Senior SOX Tester
Summary
Senior SOX Tester ensures compliance with financial regulations by executing control testing, assessing risks, and supporting remediation efforts across business processes, with a focus on governance, risk, and control (GRC) platforms.
- Develop strong knowledge of assigned business processes, risks, controls, and regulatory requirements.
- Support the maturity of the SOX CoE by applying standardised, repeatable, and sustainable SOX practices.
- Contribute improvement opportunities, lessons learned, and insights to enhance program effectiveness.
- Build subject matter expertise within assigned portfolios to support risk identification and control assessment.
- Support SOX planning activities, including risk assessments, scoping reviews, and walkthroughs.
- Contribute to the enhancement of SOX governance, reporting, and GRC capabilities through process improvements, standardisation, and automation initiatives.
- Execute SOX testing activities in accordance with approved methodologies, timelines, and quality standards.
- Conduct walkthroughs and assess control design and operating effectiveness.
- Evaluate supporting evidence and maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready workpapers.
- Identify testing exceptions, control deficiencies, and documentation gaps, escalating issues where appropriate.
- Support delivery of SOX certification activities and control owner sign-offs, ensuring timely completion and appropriate supporting documentation.
- Facilitate implementation and monitoring of interim mitigating controls to address identified control deficiencies until sustainable remediation is implemented.
- Support remediation activities, root cause analysis, and validation of corrective actions.
- Support external auditor reliance activities, including evidence requests and audit inquiries.
- Perform control health checks and ongoing monitoring activities.
- Prepare governance reporting, dashboards, status updates, and management presentations.
- Maintain risks, controls, testing results, deficiencies, and remediation records within the GRC platform.
- Support GRC administration, enhancements, reporting, and user adoption activities.
- Partner with control owners and business stakeholders to support timely execution of SOX activities and remediation efforts.
- Promote SOX awareness and strengthen understanding of control responsibilities, evidence requirements, and remediation expectations through guidance and knowledge sharing.
- Build effective relationships with control owners, SMEs, risk teams, and auditors
- Support control owners through walkthroughs, testing discussions, remediation activities, and GRC processes.
- Provide guidance and knowledge sharing to junior team members.
- Collaborate across the SOX CoE to drive consistency, knowledge transfer, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure testing conclusions are appropriately supported and documented in line with SOX methodology.
- Escalate testing exceptions, control issues, and compliance risks in a timely manner.
- Support deficiency assessment, remediation tracking, and reporting activities.
- Maintain the integrity and quality of SOX documentation, evidence, and governance reporting.
- Support governance forums and stakeholder reporting through preparation of management information.
- Minimum 4-6 years of experience in SOX Compliance, Internal Controls, Internal Audit, External Audit, Risk Advisory, Compliance, or related assurance functions.
- Experience performing control testing, audit procedures, risk assessments, or compliance reviews within a regulated or control-focused environment.
- Good understanding of SOX requirements, COSO principles, and internal control concepts.
- Experience assessing business process controls and/or IT General Controls (ITGCs).
- Experience preparing testing documentation, evaluating evidence, and maintaining audit-quality workpapers.
- Experience supporting issue management, remediation activities, and stakeholder engagement.
- Experience preparing governance reporting, dashboards, and management presentations.
- Experience using Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platforms.
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Exposure to external audit engagements is advantageous.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a risk and control mindset.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a risk and control mindset.
- High attention to detail and commitment to quality.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
- Effective written, verbal, and presentation skills.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
- Ability to challenge constructively and communicate control matters confidently.
- Proactive, collaborative, and continuous improvement oriented.
- Demonstrates accountability, integrity, and sound professional judgement.
- Adaptable and resilient in a growing and evolving SOX environment.