The Principal will lead and grow Control Risks' Forensics business in France, aligning local strategy with the firm's global objectives while supporting business development across the wider practice. Combining strong market and client development skills with hands on delivery, the successful candidate will independently scope, lead and deliver complex investigations, compliance reviews and forensic accounting assignments across France, Europe and, where required, Francophone Africa, consistently meeting the firm's high standards. As a senior member of the global Forensics practice, they will also mentor and develop junior colleagues and contribute specialist expertise to engagements worldwide. This role calls for an accomplished forensic practitioner with significant experience, a proven record in business development and leadership, professional credentials demonstrating technical excellence, and native level French with professional fluency in English.

Strategy and Market Development

• Lead the development and execution of the Forensics strategy for France, ensuring alignment with the global business strategy, and drive growth by identifying and pursuing market opportunities, strengthening positioning and expanding client relationships.
• Work closely with the global Forensics leadership team and our dedicated sales team to originate, develop and convert strategic opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with senior decision makers and other potential buyers of Forensics services across target sectors.
• Identify emerging client needs, regulatory developments and market trends, and translate these into new service offerings and business opportunities.
• Represent the firm at client meetings, conferences and industry forums, enhancing the firm's visibility and reputation across France, Europe and, where relevant, Francophone Africa.
• Support business development across the wider Forensics practice, leveraging French language capability, client relationships and subject matter expertise where appropriate.

Delivery

• Scope, lead and deliver internal investigations, compliance reviews, forensic accounting assignments and other engagements across France, Europe and, where required, Francophone Africa, independently.
• Consistently meet the firm’s standards for technical excellence, client service, delivery quality and commercial performance.
• Act as a trusted adviser to clients on sensitive and complex matters, providing practical, commercially focused and defensible advice.

Leadership

• Serve as a senior member of the global forensics practice, supporting the firm’s leadership team and contributing to the achievement of broader business objectives.
• Coach, mentor and develop the wider Forensics team through active engagement leadership, technical guidance and constructive feedback.
• Review and challenge the work of junior colleagues to ensure analytical rigour, consistency and high-quality outputs.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive culture that embraces different perspectives and encourages high performance, professional development and knowledge sharing.
• Contribute specialist expertise to complex engagements and strategic initiatives across the wider global Forensics practice.

Requirements

Knowledge and experience

• Significant experience of conducting internal investigations and designing, implementing and advising on fraud and/or corruption prevention programmes.
• Proven leadership ability operating successfully at a senior level, setting strategy, and growing a business.
• Proven experience taking on leadership responsibility in a geographically dispersed team.
• Demonstrable experience of having developed key, high value, client relationships and accounts.

Qualifications and specialist skills

• Professional qualifications demonstrating technical excellence, such as the DCG-DSCG or ACCA and/or other comparable professional certifications and credentials (e.g. CFE)
• Intrinsic understanding of the use of technology in investigations.
• Developed network of client contacts.
• Knowledge of regulatory enforcement activities in relation to Sapin II, the US FCPA, UK Bribery Act and other relevant legislation.
• Professional fluency in French and English, both written and spoken.

Benefits

• Control Risks offers a competitively positioned compensation and benefits package that is transparent and summarised in the full job offer.
• We operate a discretionary global bonus scheme that incentivises, and rewards individuals based on company and individual performance.
• Control Risks supports hybrid working arrangements, wherever possible, that emphasise the value of in-person time together - in the office and with our clients - while continuing to support flexible and remote working.
• As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us and are fully committed to equal treatment, free from discrimination, of all candidates throughout our recruitment process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made in order to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate your needs.