Director of Internal Audit | $1B Advanced Manufacturing Platform

Ember Search; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Ember Search is seeking a Director of Internal Audit to build the function from the ground up, reporting directly to the CFO, in Dayton, OH on-site. This is a rare build opportunity in a fast-growing, PE-backed manufacturing platform with strong AI and data center infrastructure exposure.

You will establish strategy, stand up processes, partner with the CAO on controls and reporting, and guide risk and governance as the company scales; initially you’ll operate as an individual contributor with

Qualifications

• 8–15+ years in public accounting or internal audit leadership.
• Manufacturing industry experience required.
• Proven ability to build an internal audit function from scratch.
• Strong communication and cross-functional partnership skills.
• Ambition to grow into broader finance leadership over time.

Responsibilities

• Develop the strategic roadmap and long-term vision for internal audit.
• Stand up core internal audit processes and infrastructure for the first time.
• Partner with the CAO on controls and reporting.
• Advise the CFO on risk, governance, and controls priorities.
• Build a function that can scale as the business grows.
• Operate initially as an individual contributor, with potential to grow a small team.

Skills

Public accounting

Internal audit leadership

Manufacturing experience

Building function from scratch

Cross-functional partnership

Job description

Ember Search has been retained on a Director of Internal Audit search for a PE-backed, advanced manufacturing platform supporting the buildout of U.S. data center and digital infrastructure.

The company has scaled rapidly, growing from roughly 400 to over 1,000 employees in just a few years and approaching $1B in annual revenue. It is one of a small number of fully U.S.-based manufacturers capable of building custom infrastructure components at scale for hyperscale technology customers, and continues to see strong demand tied to AI and data center growth. The company is backed by a top-tier PE firm and is professionalizing its finance, governance, and controls infrastructure as it moves into its next phase of growth.

Location: Dayton, OH area, on-site

The Role

This is a newly created role reporting directly to the CFO, a public-company finance executive who joined to lead the organization through its next phase of scale and governance maturity. There is no internal audit function in place today. You will build it from the ground up.

You will:

• Develop the strategic roadmap and long-term vision for internal audit at the company
• Stand up core internal audit processes and infrastructure for the first time
• Partner with the CAO on controls and reporting
• Advise the CFO directly on risk, governance, and controls priorities
• Build the foundation for a function that can scale as the business grows
• Operate initially as an individual contributor, with the opportunity to build out a small team as the function matures

Candidate Profile

• 8 to 15+ years in a public accounting or internal audit leadership role
• Manufacturing industry exposure required, whether through manufacturing clients in public accounting or direct manufacturing company experience
• Comfortable building a function from scratch without existing infrastructure or precedent
• Strong communication and business partnership skills, with the ability to operate cross functionally rather than purely as a control function
• Track record of taking ownership and driving projects independently
• Career ambition to grow beyond internal audit into controllership, FP&A, or broader finance leadership over time

Why This Role

This is a rare, true build opportunity. Rather than inheriting an existing internal audit program, you will define the strategy and stand up the function yourself, with direct visibility to the CFO and, over time, the audit committee. The CFO has walked this exact career path himself, moving from internal audit into controllership and then FP&A, and is looking to develop someone who can follow a similar trajectory as the company scales. You'll be joining one of the fastest-growing manufacturing platforms in its space, at a pivotal moment in the company's growth.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Ember Search and our client are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected status.