Vice President - Enterprise Risk & Internal Audit

Inspire•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The incoming Executive will lead both the Enterprise Risk and Internal Audit functions by providing independent, objective assurance and risk consulting services designed to add value to the organization. This role and their teams are focused on safeguarding the Company’s assets, minimizing risk, and ensuring the integrity of the Company’s financial information. Together, these functions provide a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the organization’s risk management, financial and operational controls, and governance processes. The VP - Enterprise Risk & Internal Audit will be responsible for advancing the vision and direction for the Risk and Internal Audit functions, leading the team to enable successful execution of its mission and objectives, and ensuring it is seen as a trusted advisor to the organization, the senior management team, and the Board of Directors.

Requirements

10+ years of enterprise risk and internal audit leadership experience, including interaction with senior management
Proven track record of team building and talent development
4-year Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required
Thorough understanding of internal auditing standards, PCAOB auditing standards, COSO, SOX, US GAAP and risk assessment practices
Ability to build, coach, develop and motivate a team in a complex, changing business environment
Technology-forward professional with a proven track record of harnessing the power of available and emerging tools and enablers to advance the function’s capabilities
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to be direct yet diplomatic when addressing issues or deficiencies
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence leadership and peers
Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or Audit Committee
Strong problem-solving skills to develop viable recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operating processes and financial controls
Excellent organizational, time management and prioritization skills
Strong knowledge of business operations; knowledge of franchising and restaurant operations a plus
Ability to work cross-functionally with all levels of the organization
Personal commitment to integrity, achievement of departmental and business results, and outstanding customer service
Commitment to maintaining a high degree of discretion and confidentiality, as needed

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred
CPA strongly preferred
Restaurant/retail industry experience preferred
Public accounting experience preferred
Large, multi-brand, global, public company experience preferred
IPO experience preferred
M&A experience preferred

Responsibilities

Advance Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Capabilities: Lead and assess risk to formulate a risk-based audit plan
Lead the department such that it balances the Company’s need for advisory services with the need for compliance and governance
Maintain and advance department objectives that are responsive to the strategic objectives and key risks of the Company
Provide continuous guidance on material risks in a rapidly changing business environment, including proper escalations, communications, and training
Maintain and advance the established integrated Enterprise Risk framework that aligns strategic insights with risk management practices
Evaluate and introduce cost-effective technology enablers (e.g. AI, Analytics, etc.) that enhance the function’s capabilities, including efficiency and effectiveness.
Support initiatives regarding Enterprise Risk and Compliance identification, assessment, and mitigation
Build meaningful relationships across the business, the management team, and with the Audit Committee
Team Building and Development: Lead and develop a team of internal audit and enterprise risk talent that is poised to support the department's objectives and execution of the annual enterprise risk assessment and audit plan
Maintain and evolve organization structure that responds to the changing needs of the business and maintain the right balance of in-house vs co-sourced audit and risk expertise – capability and capacity assessment, particularly leveraging our global shared service center in Hyderabad
Develop meaningful relationships with key risk owners across the business, particularly in the areas of Accounting, Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, Operations and Supply Chain
Conduct periodic Enterprise Risk Assessment and build and execute a meaningful audit plan that addresses the biggest risks for the business:
Perpetually understand and evaluate risk across the organization to inform and prioritize an impactful, risk-based audit plan
Provide valuable and actionable insights to senior leadership and the Board that help close control gaps, improve overall corporate governance and reduce risks
Oversee audit work performed by the team to ensure it is well-defined, risk-based, and executed against the overall audit plan objectives
Serve as the lead senior management advisor for all risk matters and conduct the annual enterprise risk assessment process
Maintain and advance the framework for analyzing and monitoring key risks on an on-going basis
Identify and monitor emerging risks and provide recommendations as to how best to address them
Corporate Governance and SOX Expertise: Serve as the in-house expert on all Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), corporate governance and controls matters, including: Entity-Level Controls, IT General Controls, Scoping and Materiality of transactions, systems, processes and sub processes
Collaborate with process owners and others to build knowledge and understanding of risks and controls
Lead a team to: Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of SOX controls
Evaluate the impact of any control deficiencies identified, both individually and in the aggregate
Recommend corrective actions to remediate any deficiencies identified
Monitor the broader regulatory environment for items that may impact the Company’s financial reporting or operations
Identify areas of opportunity for process improvements and efficiencies
Work closely with Controllership and External Auditors
Report Observations to Senior Leadership and Audit Committee: Provide regular reports to the Senior Leadership and/or the Audit Committee on the Company’s system of internal controls, significant audit recommendations, and investigations into fraudulent activity
Provide ongoing insight regarding progress against key risk objectives