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Senior Director, Internal Controls

Wheels

Schaumburg, Illinois

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JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Accounting, Automation, Business Processes, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Continuous Improvement, Document Management, Documentation Standards, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Embedded Systems, Establish Priorities, External Audit, Finance, Financial Operations, Financial Risk, Financial Services, Information Technology & Information Systems, Internal Audit, Inventory Management, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Mentoring, Process Development, Process Improvement, Public Accounting, Risk, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), System Integration (SI), Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Technical Operations, Test Plan/Schedule, Testing
LOCATION
Schaumburg, Illinois
POSTED
30+ days ago
Job Description:

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Director of Internal Controls will lead the design, implementation and ongoing effectiveness of a comprehensive internal controls framework across Finance, Operations, and Technology. This role is critical in strengthening governance, mitigating risk, and enhancing transparency across a complex, high-volume transaction environment.

This leader will build and manage a small, high-performing team responsible for creating a full inventory of controls, evaluating effectiveness, and partnering with business leaders to embed sustainable processes. The role also has ownership of key risk management and monitoring strategies, including preventative and detective controls.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Internal Controls Framework
    • Lead the development of a comprehensive inventory of internal controls across all major business processes
    • Design and implement a scalable controls framework aligned with company growth and complexity
    • Establish standards for control documentation, testing, and ongoing monitoring
    • Partner with Finance, Operations, and IT leaders to ensure controls are embedded into day-to-day processes
  • Risk Management & Control Effectiveness
    • Design and oversee preventative and detective controls that reduce exposure to financial and operational risk
    • Partner with functional leadership to support fact-based response processes when control breakdowns occur
    • Strengthen monitoring, escalation, and governance mechanisms aligned to the company's risk profile
    • Reinforce a strong culture of ethics, accountability, and control ownership across the organization
    • Conduct enterprise-wide risk assessments to identify key financial, operational, and technology risks
    • Prioritize control enhancements based on risk exposure and business impact
    • Support external audit requirements and ensure readiness for compliance reviews
  • Team Leadership
    • Build, lead, and mentor a team responsible for controls design, documentation, and testing
    • Develop risk-based testing plans focused on control design and operating effectiveness
    • Translate testing results into clear, executive-level insights and prioritized recommendations
    • Track remediation actions to closure and assess post-remediation effectiveness
    • Drive accountability and continuous improvement
    • Foster a collaborative, business-partnering mindset within the team
    • Process Improvement & Transformation
    • Identify opportunities to streamline processes while strengthening controls
    • Leverage technology and automation to improve control effectiveness and efficiency
    • Support broader transformation initiatives (e.g., ERP implementations, system integrations)

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

Number of Direct Reports: 1

Number of Indirect Reports: 10-12

Leadership Responsibilities Strategy

COMPETENCIES - SKILLS
  • Improve visibility into risks and control effectiveness
  • Strong partnerships with business leaders and auditors
  • A well-designed, clearly owned internal control environment embedded into core business processes
  • Measurable improvement in control effectiveness, consistency, and risk transparency
  • Reduction in control breakdowns, rework, and reactive issue management
  • Actionable, trusted insights provided regularly to senior leadership
  • A controls function viewed as a value-adding business partner, not an oversight body

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or related field (CPA, CIA, or equivalent preferred)
  • 15+ years of experience in accounting / controllership, internal audit, internal controls, risk management, or related functions
  • Big Four public accounting or equivalent experience with enterprise-wide control assessments and transformation initiatives strongly preferred
  • Experience in complex, asset-heavy, or transaction-intensive environments (leasing, financial services, or similar industries preferred)
  • Proven experience building or transforming an internal controls framework
  • Strong understanding of SOX or SOX-like control environments (even if not formally required)
  • Demonstrated experience in designing and operating preventative and detective controls in high-risk environments
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills

About the Company

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Wheels

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