VICE PRESIDENT, IT CONTROLS (HYBRID-CHARLOTTE, NC)

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President Risks and Controls, the Vice President, IT Controls – North America will focus on shaping and strengthening Compass Group North America's IT control environment. Additionally, this individual will be key in aligning North American controls with UK Corporate Reform compliance, as our parent company is located in the UK. This is a second line leadership role that includes oversight of technology policy development along with ongoing oversight, monitoring and reporting on internal IT controls, addressing external audits and SOC engagements, as well as acting as the key resource working hand in hand with Internal Audit.  The VP, IT Controls will be responsible for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of IT internal controls through process improvement initiatives and automation.

As part of the new second line structure, the VP will lead a team of 5-9 professionals and serve as the company’s controls ambassador across IT and business functions. This individual will ensure effective and sustainable control practices that support Compass’ decentralized structure, align with COSO principles, and enable risk-aware technology operations.  This person must also demonstrate strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills to effectively influence and drive change across sectors, regions, business units and functions.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the leader accountable for assessing IT General Controls and broader IT risk governance, including frameworks supporting SOX, NIST, as well as internal Key IT Controls.
• Partner with business leaders responsible for cybersecurity, data privacy and third-party technology risk.
• Develop and continuously improve IT control frameworks in alignment with Compass’s key IT controls, COSO principles, and NIST guidance.
• Lead controls monitoring efforts and testing coordination with Internal Audit, external auditors, and key functional partners.
• Build and manage a high-performing IT Controls team of 5-9 professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Proactively develop effective relationships with key stakeholders in the Business Units, Chief Technology Officer, Functional Leaders, Internal Audit, and External Auditors.  Understand, anticipate, and balance the competing objectives of your stakeholders.
• Stay up to date on internal and external changes that may impact the design or operation of controls and partner with the appropriate stakeholders to make changes accordingly.
• Establish consistent assessment, remediation, and monitoring processes to track control health across infrastructure, applications, and cloud platforms.
• Evaluate and advise on IT risks associated with major change initiatives, vendor onboarding, and new system implementations.
• Collaborate closely with stakeholders across Cybersecurity, Finance, Internal Audit, Risk & Controls, Legal, and Sector teams to drive consistency and alignment.
• Prepare periodic briefings and dashboards for senior leadership on the status of IT controls, including audit findings, remediation progress, and strategic risk initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Accounting, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in IT audit, risk, or compliance, with leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a Big 4 accounting firm or comparable organization.
• Strong knowledge of SOX 404, PCAOB Standards, COSO, and IT control frameworks such as COBIT, NIST, and ITIL.
• Recent (past 5 years) US SOX experience.
• Recognized professional certification required: CISA, CISM, CISSP, or equivalent.
• Experience with SAP S/4 HANA system and controls
• Fortune 500 and/or large consumer-facing company experience highly preferred.
• Ability to translate technical control concepts into business language and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven success leading cross-functional teams, managing risk in decentralized environments, and working within complex enterprise structures.
• Familiarity with the UK Corporate Governance Code preferred.

Leadership Attributes

• Strategic thinker with a practical, hands-on mindset.
• Strong collaborator with the ability to align stakeholders and influence outcomes across business units.
• Executive presence who can speak to risk as well as the requirements to address all levels in a corporate environment.
• A leader with a passion for building a team environment
• Solutions-oriented leader who drives continuous improvement while maintaining control integrity.
• Proactive, resilient, and adaptable in navigating ambiguity and complexity.

Location & Work Environment

This is a hybrid role based out of the Compass USA Charlotte corporate office, with flexibility for remote work 1-2 days per week. Willingness to travel approximately 15–20% primarily in the US and Canada.