Finance role
Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager Recruiters
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: You need someone who prepares workpapers that meet external auditor review standards.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
This manager executes SOX testing cycles from planning through report delivery. You need someone who prepares workpapers that meet external auditor review standards. This person manages testing staff and maintains the engagement budget.
They set the testing scope based on risk assessments and verify that controls operate as documented. Who approves the adjustment to the testing scope after a control failure? They serve as the primary point of contact for the client’s internal control team and the external audit firm.
Ask them how they resolve disagreements with client management over control gaps. Ask for a specific time they adjusted a test program due to unexpected process changes. Ask how they balance the technical accuracy of the testing with the firm expectation to hit engagement margins.
Clarify if the candidate builds audit programs or executes existing ones. Ask them to explain how they determine the sample size for a control population that changed during the middle of the year. Candidates must explain the underlying risk logic. Require them to walk through a recent risk assessment document they authored. Ask them specifically where they identified a control deficiency and what exact evidence they relied on to classify that error. You should also probe on the timing of their testing procedures. Ask if they perform interim or year-end testing and why they prefer one approach over the other for specific types of controls. Listen for their rationale regarding documentation. A solid candidate explains the trade-off between speed and sufficient evidentiary trail. Ask them to describe a situation where a client argued about the nature of a control. Note if they focus on the technical requirement of the standard or if they attempt to solve the client issue through process improvement. This reveals if they view the job as a compliance tick-box or as actual risk mitigation. Check if they have ever faced a peer review or external audit quality inspection. Ask what specific documentation their previous managers pointed out as insufficient. Their reaction to that feedback shows how they align with firm standards. Verify their process for managing staff output. Ask them how they correct an associate who submitted a testing workbook that contains logical errors but appears clean on the surface. This verifies if they can actually catch mistakes before they reach the final review stage.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
First, we verify their current CPA license. Second, we confirm they have led full-cycle SOX 404 projects. Third, we check experience with specific ERP systems like SAP or Oracle. Fourth, we review their history of answering auditor queries independently. Fifth, we confirm they have tested IT general controls alongside financial controls. Finally, we verify they have supervised junior staff to confirm they can review associate work products.
We screen for the specific trade-off between strict documentation adherence and operational efficiency. We ask candidates how they handle a situation where a client resists a control change due to production downtime. If they prioritize auditor approval above all else, they risk burning client relationships, but if they prioritize production, they risk audit failures. We also probe how they determine the cutoff point for evidence collection. A candidate who gathers infinite documentation lacks judgment, while one who stops too early fails your internal review. We verify if they prioritize granular control testing or big-picture risk mitigation.
03
Where do we find them?
We source from regional and national CPA firms providing outsourced internal audit services. We look for candidates who feel their current firm blocks them from more complex control architecture work. We also target those at firms where internal audit departments are downsizing or moving toward lower-cost locations. People move when they seek a wider range of industries or better control over their project workflow. We avoid those who only perform repetitive testing cycles without designing the testing approach.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring a manager who lacks the specific industry niche experience relevant to your client base.
- 02Selecting someone who relies on templates without adapting them to the specific control environment of the client.
- 03Ignoring the candidate's history of client-facing communication errors which leads to audit friction.
05
The search in three steps
- 01Review of qualified candidate profiles against your specific audit environment needs.
- 02Validation of technical control knowledge and team leadership capabilities through direct inquiry.
- 03Final selection interviews with your partner group to assess cultural fit and project management style.
How your Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Do I pay a fee to start seeking a manager who executes SOX testing?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Does this role involve sales?
This is a delivery and management position focused on audit engagement execution. While client service is part of the job, the primary responsibility is control assessment and testing.
How do you distinguish this from an audit manager?
A risk advisory SOX manager focuses on internal control design and operating effectiveness. An audit manager focus is on financial statement assertions and risk of material misstatement.
What if the candidate needs relocation?
We source candidates who are willing to relocate for the right role. We confirm their willingness to move before presenting them for your review.
Is this a remote or in-office position?
The structure depends on your specific engagement requirements. We will qualify candidates based on the work model you establish for this role.
How soon will I see a Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager hire?
We ask every Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.
What does the published pay data show?
$166,570 national annual median. SOC 11-3031: Financial Managers.
BLS reports Financial Managers, not a separate wage for Risk Advisory (SOX) Manager. This broader occupation does not distinguish seniority, work arrangement or language requirements.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide