ICFR Lead

Data, MI & Assurance Manager - Job Description

 

EAT | Enterprise Assurance Transformation

Data, MI & Assurance Manager | Job Description Page 1

 

 

Role Profile

JOB TITLE ICFR Lead

LOCATION United Kingdom

FUNCTION / DEPARTMENT Financ e | EAT – SOX Imple m e nta ti on

REPORTING TO Head of Risk, Control & Gover na nc e

DIRECT REPORTS Financ e Analyst / ICFR Analyst

KEY STAKEHOLDERS UK financ e and sector leader shi p; Corpor at e Gover na nc e ; proce ss and

control owner s across the busine ss; Group Financi al Control ; Internal Audit; External Audit; IT / ERP (CIO) teams

 

Role Overview

Compass Group aims to operate a robust UK Corporate Governance Code control environment and, as part of this, seeks to achieve control standards over its internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) aligned with US SOX. The overall ICFR programme is led by Group Financial Control in a proportionate and scalable way, with this role responsible for driving its design, implementation and embedding across the UK business.

The ICFR Lead is a senior, hands-on leadership role responsible for driving the design, implementation and embedding of a SOX-standard ICFR framework across a large and complex UK business. Operating as part of the Second Line of Defence and working to the Group ICFR framework, the role leads the UK ICFR journey, from first-year implementation planning through to a mature, sustainable control environment, and is the UK business’s senior point of expertise and challenge on financial controls. As the framework matures, the role also improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the control environment through process improvement and automation, and provides a robust challenge and expertise on the design and implantation of controls.

This role calls for an individual who can make an immediate impact and deliver from the outset. The successful candidate will bring extensive, recent and hands-on experience of implementing SOX to a full 404 standard, including genuine in-house experience of running a first-year implementation, not solely an external audit or advisory perspective. They will have the calibre, gravitas and technical depth the programme demands, and the leadership presence to set direction, influence and challenge senior stakeholders, and support the business on the journey.

While building and leading a team, the ICFR Lead will remain willing to operate hands-on and engage directly in the detail of delivery, including walking processes, drafting control matrices, testing controls and remediating issues alongside the business.

Key Responsibilities

Leading the UK ICFR Journey

• Lead the delivery of the SOX-standard ICFR framework across the UK business, working to the Group ICFR programme and methodology and setting the local plan, milestones and priorities for the first-year implementation and beyond.

• Act as the senior point of expertise on ICFR for the UK business, providing a robust second-line opinion and expert direction, challenge and decision-making on control design, scoping and remediation.

• Drive efficiency and effectiveness in the control environment through process optimisation, standardisation and automation as the framework matures.

• Introduce and manage management self-assessment of key controls, building ownership and accountability across the first line.

• Set the tone and pace of the ICFR journey, building momentum, holding the business to account for delivery, and embedding a strong controls culture across a complex operating model.

• Partner with UK finance leadership and Group Financial Control to ensure the UK framework aligns with the Group ICFR programme, methodology, expectations and reporting.

 

 

EAT | Enterprise Assurance Transformation

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ICFR Finance Data & Governance

• Develop finance data structures, reporting models, ownership frameworks and supporting documentation. • Manage General Ledger mapping, rationalisation and ownership across accounts, cost centres, profit

centres, legal entities and reporting hierarchies. • Define data-quality measures, reporting controls and issue-resolution processes to improve the reliability

and accessibility of finance data.

ICFR Framework Design & Implementation • Lead risk assessments, scoping methodologies, materiality thresholds and control rationalisation to a SOX

404 standard. • Direct the development and maintenance of Risk and Control Matrices (RACMs) aligned to best practice /

SOX standards, supporting the largest and most complex parts of the business as they document and operate their RACMs.

• Drive consistent application of key controls, Information Produced by the Entity (IPE), IT-dependent and IT general controls (ITGCs), entity-level controls (ELCs) and management review controls (MRCs).

• Oversee end-to-end process documentation (walkthroughs and flowcharts) to support risk identification, control design, testing and audit requirements.

Embedding Controls & Business Partnering

• Work hands-on with UK finance and operational teams to understand processes, facilitate standardisation and embed SOX-style controls into end-to-end financial processes (Record to Report, Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, Hire to Retire).

• Provide expert challenge and guidance to process and control owners on control design, documentation and evidence standards.

• Identify and document best-practice controls and make these available across the business, together with practical guidance and job aids on documentation and evidence standards.

• Translate technical SOX requirements into clear, practical guidance suitable for a complex business. • Advise on the control impact of process changes, new systems and ERP / finance transformation initiatives

(e.g. SAP).

Testing, Deficiencies & Remediation

• Lead and coordinate testing during implementation and readiness, ensuring controls are appropriately evidence and deficiencies identified ahead of transition into the ongoing assurance model.

• Review testing performed by the business, ensuring alignment with SOX methodology. • Assess deficiencies, including severity evaluation (deficiency, significant deficiency, material weakness),

perform root cause analysis and design robust remediation plans. • Drive and track remediation progress through the implementation and readiness phases, supporting timely

and sustainable closure of control issues.

Leading & Developing the Team

• Lead and develop the UK ICFR implementation capability, directly managing the ICFR Analyst and coordinate wider finance, controls and specialists resources across the programme.

• Build strong control capability across the wider business through training, coaching and knowledge sharing.

• Balance leadership of the team with personal, hands-on delivery of the most complex or critical control work.

Audit, Governance & Reporting

• Act as the key UK liaison with Internal Audit and External Audit on ICFR matters, coordinating requests and managing readiness.

• Provide regular updates to UK and Group leadership on the effectiveness of the control environment and the progress of the ICFR journey.

• Contribute to bi-annual controls compliance reporting and review.

 

 

EAT | Enterprise Assurance Transformation

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Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential • Extensive, recent, hands-on SOX experience: significant experience (typically 7 to 10 years