Senior Director, SOX & Internal Controls

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Senior Director, SOX & Internal Controls

HUNT VALLEY, MD, US, 21031

You may know McCormick as a leader in herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments – and we’re only getting started. At McCormick, we’re always looking for new people to bring their unique flavor to our team.

McCormick employees – all 14,000 of us across the world – are what makes this company a great place to work.

We are looking to hire an Senior Director, SOX & Internal Controls immediately in a Hybrid (50/50) capacity at our Global Headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

What We Bring To The Table:

The best people deserve the best rewards. In addition to the benefits you’d expect from a global leader (401k, health insurance, paid time off, etc.) we also offer:

• Career growth opportunities

• Flexibility and Support for Diverse Life Stages and Choices

• Wellbeing programs including Physical, Mental and Financial wellness

The Senior Director, SOX and Internal Controls leads the company’s global internal controls over financial reporting program, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This role is accountable for defining and leading McCormick’s long-term Internal Controls and SOX strategy, including securing alignment and support from Finance and business leadership. This also includes designing, maintaining, evaluating, and continuously improving the company’s internal control framework across corporate functions, manufacturing operations, shared service centers, and global business units. This role has final functional decision-making authority for significant SOX and Internal Controls matters, including defining decision criteria, evaluating business impacts, and gaining senior leadership alignment on implementation and remediation actions.

The Senior Director plays a critical leadership role in supporting a large-scale business integration, including the alignment of control environments, harmonization of policies and processes, integration of systems and data, and readiness of acquired or newly integrated entities for SOX compliance. This role has ownership of the future-state control environment following the Unilever integration, including thought leadership provided to the Integration Management Office and external consulting partners. This role will also be responsible for partnering with the Unilever integration team to jointly create new control methodologies, governance frameworks, and control models to support Day 1 readiness, the transition period, TSA stabilization, and the post-integration end state.

This role will work closely with Finance, Accounting, Internal Audit, IT, Operations, Legal, Compliance, external auditors, external consultants and senior leadership to ensure a strong and scalable control environment and builds strong relationships across global teams to promote accountability, transparency, and a culture of control ownership.

This role requires deep technical knowledge of SOX, SEC reporting requirements, COSO, financial processes, IT general controls, manufacturing operations, and integration-related risks and prepares clear and concise updates for senior leadership, Disclosure Committee, Audit Committee, and other governance forums. The role will be responsible for external representation of McCormick as the company’s leading authority on SOX and Internal Controls, including interactions with external auditors, regulatory stakeholders, consulting partners, industry groups, and other external forums.

