Compliance & Audit Manager

Who We Are At Lindt, we are a global fast-growing consumer goods company, enchanting the world with premium chocolate. We are driven by our passion for excellence and go the extra mile ensuring that every Lindt experience is nothing short of exceptional. Our collective efforts are geared towards making a positive impact, not only in the world of premium chocolate but also in the lives of our employees, customers, and communities. Our company embraces a culture defined by the core values of Excellence, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Responsibility, and Collaboration, fostering a dynamic and collaborative environment where these principles drive our success. Position Purpose: This position oversees and manages the company’s compliance and internal control environment, ensuring adherence to internal policies, regulatory requirements, and accounting standards (GAAP/IFRS). The role serves as a key liaison for internal and external audits, leads risk assessments and control testing, drives remediation efforts, and supports accurate financial reporting while strengthening the company’s overall governance and compliance framework. This is a hybrid role that requires three days per week in our Stratham, NH corporate office or our Boston office. Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities: Internal Controls

• Designated LICS Champion for the company.
• Manages the implementation and continuous improvement of internal control frameworks and policies to strengthen financial controls, reduce risk of misstatement and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.
• Conducts periodic risk assessments of accounting and operations processes to identify compliance gaps, quantify risk exposure, and recommend prioritized remediation and process improvements.
• Leads testing cycles, including producing objective evidence, executing walkthroughs and control tests, documenting results in compliance tools and presenting findings to Finance Controller and audit committees.
• Owns and manages the design monitoring and data procedures to proactively detect compliance issues, anomalies or policy breaches.
• Manages remediation projects end to end for identified control deficiencies including root cause analysis, action plan development, stakeholder coordination, timelines and tracking completion to reduce audit findings recurrence.
• Support external auditors during external audits.
• Support Group audit team with internal controls.
• Manages and creates control narratives, flowcharts, control matrices and test plans when needed.
• Manages remediation activities to close control deficiencies.

Regulatory & Compliance

• Designated Compliance Champion for the company.
• Manage, prepare, review and deliver recurring regulatory and compliance reports on time and with high accuracy for internal and external stakeholders.
• Serve as primary business partner to internal audit and external auditors for all control and compliance topics – coordinate requests, provide supporting schedules, walk-throughs of processes and controls and drive remediation plans to resolution.
• Monitor regulatory and accounting standard updates and translate impacts into actionable policy or process changes.
• Review new contracts, client onboarding documentation and vendor relationships to identify accounting and compliance implications, escalating potential risks and coordinating mitigation steps with Legal and Procurement.
• Oversee compliance-related general ledger activity, ensuring chart of accounts alignment, appropriate account coding and consistent application of accounting policies across business units.
• Support tax and statutory reporting teams by providing reconciliations, schedules and explanations necessary for regulatory filings, audits and tax provision preparation.
• Provide subject matter expertise on segregation of duties, access controls and system level controls within ERP system.
• Lead compliance trainings mandated by Group.
• Ensure compliance topics are properly communicated across the organization.
• Act as liaison between company and Group Compliance.
• Report all mandated data to Group for Compliance reporting.
• Maintain accurate data points on Compliance topics.
• Assess gift reporting.
• Manage and own the governance, risk and compliance module within the ERP system
• Manage and own the administrative setups for Basware
• Manage Master Data to ensure compliance of all Vendor, Customer and Accounting setups in ERP system.
• Execute month-end accounting tasks related to compliance accounts if needed including preparation and review of journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis and ensuring entries conform to accounting principles and company policy.

Financial Integrity

• Maintain financial/accounting policies and ensure proper rollout and communication.
• Ensure Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures and quarterly review are completed.
• Ensure all fraud attempts are properly reported to Group, and all cases are reviewed to ensure proper procedures are in place.
• Oversee document management and retention to ensure legal requirements are met throughout the company
• Support group reporting and monthly reporting requirements
• Provide back-up support for transactional accounting activities during peak periods to maintain accurate financial reporting and control coverage.

Qualifications & Requirements: Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive audit and accounting experience required, including experience in public accounting
• Experience with SOX, internal controls testing, risk assessments and compliance programs required
• Combination of public accounting and corporate accounting experience strongly preferred
• Experience leading audit engagements, coordinating with external auditors, and managing remediation of audit findings required
• Experience with remediation of audit findings
• Big 4 or large regional public accounting firm experience preferred

Skills & Knowledge:

• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and a strong team player
• Capable of working independently, juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Must have a high level of proficiency with Excel and Database knowledge a plus.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and SAP experience highly preferred
• Strong understanding of audit methodologies, risk-based auditing and control testing
• Demonstrated experience documenting and evaluating business processes, risks and controls
• Knowledge of COSO Internal control framework and SOX compliance principles
• Demonstrated knowledge of US GAAP, IFRS, internal controls, financial reporting and auditing standards required
• Ability to communicate audit findings and recommendations to senior leadership

Education:

• BS in Accounting or related field required
• Master’s degree preferred
• Active CPA license required

Total Rewards: Compensation: $108,264 - $140,728 Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The company will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas. Lindt USA’s salary range reflects market rates based on our size, revenue, and location. Starting pay is determined using a wide range of factors including, but not limited to, job-related skills, knowledge, and experience as well as market conditions. A bonus and/or long-term incentive may be included as part of this compensation package. Lindt and Sprüngli is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, veteran status, or any other classification protected by state, local or federal law. Applicants for this position must successfully pass a background screening and may be required to pass drug screenings as well. If you are looking to join a winning team and fast-track your career, contact us! Join us on our journey of excellence, impact, and growth #LifeAtLindt