Director, Internal Audit

Upwork Inc.'s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work.

From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their work forces for the age of AI and beyond.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at  and follow us on Linked In , Facebook , Instagram , Tik Tok , and X ; and learn more about Lifted at Go-Lifted and follow on Linked In .

We're looking for an experienced Director, SOX Compliance to own and scale our Sarbanes–Oxley program as we continue to grow as a public company. You'll serve as the primary owner of our internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) framework, partnering closely with Finance, Legal, Engineering, and external auditors to keep our control environment rigorous and effective. You'll lead a team of SOX compliance professionals, drive continuous improvement across the program, and act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and the Audit Committee on control-related matters.

This is a chance to shape how compliance is embedded across the business, balancing rigor, efficiency, and pragmatic decision-making at scale.

• Own end-to-end execution of the annual SOX 404 compliance program, including scoping, risk assessment, control documentation, testing, and remediation
• Maintain and continuously improve the ICFR framework, including the design and operating effectiveness of key controls across financial reporting processes, in alignment with COSO 2013 and PCAOB standards
• Lead the SOX steering committee and serve as primary liaison with external auditors, presenting program status, risk findings, and remediation plans to senior leadership and the Audit Committee
• Direct control design, testing, and remediation efforts, applying professional judgment to evaluate the significance of deficiencies in accordance with AS 2201 and SEC guidance, and use AI tools to help streamline control documentation, issue tracking, and information synthesis while carefully validating outputs for accuracy and audit readiness
• Lead SOX integration activities for newly acquired entities, including legacy control assessment, gap analysis, and design of new controls aligned with our framework
• Oversee IT general control scoping and testing across key financial systems, partnering with IT and Engineering to ensure appropriate coverage
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of SOX compliance professionals, and manage co-source arrangements with third-party service providers

• 10+ years of progressive experience in internal audit, SOX compliance, or external audit, including at least 3 years in a leadership role, with a CPA required
• Deep expertise in SOX 404 program management, including risk assessment, control design, and operating effectiveness testing under PCAOB standards, along with strong US GAAP knowledge
• Experience at a publicly traded company navigating integrated audits with Big 4 external auditors, with demonstrated ability to communicate control findings to executive leadership
• Comfort using AI tools to support control documentation, summarize findings, and organize audit work papers, paired with sound judgment about when outputs need closer human review
• Experience with technology, SaaS, or marketplace business models, Oracle Fusion ERP, and leading SOX integration work streams for acquisitions is a plus

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you'll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 34 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home.

Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported…