Senior Director - Internal Controls

ICON; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave entitlements

Health insurance

Retirement planning

LifeWorks

Job summary

ICON plc, a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization, is seeking a Senior Director, Internal Controls for its Dublin hybrid role. You will lead the SOX programme, develop a robust control framework and drive remediation with senior stakeholders across Finance, Audit and IT.

This role shapes enterprise-wide control governance and ongoing improvements. You will Champion accountability, oversee certification activities, and partner with process owners to embed strong

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA or equivalent) required.
• Significant senior-level experience in internal controls, SOX compliance and financial reporting.
• Deep knowledge of SOX, COSO and internal control over financial reporting.
• Experience engaging with senior executives, Audit Committees and external auditors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise internal controls and SOX compliance programme with governance, risk assessment, scoping, planning, execution, monitoring and reporting.
• Develop and maintain internal controls framework, policies and guidance aligned with SOX and COSO.
• Oversee design and transformation of the second-line SOX testing model and control ownership.
• Coordinate annual and quarterly control certification activities and support management’s assessment of ICFR.
• Provide oversight of control design and operating effectiveness across key financial and technology processes.
• Drive documentation standards for process narratives, risk/control matrices, walkthroughs, test plans and evidence.
• Establish reporting and escalation for deficiencies, remediation actions and risks.
• Partner with control owners to strengthen controls within day-to-day processes.
• Promote integration of control execution across M&A activities.
• Lead the internal controls and SOX programme leadership and reporting to governance bodies.

Education

Qualified accountant

Job description

Senior Director - Internal Controls - Dublin - Hybrid

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.

The Senior Director, Internal Controls provides enterprise leadership for the design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of the internal control framework over financial reporting. The role supports management in maintaining a robust, sustainable and well-governed control environment aligned with SOX and the COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework.

The role leads the second-line internal controls and SOX compliance programme, working closely with Finance leadership, process and control owners, Internal Audit, external audit and other assurance providers. The Senior Director promotes clear accountability, timely escalation and disciplined remediation while helping embed effective controls into day-to-day business processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise internal controls and SOX compliance programme, including governance, risk assessment, scoping, planning, execution, monitoring and reporting.
• Develop and maintain a clear internal controls framework, methodology, policies, standards and guidance aligned with SOX and COSO requirements.
• Oversee the design and transformation of the second-line SOX testing model, including roles, responsibilities, governance and quality expectations.
• Coordinate annual and quarterly control certification activities and support management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting.
• Provide oversight and challenge of control design, implementation and operating effectiveness across key financial and technology processes.
• Drive consistent documentation standards for process narratives, risk and control matrices, walkthroughs, design assessments, test plans, evidence and conclusions.
• Establish clear reporting and escalation processes for deficiencies, remediation actions, risks and recurring themes.
• Partner with control owners to strengthen controls and integrate control execution into normal business processes.
• Drive internal control assessment and integration in respect of M&A activity
• Promote a strong culture of accountability, transparency and ownership for internal control responsibilities.

SOX Programme Leadership

• Lead the SOX risk assessment, materiality and scoping process in coordination with Finance leadership, Internal Audit and external audit.
• Maintain the master inventory of in-scope processes, risks, controls, systems, reports and control owners.
• Oversee walkthroughs, testing of design and operating effectiveness, quality review and timely resolution of testing matters.
• Ensure appropriate treatment of information produced by the entity, information used in controls, segregation of duties and key report dependencies.
• Monitor programme milestones, resourcing, testing progress, open issues and readiness for quarterly and annual reporting.
• Coordinate with IT control stakeholders to ensure appropriate alignment between business process controls, IT general controls and automated controls.

Deficiency Evaluation & Remediation

• Lead the timely identification, evaluation, aggregation and communication of internal control deficiencies.
• Establish disciplined remediation governance, including clear ownership, milestones, evidence requirements, validation and closure criteria.
• Provide constructive challenge where remediation is delayed, insufficiently evidenced or does not address the underlying control risk.
• Support root cause analysis and the development of sustainable corrective actions that reduce the risk of recurrence.
• Prepare clear, decision-useful reporting for senior management and relevant governance forums.

Stakeholder Management & Governance

• Build effective relationships with Finance, Technology, Legal, Risk, Internal Audit, external audit and other assurance functions.
• Clarify responsibilities across the first, second and third lines and support effective coordination between assurance providers.
• Advise senior leaders and control owners on control design, risk mitigation and practical implementation matters.
• Support Audit Committee and executive-level reporting through concise analysis of programme status, deficiencies, remediation and emerging risks.
• Act as a credible and independent-minded adviser while remaining pragmatic and solutions focused.

Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach and develop the internal controls and SOX compliance team.
• Define team roles, responsibilities and performance expectations and ensure the programme has appropriate capability and capacity.
• Develop training and practical guidance for leaders, control owners, performers and reviewers.
• Promote standardisation, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the control community.
• Use technology, workflow tools and data analytics to improve programme efficiency, visibility and insight.

Education & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA or equivalent) or other relevant professional qualification.
• Significant senior-level experience in internal controls, SOX compliance, financial reporting, audit or risk within a complex multinational and publicly listed organisation.
• Deep knowledge of SOX, COSO, internal control over financial reporting and financial reporting risk.
• US GAAP experience a preference
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale controls programmes, remediation or control transformation initiatives.
• Experience engaging with senior executives, Audit Committees, Internal Audit and external auditors.
• Strong understanding of business process controls, IT-dependent controls, IT general controls and entity-level controls.
• Proven ability to lead teams, influence across functions and deliver through periods of significant change.

Leadership Profile

• High integrity, sound judgement and a strong commitment to accountability.
• Calm, methodical and resilient under pressure.
• Clear and credible communicator who can translate complex control matters into practical actions.
• Constructive challenger with strong executive presence and the confidence to escalation when required.
• Analytical and detail-oriented while maintaining an enterprise-wide perspective.
• Collaborative leader focused on sustainable improvement, capability building and effective delivery.

Role impact: This role is central to establishing a sustainable internal control environment, supporting reliable financial reporting and strengthening management accountability across ICON.

What ICON can offer you:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

• Various annual leave entitlements
• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
• Life assurance
• Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here