Why we're hiring:

This role is responsible for leading the second-line controls assurance function across Business Platforms and Corporate applications and infrastructure, with a strong focus on IT General Controls (ITGC), SOX compliance, and audit readiness.

As a key member of the central assurance team, you will drive the design, rollout, and continuous improvement of the controls assurance programme, ensuring a consistent, risk-based, and auditable controls environment across all in-scope systems. You will play a strategic role in shaping WPP’s compliance and controls posture to be more consistent, standardised, and repeatable.

The focus is on enhancing control effectiveness while simplifying processes, leveraging automation, data-driven insights, and AI / agentic assurance capabilities to reduce audit burden and improve transparency of control performance.

The role will also build and lead a high-performing team, embedding a culture of accountability, proactive risk management, and continuous improvement across the organisation.

What you'll be doing:

Team Leadership
•    Lead, coach, and develop a team of analysts supporting controls assurance activities.
•    Ensure high quality analysis, consistency of approach, and team capability growth.

Strategic Contribution
•    Shape and improve WPP’s compliance and controls strategy across Business Platform and Corporate applications and infrastructure
•    Identify opportunities to enhance control maturity, simplify controls landscape and reduce risk.

Controls Assurance Leadership (ITGC/ SOX Focus)
•    Own and lead the design and execution of the controls assurance programme across Business Platforms and Corporate
•    Act as the key interface with Internal and External auditors, ability to challenge testing discrepancies, scope creep or invalid findings
•    Ability to provide pragmatic remediation guidance

Data, Reporting & Insight
•    Design and deliver dashboards and leadership-level reporting, providing real-time visibility of control effectiveness, audit findings/ themes and risk exposure trends

AI/ Agentic Assurance Innovation
•    Lead the introduction and adoption of AI-enabled and agentic assurance approaches to enhance continuous controls monitoring, automated evidence validation and assurance

Stakeholder Management & First-Line Enablement
•    Partner with IT, Finance, and Business teams to reinforce first-line ownership of controls, and understand interdependencies between IT and Finance controls 
•    Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, translating complex risk and control issues into actionable insights

What you'll need:

Qualification Requirements (Desirable)
•    Strong experience in IT audit, ITGC and SOX compliance (SOX 404)
•    Experience designing and delivering controls assurance programmes at scale
•    Certifications such as CISA, CIA, CRISC advantageous.

Skills / Experience Requirements
•    Proven ability to apply risk-based assurance approaches
•    Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams 
•    Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on level
•    Excellent documentation and communication skills. 
•    Ability to operate in fast paced, multi stakeholder, global environments.
•    Exposure to, or strong interest in AI/ automation in assurance

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?