Head of IT SOx

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture.

It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Location:

UK, London.

Reports to:

Group Head of SOx. Department:
Risk. Type:
Full-Time | Permanent.

As the Head of IT SOx, you will lead the global IT SOx compliance program, ensuring the organization meets all technology related regulatory requirements under Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) Section 404. You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining effective IT general controls (ITGCs), application controls, and automated controls across our technology landscape. This is a strategic leadership role requiring deep expertise in IT risk, controls, and audit, as well as the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders in a dynamic, post-IPO environment.

• Program Leadership:
  Develop and execute the global IT SOx strategy aligned with the company’s risk and compliance framework.
• Build and lead the IT SOx function, including policies, standards, RACI, control library, and playbooks.
• Lead the annual IT SOx scoping, risk assessment, and control design process.
• Oversee the documentation, testing, and remediation of ITGCs and automated controls.
• Partner with IT, Internal Audit, Finance, and external auditors to ensure timely and effective execution of SOx activities.
• Provide guidance and training to control owners and process leads across the business.
• Ensure robust design and operation of ITGCs; drive control design in project / change life cycles and cloud migrations.
• Maintain a high quality evidence repository and documentation standards that are test ready.
• Coordinate SOx walkthroughs, control owner training, and readiness assessments before formal testing.
• Establish governance mechanisms to monitor control effectiveness and remediation progress.
• Leverage GRC platforms for control inventory, issues, and evidence workflows.
• Articulate KPIs / KRIs, dashboards, cadences, and executive reporting to the CRO, CTO, Risk and Audit Committee.
• Report regularly to senior leadership and the Audit Committee on IT SOx status, risks, and issues.
• Drive automation and efficiency in control testing and monitoring.
• Stay abreast of regulatory changes and industry best practices to enhance the SOx program.

• ERP & Finance Systems:
  Unit 4, One Stream, Workday Financials.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC):
  Service Now GRC, Audit Board, or similar platforms.
• Cloud Infrastructure & Security:
  Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure Entra
  
  ID, Cyber Ark, Sailpoint, Crowd Strike, Git Lab.
• Identity & Access Management (IAM):
  Role-based access controls, segregation of duties, privileged access management.
• IT Service Management (ITSM):
  Service Now.
• Security & Compliance Frameworks: COBIT, SOC 1/2, CIS Controls, ISO 27001, NIST CSF.

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Accounting, or related field; CISA, CISSP, or CPA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in IT audit, SOx compliance, or IT risk management, ideally within financial services or insurance.
• Proven track record of leading IT SOx programs in a public company environment.
• Expert knowledge of SOx
  404, ITGCs, IPE, EUC, IAM / SoD, and SDLC / change management across on-premise and cloud environments.
• Demonstrated success passing Internal Audit and External Audit testing under PCAOB standards and closing complex deficiencies.
• Strong understanding of ITGCs, application controls, cloud environments, and cybersecurity frameworks.
• Leading global teams and managing different level of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication,…