Job SummaryThe
Director of Financial Auditing/Compliance leads the organization's internal audit and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance program, ensuring the integrity of financial reporting, the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), and adherence to regulatory requirements across a complex, GxP-regulated life sciences environment. This role owns the enterprise SOX program end-to-end - risk assessment, control design and testing, deficiency remediation, and reporting to executive leadership and the Audit Committee - while also directing broader operational and compliance audits across R&D, clinical operations, manufacturing/quality, and commercial functions. The ideal candidate combines deep SOX/ICFR technical expertise with life sciences industry fluency (GxP, clinical trial cost accounting, revenue recognition for licensing/royalty arrangements, and R&D capitalization) and the executive presence to partner directly with the CFO, external auditors, and the Board.
Responsibilities- Own and continuously mature the enterprise SOX 404 compliance program, including annual risk assessment, scoping, control rationalization, and the entity-level and process-level control framework.
- Direct the design, documentation, and testing of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), including IT general controls (ITGCs) and application controls across financial systems (e.g., ERP, revenue recognition, procure-to-pay).
- Manage identification, tracking, and remediation of control deficiencies and material weaknesses; drive root-cause analysis and sustainable remediation plans with process owners.
- Serve as primary liaison with external auditors on SOX-related matters, coordinating testing approaches, evidence requests, and timely resolution of findings to support the annual financial statement audit.
- Present SOX program status, key risks, and control environment health directly to the Audit Committee, CFO, and other executive stakeholders on a quarterly basis.
- Lead a risk-based annual internal audit plan spanning financial, operational, and compliance audits, with particular attention to areas unique to life sciences: clinical trial accruals and cost accounting, R&D expense capitalization vs. expensing, milestone and royalty revenue recognition, and grant/collaboration accounting.
- Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to understand the interplay between GxP quality systems (21 CFR Part 11, data integrity) and financial control environments, avoiding duplication while ensuring no control gaps between the two frameworks.
- Evaluate the impact of new accounting standards, business transactions (M&A, licensing deals, new product launches), and system implementations on the SOX control environment, and lead control updates accordingly.
- Build, mentor, and manage an internal audit team (in-house staff and/or co-source/outsource partners), setting audit methodology, quality standards, and professional development plans.
- Maintain and enhance audit management tools, workpaper standards, and continuous monitoring/analytics capabilities to increase audit efficiency and coverage.
- Foster a strong internal control culture across the organization through training, control owner engagement, and clear, constructive communication of audit results
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
- 10+ years of progressive experience in internal audit, external audit, or SOX/internal controls, including at least 3-5 years in a leadership role directing a SOX program.
- Deep, hands-on expertise with SOX 404 requirements, COSO Internal Control Framework, and PCAOB auditing standards as they relate to ICFR.
- Experience within the life sciences, biotechnology, or pharmaceutical industry, with working knowledge of GxP quality systems, clinical trial financials, and industry-specific revenue recognition (ASC 606) considerations.
- Demonstrated experience managing external auditor relationships and presenting to Audit Committees or senior executive leadership.
- Strong knowledge of ERP and financial systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) and IT general controls; experience auditing Salesforce or other CRM/cloud platforms a plus.
- Proven people leadership skills, with experience building and developing audit teams and managing outsourced/co-sourced audit resources.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical control findings into clear, actionable guidance for non-technical stakeholders.
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Preferred Qualifications- CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) or CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) certification.
- Experience with a company that has undergone an IPO, and/or supported first-year SOX compliance (Section 404(b) readiness).
- Familiarity with data integrity and computer systems validation (CSV) concepts as they intersect with financial controls.
- Experience with audit management and GRC platforms (e.g., AuditBoard, Workiva, ServiceNow GRC).
Key Competencies- Technical mastery: SOX/ICFR, COSO framework, risk assessment methodology, and life sciences accounting nuances.
- Executive presence: comfortable presenting complex risk topics clearly and confidently to the CFO, Audit Committee, and Board.
- Independence and integrity: exercises objective, unbiased judgment, and maintains appropriate independence from the areas under review.
- Collaborative influence: builds trust with control owners and cross-functional partners (Quality, Regulatory, IT, FP&A) to drive control improvements without adversarial dynamics.
- Organizational and program management skills: manages multiple concurrent audits, tight quarterly SOX deadlines, and cross-functional remediation efforts.
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Work LocationThis role operates in a hybrid office environment in Hampton NJ with periodic travel (estimated 10-20%) to manufacturing sites, clinical operations locations, or corporate offices to support audit fieldwork, control walkthroughs, and stakeholder meetings. Workload intensifies around quarterly and annual close, SOX certification cycles, and external audit fieldwork periods.???????
