Manager, SOX Financial Controls

Job description

Prudential’s purpose is to be partners for every life and protectors for every future. Our purpose encourages everything we do by creating a culture in which diversity is celebrated and inclusion assured, for our people, customers, and partners. We provide a platform for our people to do their best work and make an impact to the business, and we support our people’s career ambitions. We pledge to make Prudential a place where you can Connect, Grow, and Succeed. The Manager, SOX Financial Controls – Business Process will act as the SOX Team Lead for assigned Prudential in-scope business units, taking end-to-end ownership of the timely and high-quality delivery of SOX 404 compliance activities across finance and business process controls. The role will plan and coordinate walkthroughs and testing activities, supervise and review the quality of the work of SOX testers, ensures workpapers and evidence meet Group SOX (PCOFR) methodology and external audit expectations, and maintain complete and accurate records in the Group’s SOX governance, risk and compliance platform (PRISM). The role will also monitor delivery against agreed milestones, provide clear status reporting, identify risks and delays early, and work with stakeholders to agree and deliver recovery or remediation actions. This role will require working closely with Finance, Actuarial, Risk, IT, business-unit coordinators and external auditors, and provide constructive challenge, support practical issue resolution and contribute to continuous improvement, standardisation and automation across the Group Financial Controls function. This role will also be responsible for monitoring compliance with the Group’s Auditor Independence Policy and assisting other GFC activities (Group Governance Manual compliance activities, operational risk, governance, etc.) Key Responsibilities Act as SOX Team Lead and primary contact for assigned business units, taking end-to-end ownership of delivery, quality and stakeholder coordination with business units and external auditors. Lead end-to-end SOX scoping and planning and translating the plan into clear testing schedules, resource requirements and milestones covering interim, roll-forward and year-end testing activities. Support annual SOX scoping, risk assessment and control rationalisation, ensuring key financial reporting risks are appropriately understood and addressed. Allocate and supervise testing activities across testers, providing clear direction, coaching and timely feedback. Review test plans, workpapers, supporting evidence and testing conclusions, ensuring quality and adherence to the SOX PCOFR methodology as well as timely, accurate maintenance of testing documentation within PRISM. Review the assessment of management review controls, reconciliations, journals, IPE and IT-dependent business controls, escalating technical matters where specialist input is required. Monitor SOX delivery against agreed testing schedules, providing timely status reporting, identifying risks and quality concerns early, driving issues to resolution and escalating matters appropriately to support successful programme delivery. Prepare and maintain management information, dashboards and governance reporting for Group Financial Controls leadership. Lead the identification and assessment of control deficiencies, communicating issues to management and external auditors as appropriate, challenging remediation actions to ensure they address the underlying control weakness and are sustainable, and monitoring remediation progress through to timely closure. Build effective working relationships with Finance, Actuarial, Risk, IT, business unit coordinators and external auditors. Support the wider Group’s transformation programme and identify opportunities to streamline testing, standardize documentation, improve use of dashboard and automation or data analysis to enhance efficiency and delivery of the SOX programme. Support Auditor Independence Policy monitoring and other Group Financial Controls governance activities as required. Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equality of opportunity of benefits for all who apply and who perform work for our organisation irrespective of sex, race, age, ethnic origin, educational, social and cultural background, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, disability or part-time / fixed-term work, or any other status protected by applicable law. We encourage the same standards from our recruitment and third-party suppliers taking into account the context of grade, job and location. We also allow for reasonable adjustments to support people with individual physical or mental health requirements.