SOX Program Leader

The Opportunity

This position is an on-site opportunity in Corporate Finance in Lake County, Illinois. As Sarbanes‑Oxley (Sox) Program Leader, you will have overall responsibility for managing, coordinating, and overseeing Abbott’s compliance with Sox Section 404 and Abbott’s annual assessment of internal control over financial reporting, which requires Abbott to maintain, document and test applicable controls. The position meets periodically with Abbott’s executive Sox Steering Committee and interacts with personnel across divisions and corporate functions up through senior financial and IT management, as well as with Abbott’s external and internal auditors.

This position will lead, oversee, and monitor Sox Program Management Office (PMO) functions, including scope planning and scheduling; communication with divisions and corporate functions; maintaining and updating program tools and processes; conducting training; monitoring program schedule; managing external auditor requests; providing support for division questions and requests; reviewing internal control deficiencies; providing guidance for evaluation and remediation of deficiencies; monitoring remediation activities;

determining readiness for review by internal and external auditors; and communicating applicable matters to senior management.

• Lead, manage, and support a direct team of three Sox PMO managers and an indirect/functional team of management personnel with Sox oversight roles across multiple divisions and corporate functions.
• Manage completion of annual division and corporate function scoping activities in a timely and thorough manner.
• Identify and analyze relevant matters that could impact Sox scope.
• Obtain division and corporate senior financial/IT management approvals on proposed scope.
• Determine the Sox scope impact of changes to financial processes and IT systems, including those resulting from business combinations and other organizational changes.
• Serve as primary corporate resource for technical guidance on Sox Section 404 and Abbott Sox program requirements.
• Determine Abbott Sox approach to address new or updated accounting standards, corporate policies, and auditing standards as well as other changes that impact controls.
• Ensure alignment with senior management objectives.
• Manage program schedule to ensure deliverables are met (includes division deliverables to PMO and PMO/division deliverables to auditors).
• Monitor quality of controls and control documentation, and ensure compliance with Abbott Sox program standards.
• Evaluate control deficiencies.
• Provide guidance and communicate expectations for remediation.
• Monitor and manage remediation efforts.
• Manage completion of documentation and testing of Abbott’s corporate control environment.
• Provide periodic updates to management and external auditors on deficiencies, status of work, and other matters.
• Provide training on Abbott’s Sox program, Archer compliance tool, and internal control expectations.
• Identify opportunities to streamline Sox compliance effort and improve business efficiency based on assessment of materiality and risk, standardization of processes/controls, and other process improvements.
• Provide constructive feedback to coach and develop staff and team members.
• Lead activities with Sox team personnel to maintain and increase communication and collaboration.
• Manage and maintain Abbott’s IT technology tool used to manage Sox compliance (Archer).
• Manage resources that provide or facilitate technical and user support.
• Complete ad hoc analysis and reviews of internal controls within divisions and corporate functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
• Minimum of 10–15 years of progressive finance experience, including several years of supervisory experience.
• Auditing experience is required.
• Strong verbal and written interpersonal communication and leadership skills and the ability to interact with senior management.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to direct efforts to achieve results.
• Requires ability to work cooperatively and productively with others.
• Requires the ability to explain details to others and gain acceptance in sensitive…