Internal Controls Manager

Marathon Talent; São Paulo; On-site; BRL 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Marathon Talent in São Paulo seeks a Manager/Lead, Internal Controls to design and build our control environment across the company. You will assess processes, map risks, design pragmatic controls, develop SOPs, and drive cross-functional adoption in a fast-moving environment.

The role requires strong COSO knowledge, hands-on leadership, and the ability to influence stakeholders across risk, product, operations, finance, and technology teams while embedding scalable controls into daily

Qualifications

• 6-10+ years in enterprise controls, operational risk, or internal audit
• Deep expertise building/upgrading controls in fintech/startups
• Strong skills in control design, remediation tracking, and operating model improvement
• Familiarity with COSO-based control frameworks
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives with limited structure
• Ability to influence without authority and drive action across teams
• Balanced, practical approach to controls that do not hinder speed
• Excellent written and verbal communication, especially documentation
• Experience in regulated financial services is preferred
• Experience in startup scaling or transformation is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead design and build of enterprise control framework across key business processes
• Assess workflows, identify control gaps, manual dependencies and risks
• Map end-to-end processes to scalable control points and SOPs
• Design preventive, detective, and monitoring controls that are auditable
• Develop and formalize SOPs, ownership structures, escalation paths
• Partner with Risk, Product, Operations, Finance, Compliance, Tech, and Data teams to embed controls
• Drive control implementation from concept through rollout and training
• Establish governance around control execution, issue tracking, and remediation

Skills

Process mapping

COSO framework

Cross-functional influence

Risk assessment

SOP development

Job description

As a fast growing Fintech in the LATAM region, we are looking for a highly capable Manager/Lead, Internal Controls to lead the design and build of our control environment across the company. This role is ideal for someone who is both strategic and hands‑on: a builder who can independently assess processes, map risks, design pragmatic controls, develop SOPs, and drive cross-functional adoption in a fast‑moving environment.

This person will play a critical role in helping the company mature its operating model by reducing operational risk, improving consistency and accountability, and ensuring scalable controls are embedded into day-to-day execution. The right candidate will know how to influence stakeholders across functions, move fluidly from ambiguity to structure, and build fit-for-purpose controls without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and build of the company’s enterprise control framework across key business and operational processes
• Assess existing workflows and identify control gaps, failure points, manual dependencies, and areas of elevated operational risk
• Map end-to-end processes and translate them into clear, scalable control points and operating procedures
• Design preventive, detective, and monitoring controls that are practical, auditable, and aligned with business realities
• Develop and formalize SOPs, control documentation, ownership structures, escalation paths, and remediation processes
• Partner across Risk, Product, Operations, Finance, Compliance, Technology, and Data teams to embed controls into daily operations and system workflows
• Drive control implementation from concept through rollout, including stakeholder alignment, documentation, training, and follow-up
• Establish governance around control execution, issue tracking, remediation, and evidence retention
• Bring structure and discipline to how control failures are identified, escalated, root‑caused, remediated, and closed
• Apply a strong understanding of risk and control principles, including COSO-based thinking, to create a coherent and scalable controls environment
• Operate independently with high ownership in an environment that is still building maturity, process discipline, and organizational muscle
• Support management readiness for internal audit, external review, board‑level discussions, or broader control maturity initiatives as needed

What We’re Looking For

• 6-10+ years of experience in enterprise controls, operational risk, internal controls, internal audit, process excellence, or a related field
• Strong experience building or significantly upgrading controls in a high‑growth company, fintech, startup, or similarly dynamic environment
• Deep expertise in process mapping, SOP development, controls design, remediation tracking, and operating model improvement
• Strong understanding of internal control frameworks such as COSO
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives with limited structure
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and drive action across business, product, and technical teams
• Comfortable being both strategic and hands‑on: this is a builder role, not a purely advisory role
• Strong judgment in balancing rigor and practicality; able to create effective controls without slowing down the business unnecessarily
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complexity into clear actions and documentation
• Experience in regulated environments, lending, fintech, payments, or financial services is strongly preferred
• Experience in startup scaling, operational excellence, or transformation work is a strong plus

What We Offer

• The chance to join a high‑impact, mission‑driven fintech with regional scale.
• Leadership over enterprise controls for a fast paced and growth oriented startup.
• Cross‑functional collaboration with exceptional teams across Latin America.
• Exposure to complex legal and regulatory challenges and innovation in embedded finance.

Locations: BR, AR, CO, MX