This Director of Internal Audit Job Description outlines a high-level leadership role responsible for the strategic oversight of an organization’s risk management and internal control environments. The position features a dual reporting structure, reporting directly to the audit committee chairman with an administrative link to the CFO, ensuring both independence and operational integration. Key responsibilities center on developing risk-based audit plans, ensuring strict compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and identifying process improvements within the Finance department. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate significant expertise, typically requiring at least ten years of combined experience in public accounting and corporate industry, alongside professional certifications like a CPA or CIA.

Organizations can use this document as a comprehensive template to standardize their recruitment process and define clear performance expectations for the Internal Audit function. The "Key Selection Criteria" and "Professional Characteristics" sections serve as a rubric for evaluating a candidate’s technical proficiency in frameworks like COSO and their ability to interact with senior management. This template provides a structured foundation that can be easily customized with specific industry details or unique company background information to attract the right talent.

Sample responsibilities include:

• Identify and design anti-fraud criteria and controls.
• Develop test plans and coordinate the performance of management testing of internal controls required by Sarbanes-Oxley.
• Coordinate activities with external auditors to support their audit and review procedures.