Head of ICFR Testing - Finance - London/Nottingham

Head of ICFR Testing (Internal Controls / Finance / Risk & Compliance) - Nottingham/London

Day rate: £700 - £900 (inside IR35)

Duration: 12 months

Start: ASAP

Hybrid: 1 day per week

My new client is looking for an experienced Head of ICFR Testing (Contractor) to lead, develop, and scale our Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR) testing function during a period of significant growth. This role will play a pivotal part in designing, implementing, and embedding a robust ICFR testing and SOC assurance program across our global organisation.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in building ICFR and SOC control programs from the ground up, extensive IT and business controls expertise, and a proven track record of managing and scaling high-performing teams in complex, global environments.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and manage the ICFR Testing team (currently 7, growing to 14), fostering a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build team capability through recruitment, mentoring, and upskilling initiatives to support the growing scope of the control environment.
• Establish clear testing methodologies, KPIs, and quality assurance mechanisms to ensure consistency and excellence across all testing activities.

ICFR & SOC Programme Delivery

• Design, implement, and oversee the end-to-end ICFR testing framework, ensuring alignment with global regulatory and compliance standards (e.g., SOX/SOC).
• Drive hands-on implementation of SOC controls and assurance processes, ensuring readiness for external attestation.
• Develop testing procedures, templates, and documentation standards from scratch, embedding best practices across business and IT control areas.
• Lead walk throughs, control design assessments, and operating effectiveness testing for key financial, operational, and IT controls.

Governance & Reporting

• Partner with internal stakeholders, external auditors, and assurance providers to ensure effective communication and coordination across testing cycles.
• Deliver timely and insightful reporting on control testing results, deficiencies, and remediation progress to senior management and audit committees.
• Support global control standardisation and harmonisation initiatives to drive efficiency and consistency across regions and business units.

Continuous Improvement & Capability Building

• Identify opportunities to enhance automation, tooling, and analytics within the control testing process.
• Build and mature the organisation's SOC assurance and ICFR capabilities, ensuring scalability and sustainability.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and regulatory developments in ICFR, SOC, and IT controls, proactively adapting practices as needed.

Key Requirements

Essential:

• 10+ years of experience in internal controls, ICFR, SOX, or SOC assurance programs, including leadership of testing or compliance functions.
• Proven experience designing and implementing ICFR/SOC testing frameworks from scratch.
• Strong IT general controls (ITGC) and business process control testing experience.
• Prior external audit or assurance background (Big 4 or equivalent experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated success in rolling out SOC control programs and achieving assurance readiness.
• Experience working within global, complex organisations, preferably across multiple jurisdictions and business models.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and deliver high-quality results under tight timelines.

*Rates depend on experience and client requirements