Head of Assurance & Internal Controls (m-f-d)

Overview

As Head of Assurance & Internal Controls, you will provide strategic leadership for FSC’s global assurance, governance, and internal control framework across its international network. The role strengthens financial integrity, organizational accountability, risk management, and control effectiveness, ensuring governance structures, systems, and processes support sustainable growth and operational excellence. You will serve as trusted advisor to senior leadership, drive a culture of transparency, stewardship, and continuous improvement, and enhance organizational resilience while safeguarding FSC’s reputation and resources.

Responsibilities

• Lead FSC’s global Assurance & Internal Controls function, including leadership, development, and performance management of a distributed team.
• Define and execute FSC’s enterprise-wide assurance strategy and governance model.
• Own and continuously evolve the global internal control framework, ensuring financial integrity, operational effectiveness, and compliance.
• Establish and enforce organization-wide control standards, methodologies, governance structures, and accountability for control ownership and testing.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge on governance, risk, controls, and financial stewardship matters.
• Advise Executive Leadership and contribute to Board and Audit Committee discussions on assurance, governance, and control effectiveness.
• Lead enterprise-wide reviews of critical end-to-end business processes (P2P, O2C, R2R, H2R) to identify risks, control gaps, and process inefficiencies.
• Drive global remediation and continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring timely execution of corrective actions by accountable business owners.
• Own FSC’s assurance coordination model, serving as the primary interface for internal and external auditors and assurance providers.
• Provide independent assurance on control effectiveness, remediation progress, and compliance with regulatory, donor, and governance requirements.
• Lead the assurance and controls agenda for ERP systems, financial applications, data governance, control automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships and lead global governance initiatives that strengthen organizational capability, accountability, risk awareness, and control maturity.

Qualifications

• University degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Risk Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional qualification such as CIA, CPA, ACCA, CISA, CRMA, or equivalent.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in internal audit, internal controls, assurance, governance, compliance, risk management, or finance leadership.
• Demonstrated experience operating in international, matrixed, and multicultural environments.
• Strong understanding of enterprise-wide internal control frameworks and governance practices.
• Experience engaging with executive leadership and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and relationship management skills.
• High levels of integrity, professional judgment, and credibility.

Benefits & Working Conditions

• Location: Bonn, Germany.
• Working Hours: Full time – 40 hours per week.
• Duration of Employment: Temporary contract – 2 years, extension possible on satisfactory performance.
• Annual leave: 30 days.
• Flexible work arrangements and healthy work‐life balance.
• Relocation support available if applicable.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Statement

FSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds and are committed to assess all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, or disability.