HR Controls & Compliance Senior Lead

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an HR Controls & Compliance Senior Lead based in Brazil.** In this senior individual contributor role, you will strengthen the global HR control environment by ensuring effective risk management, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience across critical human resources processes. You will take ownership of the HR controls framework, with a particular focus on global payroll operations, financial reporting controls, and compliance governance. Working across international teams, you will collaborate with HR leaders, Finance, Legal, Privacy, Cybersecurity, Internal Audit, and external service providers to identify risks and implement sustainable solutions. You will lead audit readiness, oversee remediation initiatives, and translate complex regulatory and operational requirements into practical, risk-based controls. Through data analytics, automation, and targeted reporting, you will help improve control effectiveness, increase transparency, and support informed business decisions. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced controls and compliance professional who enjoys influencing stakeholders, improving global processes, and driving measurable results in a collaborative, multinational environment. ### Accountabilities: - Own and continuously enhance the global HR controls framework, governance model, control standards, and reporting mechanisms, ensuring consistent risk management across HR processes, particularly payroll. - Partner with HR process owners, Finance, Legal, Privacy, Procurement, Cybersecurity, and third-party providers to embed appropriate controls for data protection, access management, data minimization, and vendor risk management. - Advise HR stakeholders on control design and process improvement, leveraging risk assessments, data analytics, and technology to simplify workflows, reduce manual effort, and strengthen control effectiveness. - Lead HR-related support for internal and external audits and assurance reviews, including SOX, ISO, and independent financial audits, coordinating evidence collection, validating control design and execution, resolving findings, and maintaining audit-ready documentation. - Identify, assess, and monitor current and emerging risks across HR operations, including fraud, financial reporting, data privacy, cybersecurity, access management, third-party relationships, and business continuity. - Translate risk assessments into proportionate preventive and detective controls that address business needs, regulatory obligations, and operational requirements. - Manage the remediation of SOX and non-SOX control deficiencies by challenging root-cause analyses, validating corrective actions, assigning clear ownership, monitoring deadlines, and escalating overdue issues. - Partner with process owners to develop actionable risk mitigation plans, establish target dates, and verify that corrective measures are implemented effectively and sustainably. - Develop and maintain dashboards, risk indicators, and control performance reports that provide leadership with timely insights into exceptions, trends, emerging risks, and control effectiveness across financial and non-financial HR processes. - Establish and maintain the HR business continuity and operational resilience framework for critical services, including business impact assessments, dependency mapping, continuity plans, testing, remediation, and coordination with key third-party providers. - Coordinate global HR compliance activities across regions and countries, maintaining consistent control standards while accounting for local legal, regulatory, operational, and data privacy requirements. - Design and deliver targeted training and awareness initiatives covering SOX compliance, access management, cybersecurity, privacy, evidence requirements, and control ownership. - Promote continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to strengthen governance, automate controls, improve documentation, and enhance operational efficiency across the global HR function. ## Requirements: - Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field. - At least 8 years of progressive professional experience in internal controls, auditing, risk management, or compliance within a complex multinational organization. - Substantial experience with SOX compliance programs, internal controls over financial reporting, and global HR processes, particularly payroll operations. - Strong understanding of the COSO Internal Control Framework, risk assessment methodologies, control design, control testing, deficiency evaluation, and remediation processes. - Proven ability to manage audits and assurance reviews, coordinate supporting documentation, assess control effectiveness, and communicate findings and corrective actions. - Experience operating independently in a global, matrixed, and remote working environment, with the ability to build effective partnerships across functions, countries, and time zones. - Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platforms, workflow tools, audit management systems, and data visualization solutions. - Fluent written and spoken English, with the ability to produce concise, audit-ready documentation and explain complex risks, findings, and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to understand complex HR processes, regulatory obligations, technologies, and organizational dependencies and translate them into practical control solutions. - Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to challenge assumptions constructively, manage competing priorities, influence decision-makers, and drive commitments to completion. - Strong organizational and project management capabilities, with a proactive approach to risk mitigation, accountability, and continuous improvement. **Preferred qualifications:** - Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related discipline. - Professional certifications such as CIA, CPA, CISA, CFE, CRISC, or an equivalent qualification in auditing, risk management, internal controls, or privacy. - Working knowledge of global data protection and privacy principles, including experience integrating privacy requirements into HR processes, technology, access controls, data retention, and third-party arrangements. - Experience coordinating global initiatives and collaborating with international stakeholders across multiple time zones. - Strong commitment to professional integrity, continuous learning, operational excellence, and sustainable risk reduction. ## Benefits: - **Remote work flexibility:** Work remotely from Brazil, with working hours aligned to the Eastern Time zone. - **Health and well-being:** Access to programs designed to support physical, mental, social, and financial wellness. - **Professional development:** Personalized development resources, ongoing feedback, and opportunities to strengthen your skills and advance your career. - **Learning and certifications:** Access to learning opportunities and certification pathways, including programs associated with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. - **Career growth:** Opportunities to expand your expertise through meaningful projects, practical experience, and continuous professional development. - **Inclusive culture:** Join a workplace that values diversity, empathy, belonging, and collaboration across backgrounds and experiences. - **Employee support:** Access to well-being resources, inclusion specialists, and employee affinity groups. - **Meaningful work:** Contribute to critical global business processes and initiatives that strengthen operational resilience, governance, and organizational performance.