First Line Control Assurance Specialist

Are you a control assurance management professional who finds inspiration in helping organisations harden their control environment? Are you self-motivated, highly organised and able to manage competing priorities and deal flexibly with ambiguity? 

As First Line Control Assurance Specialist, you are responsible for supporting the first line teams in maintaining a robust control environment. This role focuses on assessing, monitoring, and validating the effectiveness of internal controls across multiple control frameworks and business processes to ensure compliance with internal and external requirements. The specialist conducts assurance reviews, identifies control weaknesses, and partners with operational teams to implement corrective actions. By providing guidance and maintaining accurate documentation, the role helps strengthen governance, reduce risk exposure, and promote operational excellence.

In this role you will:

• Provide transparency and ensure accurate reporting of control testing and audit activities and results to Executive and Senior Leadership.
• Build and foster meaningful and professional relationships with a wide range of internal stakeholders across all 3 lines.
• Collaborate with 2nd line Risk Department and 3rd line Internal Audit on a frequent basis to stay aligned on first line testing and audit activities and outcomes.
• Perform first line control testing and assurance reviews to evaluate design and operating effectiveness of the controls.
• Identify and report control gaps, risks, and compliance issues.
• Ensure issues detected by first line are documented as Issues Known to Management.
• Support remediation plans and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain documentation for audits and regulatory reporting.
• Collaborate with business units to ensure adherence to internal control standards.
• Drive improvements to increase control and control testing maturity.
• Provide internal and external audit oversight, including coordination, monitoring, and guidance in preparing timely and quality responses to third line audit findings.
• Provide training and guidance on control and auditing requirements.
• Serve as primary liaison for internal and external audits.

We are seeking professionals with:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 5+ years of experience in control compliance, risk management, audit or similar roles.
• Strong understanding of compliance frameworks, risks, policies and controls.
• Experience evaluating and validating the effectiveness of internal controls within business processes, systems, and compliance frameworks.
• Proficiency in using governance, risk management and compliance tools and methodologies.
• Self-starter with a structured, process-oriented mindset and the ability to work independently in a dynamic, international environment.
• Excellent communication (written and oral), interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strategic thinker and problem-solver, including ability to analyse complex technical data and provide actionable insights and recommendations.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience interacting at senior levels.
• Collaborative mindset with a proactive and solution-oriented approach.
• Proven ability to influence, drive change and deliver with an operational excellence mindset.
• Resilience and adaptability in managing multiple priorities and delivering results in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CISA, CRISC, CGRC, GRCP, ISO 31000)
• Strong knowledge of industry standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, CIS, COBIT).
• Professional English language skills (written and verbal)