Head of Assurance & Internal Controls (m-f-d)

The Scope

As Head of Assurance & Internal Controls, you will provide strategic leadership for FSC’s global assurance, governance, and internal control framework across its international network. The role is responsible for strengthening financial integrity, organizational accountability, risk management, and control effectiveness, ensuring that FSC’s governance structures, systems, and processes support sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you will drive a culture of transparency, stewardship, and continuous improvement while enhancing organizational resilience and safeguarding FSC’s reputation and resources. Working closely with leaders across Finance, Operations, Technology, People & Culture, and Global Network functions, you will establish, monitor, and continuously improve assurance frameworks, governance practices, and internal controls across critical business processes and operations.

This enterprise-wide leadership position plays a pivotal role in supporting informed decision-making, promoting financial stewardship, strengthening risk awareness, and ensuring effective accountability mechanisms that enable FSC to deliver its mission and impact globally across more than 80 countries.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead FSC’s global Assurance & Internal Controls function, including the leadership, development, and performance management of a distributed team.
• Define and execute FSC’s enterprise-wide assurance strategy and governance model.
• Own and continuously evolve the global internal control framework, ensuring financial integrity, operational effectiveness, and compliance.
• Establish and enforce organization-wide control standards, methodologies, governance structures, and accountability for control ownership and testing.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge on governance, risk, controls, and financial stewardship matters.
• Advise Executive Leadership and contribute to Board and Audit Committee discussions on assurance, governance, and control effectiveness.
• Lead enterprise-wide reviews of critical end-to-end business processes (P2P, O2C, R2R, H2R) to identify risks, control gaps, and process inefficiencies.
• Drive global remediation and continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring timely execution of corrective actions by accountable business owners.
• Own FSC’s assurance coordination model, serving as the primary interface for internal and external auditors and assurance providers.
• Provide independent assurance on control effectiveness, remediation progress, and compliance with regulatory, donor, and governance requirements.
• Lead the assurance and controls agenda for ERP systems, financial applications, data governance, control automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships and lead global governance initiatives that strengthen organizational capability, accountability, risk awareness, and control maturity.

Your profile

We are seeking an accomplished governance, assurance, risk, audit, or finance leader with a proven ability to influence across complex international organizations.

• A university degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Risk Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional qualifications such as CIA, CPA, ACCA, CISA, CRMA, or equivalent.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in internal audit, internal controls, assurance, governance, compliance, risk management, or finance leadership.
• Demonstrated experience operating in international, matrixed, and multicultural environments.
• Strong understanding of enterprise-wide internal control frameworks and governance practices.
• Experience engaging with executive leadership and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and relationship management skills.
• High levels of integrity, professional judgment, and credibility.

Why us?

• Be part of a globally respected organization shaping the future of sustainable forestry.
• Work with a diverse international team representing 60+ nationalities.
• Join a global FSC community of over 400 forest stewards.
• Enjoy meaningful professional development opportunities and continuous learning.
• Live and work in Bonn, Germany — a vibrant international city and UN hub close to nature.
• Benefit from 30 days of annual leave, flexible work arrangements, and a healthy work-life balance.
• Relocation support available, if applicable

The Fine Print

• Location: Bonn, Germany.

• Working Hours: Full time - 40 hours per week.

• Duration of Employment: Temporary contract - 2 years (extension possible, subject to satisfactory performance)

• Starting Date: As soon as possible.
  
  

How to Apply
Ready to make a difference? Join FSC and help shape a sustainable future. Don't delay - apply now!

• Please apply via our website by submitting your CV in English.
• Please do not send any photos of yourself.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
  
  

For FSC, inclusiveness and diversity are important values. As such, we welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds and are entirely committed to consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age and disability.

We will confirm receipt of your application. Should you not receive a confirmation of receipt please check your spam filter and if you cannot find it there contact us at careers@fsc.org

Please be informed, that by applying for this position you automatically accept our Data Protection Information on processing your personal data.

We are looking forward to your application!

About us

Welcome to FSC!

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognized non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting sustainable forestry. With over 150 million hectares of certified forests and a trusted reputation among NGOs, consumers, and businesses, FSC is leading the way in ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the world’s forests.