IT Governance & SOX Controls Manager (Contract-to-Hire)

Location: Preference for Greater Phoenix, AZ or Charlotte, NC candidates
Work Model: Hybrid (onsite preferred)
Hours: North America business hours required
Travel: Less than 10%
Compensation: $60–70/hour (Contract-to-Hire)
Sponsorship: No visa sponsorship available

About the Opportunity

Join a large, globally recognized organization undergoing a major transformation of its IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) capabilities. This is a highly visible role within the Information Security and Governance function, responsible for strengthening and modernizing a global IT control framework while supporting audit readiness, risk management, and compliance initiatives across North America and Europe.

This position offers an excellent opportunity for a Senior Lead or Lead-level professional looking to step into a formal management role. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to provide leadership, influence global governance programs, mentor stakeholders, and help drive enterprise-wide control maturity improvements.

The role follows a contract-to-hire model with strong potential for extension and full-time conversion.

Position Summary

The IT Governance & SOX Controls Manager will lead the day-to-day oversight of a global IT controls framework, ensuring the design, implementation, testing, and operational effectiveness of controls that support SOX 404 compliance and broader IT governance objectives.

This individual will serve as a trusted partner to control owners, technology teams, auditors, and executive stakeholders while helping advance governance practices, remediation efforts, audit readiness, and operational risk management initiatives.

The position includes management responsibilities, currently overseeing one direct report, while remaining hands-on in key governance, compliance, and transformation activities.

Key Responsibilities

IT Controls & Compliance Leadership

• Manage and oversee the global SOX IT General Controls (ITGC) framework.
• Ensure controls are appropriately designed, documented, tested, and operating effectively.
• Monitor compliance activities and provide regular reporting to leadership.
• Support audit readiness initiatives and ensure controls meet evolving regulatory and auditor expectations.

Control Design & Maturity Improvement

• Partner with control owners to improve control design, execution, and documentation.
• Identify gaps, weaknesses, and opportunities for control optimization.
• Drive control maturity improvements across global technology functions.
• Establish scalable governance standards and operational practices.

Audit Coordination

• Serve as a primary liaison for external auditors.
• Coordinate audit requests, testing efforts, evidence collection, and issue resolution.
• Facilitate effective communication between audit teams and internal stakeholders.
• Support increasingly rigorous audit requirements and compliance expectations.

Risk Management & Remediation

• Conduct risk assessments and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
• Track remediation plans, monitor progress, and provide status reporting on control deficiencies.
• Ensure timely resolution of findings and sustainable corrective actions.
• Promote proactive risk identification and management practices.

Governance & GRC Platform Management

• Support implementation and optimization of GRC technologies and workflow governance processes.
• Manage control mapping, assessments, issue tracking, and reporting within GRC tools.
• Improve governance workflows, accountability, and visibility across the organization.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Mentor control owners, application administrators, and operational teams.
• Deliver training, guidance, and ongoing support related to IT controls and compliance requirements.
• Build strong relationships across technology, security, finance, audit, and business functions.
• Partner with leadership to advance enterprise IT governance objectives.

Key Projects

• Global ITGC framework transformation and standardization
• Enterprise GRC platform implementation and control mapping
• IT control maturity enhancements across global technology organizations
• Remediation governance and audit-readiness initiatives
• Expansion of governance and risk management capabilities beyond SOX-regulated environments
• Development of repeatable governance processes and operational standards

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in IT SOX compliance, IT audit, IT governance, or IT risk management within a global organization.
• Strong experience with:
  • SOX 404 compliance programs
  • IT General Controls (ITGCs)
  • IT control design and operational effectiveness testing
  • Risk assessment and remediation management
  • External audit coordination
  • Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platforms
• Proven ability to manage and influence stakeholders across multiple regions and functions.
• Experience mentoring control owners and operational teams.
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• High level of analytical ability, including experience interpreting data and identifying trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience working with databases or data analysis tools is highly valued.
• Ability to work independently, drive initiatives forward, and operate with a solution-oriented mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• CISA, CRISC, CISSP, or similar professional certification.
• Background in IT risk management and governance programs.
• Experience with COBIT, COSO, or related control frameworks.
• Familiarity with ERP environments, cloud technologies, and enterprise GRC platforms.
• Experience developing governance models, policies, standards, and operational procedures.

Why This Opportunity?

• Step into a leadership role with direct people management responsibilities.
• Influence a global IT governance and controls transformation initiative.
• Partner directly with executive leadership, audit teams, and cybersecurity leaders.
• Help shape a proactive, data-driven approach to risk management and controls.
• Gain exposure to global operations across North America and Europe.
• Strong opportunity for long-term growth through a contract-to-hire structure.