Internal Controls Advisory, Principal

Job Description

The Internal Controls Advisory Services (ICAS) team supports Blue Shield of California in strengthening enterprise-wide internal controls, risk management, and governance practices across business and technology functions. The Principal will report to the Director, ICAS and play a critical role in driving a strong and sustainable control environment. This role goes beyond execution, owning complex initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders, and shaping how controls evolve in a changing risk landscape (including AI-enabled processes). You will operate with high autonomy, bring a point of view, and help translate risk and controls into practical, business-friendly solutions.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Lead complex internal controls advisory engagements across the organization
• Drive end-to-end control assessments, including risk identification, scoping, testing strategy, and reporting
• Identify control gaps, root causes, and sustainable solutions - not just observations
• Provide clear, actionable recommendations that balance risk mitigation with business practicality
• Contribute to and help shape the ICAS work plan and risk coverage strategy
• Evaluate emerging risks (operational, regulatory, financial, privacy etc.) and proactively adjust control focus
• Support enterprise initiatives (e.g., system implementations, transformations, AI adoption) from a controls perspective
• Demonstrate strong working familiarity with AI and automation concepts, and how they are transforming business processes and control environments
• Act as a translator between business, technology, and risk, helping teams understand how their roles, processes, and controls evolve in an AI-enabled environment
• Partner with stakeholders to embed controls and governance into AI-enabled processes, balancing innovation with appropriate risk management
• Promote a mindset of experimentation and continuous learning, helping teams evolve as AI capabilities expand across the enterprise
• Build strong relationships with business leaders and act as a trusted advisor
• Influence to drive timely remediation and accountability
• Communicate complex control issues in simple, business-relevant language (written and verbal)
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise reports for senior leadership on control effectiveness and risks
• Highlight themes, trends, and systemic risks, not just individual issues
• Provide forward-looking insights, not just backward-looking assessments

Qualifications

Your Knowledge and Experience:

• Requires a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Requires a minimum of 10 years of experience in internal audit, internal controls, risk advisory, or related field
• Strong understanding of internal control frameworks and risk assessment methodologies
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional engagements
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive outcomes with minimal supervision
• CPA, CIA, CISA or equivalent certifications
• Prefer: Healthcare experience (e.g., Medi-Cal, Medicare)

Hybrid

This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week.

Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.

Blue Shield of California