Director of Internal Audit - Set up a Commercial Service line

Director of Audit & Compliance Services | Yorkshire or London

£6 figure salary + exec package incl large bonus and LTIPS

Build something that doesn't exist yet

"This is not just another audit leadership role. You'll transform an internal function into a commercial service with real scale. This is something you'll look back on and say: I built that."

Most senior audit roles are about stewardship. Maintaining standards. Preserving frameworks. Protecting what already exists.

This one is different.

This is a greenfield leadership opportunity to take a high-performing internal audit and compliance function - and turn it into a market-facing, revenue-generating service line with real commercial scale.

If you've ever felt that your commercial, entrepreneurial or transformation instincts were underused in traditional audit roles, this could be the role you've been waiting for.

Why this role is genuinely rare

You won't be inheriting a static function.

You'll be given a clear mandate to:

• modernise it
• commercialise it
• and scale it externally

The team already exists. The capability already exists. What doesn't exist yet - is the business.

"The compliance market is huge. I want someone who can grow this into a multi-million-pound external service line - just like we've already done in other areas."

This is a chance to build a consulting-style offering inside a global corporate group - not a professional services firm - with the autonomy of a founder and the backing of serious scale.

Opportunity in plain English

You’ll lead a specialist team delivering internal audit, compliance assurance and controls work today - and reshape how that capability is delivered tomorrow.

Your remit will span:

• Strategy - defining what the service becomes and where it plays
• Commercialisation - pricing, propositions, contracts and go-to-market
• Transformation - technology, automation, new delivery models
• Leadership - developing a high-calibre team into a scalable unit

This is not about selling hours. It’s about building a credible, modern compliance and GRC service that external clients actually want to buy.

What you’ll be trusted to do

• Design and execute the service-line growth strategy
• Turn internal delivery into formal, commercial contracts
• Build external propositions and pipelines
• Lead digital and operational transformation
• Develop partnerships with technology providers
• Shape standards, pricing models and delivery frameworks
• Grow revenue fast - and sustainably

"We need someone who can think commercially, reshape delivery, lower cost-to-serve and scale fast."

You’ll sit on the senior leadership team and have visibility across the UK, Europe and the US.

Who this will resonate with

This role will suit someone who:

• Has senior experience in internal audit, compliance or risk
• Has seen how traditional audit models work - and knows they can be better
• Thinks commercially, not just technically
• Enjoys building things, not just running them
• Can balance rigour with pace and pragmatism
• Has one or more of ACA/ICAEW/ICAS, CPA CIA, CIPM, CISA qualification(s)

You might be:

• from a large professional services firm, ready to do something more entrepreneurial
• already in industry, looking for a role with real autonomy and legacy

What matters most isn’t where you've worked - it's whether you can demonstrate change, impact and modernisation.

What makes this compelling long-term

• You build something meaningful - not just manage BAU
• You have real backing - financial, strategic and operational
• You design the tech stack - no legacy constraints
• You gain global exposure - across multiple markets
• You accelerate your career - success here opens big doors

"In a few years, you'll look back at a service line you built from scratch."

Package & flexibility

• Senior leadership salary (six-figure base)
• Bonus and long-term incentive
• Hybrid working from Leeds or London
• International exposure and travel

Final thought

If you're looking for a standard, bau audit leadership role, this isn't it.

But if you're someone who feels destined to build, transform and leave a legacy, this could be one of the most career-defining moves you ever make.

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