Governance and Controls lead

Job Description – Governance and Controls Lead

Location, UK, Manchester, (Hybrid)

Inizio is a global partner to health and life sciences organisations, delivering specialist expertise across the product and patient journey. Through Global Finance Services (GFS), we provide high-quality, efficient and compliant finance operations that support business performance worldwide.

Reporting to the Head of Global RTR, we are seeking a Governance and Controls Lead within RTR to own the GFS SOX control framework, act as the primary liaison for internal and external audit within RTR, and drive governance, controls and compliance with primary focus on RTR.

Each Head of Function owns the control set for their process tower. This role sets GFS-wide standards and coordinates with the Governance and Compliance Lead in OTC and the PTP Process Excellence Lead to ensure consistency, providing the governance infrastructure underpinning GFS's control and compliance obligations. The role coordinates audit activity at a GFS level, consolidating outcomes and reporting across towers in partnership with the Governance and Compliance Lead, OTC and the PTP Process Excellence Lead.

In addition to the controls remit, the role owns master data governance for vendors and customers, is responsible for data quality and integrity across GFS, and reports on service quality performance across GFS process towers including KPIs, SLAs and error trends.

Direct reports include a Data Accountant and a Master Data Lead; the role is also responsible for the GFS intern programme. The role provides GFS leadership with clear insight on control effectiveness, process health and emerging risks.

• Maintain and evolve the GFS SOX control framework across all process towers.
• Set standards for control documentation, evidence quality and cross-process consistency.
• Lead the CSA programme within RTR and coordinate CSA activity across GFS in partnership with the Governance and Compliance Lead, OTC and the PTP Process Excellence Lead, ensuring consistent methodology, evidence standards and follow-through on findings.
• Act as the primary liaison for internal and external audit within RTR, coordinating management testing, reviewing outcomes and driving remediation.
• Coordinate audit activity at a GFS level, consolidating outcomes and reporting across towers in partnership with the Governance and Compliance Lead, OTC and the PTP Process Excellence Lead.
• Own quality standards across GFS through KPI, SLA and error trend monitoring.
• Lead master data governance and data quality standards for vendors and customers.
• Identify and elevate operational, financial and compliance risks across GFS, working with Heads of Function and tower governance leads to ensure risks are addressed and lessons learned are embedded into process design.
• Act as the governance gate for new processes, system implementations and scope migrations into GFS, ensuring control readiness is demonstrated before go-live within RTR and that GFS-wide standards are applied consistently across towers.
• Provide governance reporting and insight to GFS and Finance leadership.
• Report on service quality performance across GFS process towers, including KPI, SLA and error trend analysis, providing GFS and Finance leadership with clear and timely insight on process health and emerging risks.

• Lead and develop the master data and performance insight team.
• Manage the GFS intern programme in partnership with a local university.

• Use CSA results, audit outcomes and service quality data to identify emerging risks and improvement opportunities, escalating findings to the relevant Head of Function or tower governance lead and tracking remediation to closure.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional qualification in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) required.
• Significant experience in SOX compliance, internal controls and audit management within a global Shared Services Centre (SSC) or Global Business Services (GBS) environment, with significant RTR process exposure - essential.
• Experience leading control frameworks, designing and operating CSA programmes and coordinating internal and external audit activity across a multi-process shared services environment required.
• Experience owning or governing finance master data,…