Sr. Manager, IT Internal Audit

Avalara, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 153,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Annual bonus

Equity award

Health & wellness benefits

Job summary

Avalara, Inc. is seeking an accomplished Senior Manager, IT Internal Audit, to lead the IT audit strategy and the ICFR/SOX program.

This is a remote role, based in the United States, directing a team of internal and co-source resources and partnering with the C-suite on AI governance and risk management. The role requires strong experience in cloud-native SaaS environments, security controls, and regulatory readiness, with a focus on delivering actionable risk insights to senior leadership and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Engineering, Risk Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive IT audit experience, with 3+ years in people leadership at high-growth SaaS/FinTech tech firms.
• CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP, CCSP or CISM preferred; multiple certifications strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in ICFR/SOX, GAAP, PCAOB, SEC, COSO, COBIT; hands-on with cloud-native SaaS ITGC and cybersecurity.
• 5+ years managing ICFR/SOX programs, incl. growth/M&A integration.
• Experience with data analytics, AI/ML auditing, and governance frameworks; familiarity with AI governance implications.

Responsibilities

• Drive cross-functional IT audit strategy with executive stakeholders across Security, Engineering, Compliance, Product, Risk Management, and G&A.
• Manage concurrent audit engagements end-to-end, from scoping to remediation tracking and reporting.
• Lead IT ICFR/SOX program, embedding AI/automation to improve coverage and speed.
• Advise on AI governance, algorithmic risk, and controls across Avalara's products and operations.
• Oversee relationships with external auditors and maintain strong stakeholder communication.
• Lead technology risk assessments shaping ERM and audit roadmap with C-suite alignment.
• Build and coach a high-performing audit team and foster continuous improvement.
• Champion AI-enabled auditing, anomaly detection, and predictive risk scoring.

Job description

What You'll Do

As Senior Manager, IT Internal Audit, you will be a key member of the leadership team driving Avalara's internal audit strategy. Reporting directly to the VP of Internal Audit, you will own the vision and execution of our IT internal audit plan, lead Avalara's IT ICFR/SOX program end-to-end, and lead high-impact audits spanning IT, security, privacy and compliance risks. This is a high-visibility role for an experienced audit leader who thrives at the intersection of technology and controls — someone who has operated in fast-moving SaaS environments and wants to build something, not just maintain it. You will work remotely from anywhere in the US, managing a team of internal and co-source resources, helping to modernize our audit function and support Avalara's approach to AI governance and responsible AI adoption.

What Your Responsibilities Will Be

You will:

• Drive cross-functional audit strategy with executive stakeholders across Security, Engineering, Compliance, Product, Risk Management, and G&A — designing and executing a risk-based IT audit plan that spans financial, operational, IT, security and compliance domains.
• Manage multiple concurrent audit engagements end-to-end — from strategic scoping and risk prioritization through fieldwork, reporting, and remediation tracking — delivering actionable insights to senior leadership and the Audit Committee.
• Contribute to the enterprise risk assessment framework, identifying emerging technology, cybersecurity, AI/ML, and business risks — and translating them into a forward-looking audit roadmap that keeps Avalara ahead of the curve. Serve as a trusted advisor to the business on AI governance, algorithmic risk, and the control implications of deploying AI across Avalara's products and operations.
• Manage and help transform Avalara's IT ICFR/SOX compliance program, helping to set the standard for control design, testing methodology, and regulatory readiness — including evaluating how AI and automation can be embedded into the control environment to increase coverage, reduce latency, and strengthen assurance across a complex, global SaaS environment, while working in sync with Business Process internal auditors to ensure alignment.
• Manage relationships with IT external auditors and ensure continued alignment and communication to avoid audit fatigue to internal stakeholders.
• Lead annual technology risk assessments that directly shape the company's audit and enterprise risk management strategies — partnering with the C-suite, ERM, Engineering and Avatech to align priorities with Avalara's growth trajectory.
• Deliver compelling, executive-ready audit reports that translate complex findings into clear business impact, actionable recommendations, and risk quantification for senior leadership and the Board.
• Help build and develop a high-performing audit team — attracting top talent, developing future leaders, and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Champion the next generation of audit technology — deploying AI-powered anomaly detection, predictive risk scoring, automated control testing, and continuous monitoring to fundamentally reimagine how internal audit delivers value at Avalara. Build the team's AI fluency and establish repeatable frameworks for evaluating and adopting emerging tools.
• Play a central role in Avalara's public company readiness journey, partnering with internal stakeholders and external audit, to build the controls infrastructure, governance frameworks, and audit capabilities required to operate as a best-in-class public company.
• Lead high-priority strategic initiatives, M&A due diligence, and special investigations, bringing audit rigor and business acumen to Avalara's most consequential decisions

What You'll Need to be Successful

You have:

• A Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Engineering, Risk Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in IT audit (internal or external), with 3+ years in a people-leadership role within high-growth SaaS, FinTech, or technology companies.
• CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP, CCSP or CISM preferred — candidates holding multiple certifications or with deep IT audit and information security credentials are strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in internal auditing standards, ICFR/SOX compliance, GAAP, PCAOB standards, SEC regulations, COSO, and COBIT — with hands-on experience auditing cloud-native SaaS architectures, IT general controls, and cybersecurity frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001).
• 5+ years managing complex ICFR/SOX compliance programs, ideally including experience standing up or transforming a SOX program during periods of rapid growth or M&A integration.
• Exceptional project management and strategic planning skills, with a track record of managing competing priorities across a global audit portfolio and communicating risk to executive and board-level audiences.
• Proven ability to recruit, develop, and retain top audit talent — building high-performance teams that punch above their weight in fast-paced, tech-forward environments.
• Experience with Salesforce, NetSuite, Workday and modern audit/GRC platforms preferred. Hands-on experience with data analytics, AI/ML-driven auditing techniques, and emerging AI governance frameworks is highly valued. Familiarity with how large-scale SaaS companies deploy and govern AI — and the associated risk and compliance implications — is a significant differentiator.

Compensation

The compensation range for this role is as follows: $153,300 - $252,900. The successful candidate's actual salary/wage may be based on various factors, such as geographic location, candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

This role is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance, depending on the terms of the applicable plan and the employee's role. This role is also eligible for an equity award, subject to the terms of the applicable plan.

#LI-Remote

Avalara is an AI-first Company

AI is embedded in our workflows, decision-making, and products. Success here requires embracing AI as an essential capability.

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.
• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.
• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

How We'll Take Care of You

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses.

Health & Wellness

Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance.

Inclusive culture and diversity

Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship.

What You Need To Know About Avalara

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.