advisory engagements, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and engagement risk assessments
Guides and mentors members of the internal audit function, enhancing proficiencies and promoting professional growth
Engages with executives and senior management, effectively articulating risk insights and recommendations
Assesses the effectiveness of governance and risk management processes in overseeing and mitigating fraud risks, including establishing ethics policies, reporting mechanisms, and management responses
Provides recommendations for strengthening fraud risk management processes and relevant internal controls
Evaluates governance, risk management, and control processes over financial controls, assesses risks related to misstatements and noncompliance, and identifies discrepancies (for financial control programs)
Evaluates compliance programs' effectiveness in providing information to governance bodies, monitoring compliance objectives, providing training, assessing adherence to regulations and policies, and recommending improvements to control processes (for compliance programs)
Understands the fundamental processes of supply chain management, including strategic sourcing, contract and vendor relationship management, procurement, warehousing, forward and reverse logistics, operational procedures, and inventory management (for operational programs)
Evaluates evidence with appropriate professional skepticism and ensures due professional care is exercised in all audit & advisory work
Provides insights on internal audit function maturity, using benchmarking and leading practices to drive improvement
Independently drafts or approves engagement communications and presentations, ensuring messages are clear, well-supported, and aligned with organizational priorities
Provides constructive feedback to internal auditors on leading practices for written and verbal communications, including presentations
Employs adaptive and effective questioning techniques to enhance audit & advisory interviews and discussions
Mentor direct reports on professional development and quality performance, perform formal appraisals, and handle all hiring, onboarding, and performance improvement needs
Collaborate and liaise with partners and executive leadership to develop relationships and facilitate the achievement of objectives
Demonstrates advanced conflict negotiation skills by independently managing disputes in high-profile audit & advisory engagements, using influence and diplomacy to foster productive dialogue between internal auditors and management (management that includes Director level), and coaching team members on effective resolution strategies
Leverages advanced data analytics to enhance audit & advisory effectiveness by independently designing and implementing procedures that improve risk assessments and auditor efficiency, applying advanced analytical techniques such as statistical analysis to generate actionable insights, and advising team members on integrating data methodologies into audit engagements
Seek out technological solutions (AI, automation) to create efficiencies in the testing process
Skilled at identifying and effectively articulating the root cause component of the control failure
Project manages an internal audit/advisory engagement from planning to final communications, handling resources effectively to achieve engagement objectives within the expected timelines
Evaluates governance structures and processes and their alignment with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements
Evaluates whether an organization's strategy-setting processes align with relevant governance, risk management, and control frameworks
Provides recommendations for enhancing risk management maturity and integrating ERM processes into annual audit planning
Support the Director - Internal Audit in annual planning efforts (to include risk assessments, Audit Plan creation, and objective setting), and identifying strategic direction
Identifies discrepancies between documented risk management procedures and gathered evidence and discusses possible root causes with management
Proactively takes initiative and ownership in achieving assigned objectives, ensuring the delivery of high-quality audit/advisory work, and continuously developing skills
Travel 15-25%, including Canada