IT GRC Sox Specialist in City of Westminster

The IT GRC Sox Specialist will support the IT GRC team in embedding effective IT governance, risk, and compliance across the organisation. The initial primary focus will be on SOX IT General Controls (ITGC) and IT Application Controls (ITAC) design, operating effectiveness, and on scaling an enterprise‑ready IT control framework. The role partners closely with IT, Security, Finance, Internal Audit, and External Audit to ensure controls are well designed, consistently operated, appropriately evidenced, and continuously improved. The position will drive a pragmatic, audit‑ready control environment across core platforms and services (including Oracle and Salesforce) and will support broader regulatory and assurance initiatives where applicable (e.g. EU AI Act).

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and ongoing operation of the IT control framework aligned to SOX and other relevant regulatory and assurance requirements.
• Own IT scoping for SOX (systems, applications, infrastructure, interfaces, key reports, and outsourced services) in partnership with Finance and Internal Audit.
• Maintain and manage the inventory of IT risks, controls, control owners, testing frequency, evidence requirements, and framework mappings (SOX, internal policy, enterprise risk register).
• Ensure timely collection of high‑quality evidence demonstrating effective control operation, meeting audit standards for completeness, integrity, and traceability.
• Act as a primary point of contact for Internal Audit, External Audit, and other GRC teams; coordinate walkthroughs, testing support, and audit requests.
• Define and maintain IT GRC scope and boundaries within the Four Lines of Defence model, clarifying ownership across IT, Security, Compliance, Risk, and Audit.
• Prepare audit submissions, management responses, and materials for senior leadership and risk committees.
• Operate the IT risk radar, collecting and assessing risks across IT and reporting trends, key risks, and residual risk exposure.
• Develop, maintain, publish, and deliver training on IT policies, standards, and procedures; define and monitor KPIs and KRIs.
• Measure compliance with IT policies and coordinate remediation activities, validating closure evidence.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to mature IT GRC capabilities, including automation of control evidence collection where feasible.
• Track process improvement and remediation action plans, including owners, milestones, and delivery through to completion.

Control Areas (Initial Focus)

• IT General Controls (ITGC): Access management (joiner/mover/leaver), privileged access, change management, and IT operations.
• IT Application Controls (ITAC): Automated and configuration‑dependent controls supporting financial reporting, including Oracle and Salesforce.
• Key Reports / IPE: Standards for report completeness and accuracy, access controls, and change management over report logic.
• Deficiency Management: Lead root‑cause analysis, remediation and compensating control design, and re‑testing planning.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in IT audit, IT risk, IT compliance, SOX IT controls, or a combined GRC/assurance role.
• Proven hands‑on experience designing, operating, and managing SOX ITGC and, where applicable, ITAC.
• Strong understanding of how IT risks and control failures impact financial reporting and transaction flows.
• Demonstrated experience producing reviewer‑ready documentation for audits (risk and control matrices, narratives, process flows, test evidence).
• Hands‑on experience managing internal and external audit interactions, including end‑to‑end evidence coordination.
• Ability to document, explain, and coach others on business process, system mapping, and evidencing expectations.
• Working knowledge of major frameworks and standards such as COSO, COBIT, ISO 27001, and NIST, and the ability to rationalise overlaps.
• Strong understanding of access governance, segregation of duties, privileged access, change management, and IT operations controls.
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across IT, Finance, and Audit.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.

Desired Skills

• ISACA (or equivalent) certification such as CISA, CISM, or CGEIT.
• Experience using risk and GRC tooling, particularly Riskonnect; exposure to ServiceNow GRC, Archer, or AuditBoard is advantageous.
• Experience estimating remediation costs, distinguishing between one‑off project costs and recurring operational expenditure.
• Familiarity with enterprise systems such as Oracle and Salesforce, including access, configuration, audit logging, reporting, and integrations.
• Experience supporting broader regulatory initiatives beyond SOX (e.g. operational resilience or emerging digital regulations).
• People leadership or coaching experience, including mentoring junior colleagues or developing direct reports.

Benefits

• Flexible benefits fund
• Emergency leave days
• Adoption leave
• 28 days annual leave