Director, Finance - Internal Audit

The Director of Internal Audit will be responsible for owning Verano’s internal audit function including defining and implementing annual audit plans and structured board reporting materials. Strong understanding of professional audit standards, COSO, and risk assessment practices is a must.  A successful candidate will lead and coach a team of internal audit personnel helping to make Verano an error free and compliant organization under Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). This is a highly visible, cross-functional role that will be an integral part of maintaining and developing internal audit procedures over controls within multi-departmental operations, financial reporting, and information technology, including periodic top-down scoping, risk assessment, and maintaining audit matrices.

The ideal candidate will be interested in streamlining and strengthening the function, improving coordination with third-party providers, optimizing the recently implemented AuditBoard platform, and expanding the team.

This hybrid role requires ~3 days a week on-site at Verano HQ (224 W. Hill St, Chicago IL 60610). Verano requires applicants to have permanent United States work authorization (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Streamline and strengthen Verano’s internal audit function.

• Leverage and assist in implementing the Company’s use of AuditBoard.

• Improve and maintain coordination with co-sourced third parties.

• Design and implement a comprehensive risk-based audit plan to assess, report on, and recommend improvements to key operational, financial, and internal activities to ensure the integrity and reliability of information and financial reporting, safeguard company assets, and comply with laws and regulations.

• Develop and take ownership of the annual audit process.

• Author internal audit processes, policies, and procedures and establish a self-testing continuous internal monitoring function to ensure compliance across the organization.

• Aggregate, update, and distribute audit reports.

• Monitor Management Action Plan remediation, with effective tracking and reporting of deficiencies.

• Report audit findings to executive management, the audit committee, and to the Board of Directors.

• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including functional and regional leaders and their management teams, regulators, and external auditors.

• Actively participate in the planning and implementation of controls and processes which will allow Verano to achieve 404 certification under Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX).

• Coach, mentor, and train company personnel on internal audit functionality.

• Review and analyze departmental business processes across the organization and offer recommendations for improvement.

• Participate in audit compliance, fraud, and enterprise risk management.

• Establish and maintain a continuous improvement culture including establishing methodologies, prioritization, and influencing and sponsoring broader regional initiatives.

• Ad hoc work on special projects to identify strategic solutions to issues facing a fast-growing company.

• Act as a liaison to external auditors, assisting in their completion of audits which can include but is not limited to integrated audits, statutory audits, benefit plan audits, etc.

• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or relevant major required. 

• 9+ years of experience in accounting, internal audit, and/or finance roles of increasing responsibility.

• 4+ years of managerial experience.

• Experience in effective leadership, interpersonal communication skills capable of interacting with staff, peers, and senior leadership including the CEO, CFO, and General Counsel competently and effectively.

• True hands-on experience helping transform the maturity of the internal audit function.

• Possess a deep technical knowledge of US GAAP and SOX compliance.

• Experience with Microsoft Office, specifically in Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Possess excellent problem-solving, time management, and written and verbal communication skills. 

• Highly organized and detail oriented. 

• Comfortable with a fast-paced environment and flexible to daily changes.

• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• MBA / CPA / CIA designation highly preferred.

• Public accounting and/or F500 public company experience preferred.

• Financial/accounting software experience, specifically SAP. 

• AuditBoard experience.

• Knowledge of financial reporting systems, analytics, and dashboards is a plus.