This role will be responsible for monitoring and interpreting regulatory developments and leading the company’s response to evolving SOX, Internal Controls, and governance requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the global SOX compliance program, including annual scoping, risk assessment, control design, testing strategy, deficiency evaluation, remediation tracking, and executive reporting as well as monitoring the regulatory framework and interpreting regulatory developments and leading the company’s response to evolving SOX, internal control and governance requirements. Define and lead McCormick’s long-term Internal Controls and SOX strategy, including securing alignment and support from Finance and business leadership, as needed.
• Coordinate the Global SOX process across all regions and segments including on-going evaluation of proposed changes to McCormick’s internal controls over financial reporting. Provide subject matter expertise across key financial reporting processes, including order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, inventory, cost accounting, fixed assets, payroll, revenue recognition, treasury, tax, financial close, consolidations, and SEC reporting. Collaborate with IT, Information Security, and Finance Systems teams to evaluate IT general controls, application controls, interfaces, data integrity, system access, change management, and automated controls.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of internal controls and SOX professionals, including direct reports, regional resources, consultants, and third-party providers. Coordinate with external auditors to align on SOX scope, testing plans, documentation requirements, deficiency assessments, and audit timing.
• Coordination of remediation activities (as required); developing training materials and providing training to McCormick team members with respect to SOX controls and performance; providing periodic updates regarding McCormick’s SOX compliance program for presentation to its Audit Committee.
• Support internal controls workstreams related to large-scale integration, acquisitions, divestitures, ERP implementation, shared services transition, or global business transformations. Assess the control environment of newly integrated businesses, entities, processes, and systems, identifying gaps against company standards and SOX requirements. Develop and execute SOX readiness and integration plans, including control mapping, process harmonization, remediation tracking, policy alignment, and stakeholder training. Support the design of future-state control environment following the Unilever integration, including thought leadership provided to the Integration Management Office and external consulting partners. Responsible for partnering with the Unilever integration team to jointly create new control methodologies, governance frameworks, and control models to support Day 1 readiness, the transition period, TSA stabilization, and the post-integration end state.
• Partner with integration leadership, Finance Transformation, IT, Operations, and business process owners to embed effective controls into future-state processes and systems. Support the standardization and scalability of controls across regions, manufacturing sites, distribution centers, shared services, and corporate functions.
• Direct and oversee all activities related to governance, risk and compliance tools including maintenance and administration of the Workiva system (McCormick’s system of record for s302 certifications and s404 SOX testing and related documentation) as well as developing KPIs, dashboards and other program reporting including Risk and Control Matrices.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of internal controls and SOX professionals, including direct reports, regional resources, consultants, and third-party providers. Establish team priorities, performance expectations, quality standards, and development plans. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
• Promote continuous improvement in SOX methodology, tools, reporting, and control testing efficiency. Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and strengthen controls while supporting operational efficiency. Drive consistent application of financial policies, delegation of authority, account reconciliation standards, and control requirements across the global organization. Responsible for external representation of McCormick as the company’s leading authority on SOX and Internal Controls, including interactions with external auditors, regulatory stakeholders, consulting partners, industry groups, and other external forums, as needed.

Candidate profile

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 12 or more years of progressive experience in internal controls, SOX compliance, public accounting, internal audit, external audit, controllership, or related finance roles. Significant experience with SEC registrants and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
• Experience leading or supporting SOX programs in a large, global, complex organization. Strong understanding of COSO, PCAOB expectations, SEC reporting requirements, and financial reporting risk.
• Demonstrated experience supporting major integrations, acquisitions, ERP implementations, business transformations, or global process standardization initiatives.
• Clear communication skills, including the ability to translate complex control matters into practical guidance. Strong collaboration and influencing skills.
• Strategic mindset and ability to influence via formal and informal relationships.
• Strong technical accounting, controls, and risk assessment expertise.
• Excellent leadership, judgment, and executive presence.
• Ability to balance compliance requirements with practical business solutions.
• Strong project management and integration management skills.
• Ability to drive change in a complex, global organization.

Preferred qualifications

• Public accounting experience with a Big Four or large regional firm.
• Demonstrated experience with global ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms.
• Significant experience with governance, risk, and compliance tools such as Workiva, AuditBoard, SAP GRC, Oracle GRC, or similar systems.
• Proven experience integrating newly acquired businesses into a public company SOX environment.
• Experience operating in a matrixed, multinational manufacturing organization.

#LI-DNI

Base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience for this role, and/or internal equity of our current employees as part of any final offer. This position is also eligible to participate in McCormick’s Incentive Bonus (MIB) Plan/ McCormick’s Sales Incentive Bonus (SIB) Plan/ McCormick’s Dividend Program. In addition to a competitive compensation package, permanent employees of McCormick are eligible for our extensive Total Rewards programs that include:

- Comprehensive health plans covering medical, vision, dental, life and disability benefits
- Family-friendly benefits such as paid parental leave, fertility benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and caregiver support
- Retirement and investment programs including 401(k) and profit-sharing plans

McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a general policy, McCormick does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.

WHY WORK AT MCCORMICK?

As a McCormick employee you’ll be empowered to focus on more than your individual responsibilities. You’ll have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself—to have a say in where the company is going and how it’s growing.

Between our passion for flavor, our 130-year history of leadership and integrity, the competitive and comprehensive benefits we offer, and our culture, which is built on respect and opportunities for growth, there are many reasons to join us at McCormick.