Head of Internal Audit & SOX

Avant champions every customer on their financial journey and moves financial lives forward. We provide personal loans, credit cards, and financial products that help middle-income Americans access the financial tools they deserve. We're looking for a Head of Internal Audit & SOX to lead and continue building our internal audit and SOX program from the ground up. This is Avant's top internal audit role — you'll be the principal advisor to the Board's Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee (ARCC) on the strength of our control environment. There's a limited existing program to inherit. You'll have the autonomy to build a robust program, evolving  Avant’s framework with the same rigor and judgment you'd bring to a fully established audit function. Reporting structure: This role sits within Finance and reports directly to the ARCC. The Committee approves your annual audit plan, receives your quarterly reporting, and meets with you in executive sessions without management present. Why this role matters: Our bank partners, regulators, and Board expect real rigor around controls. In this seat, you decide what gets audited, drive timely remediation, and give the Board a clear, unvarnished view of risk — a big part of how seriously Avant addresses regulatory risk as a lender.   What you'll do at Avant: Own the Board relationship: Partner directly with the ARCC Chair to approve audit plans, deliver quarterly reporting on control health, and escalate critical risks. Set audit and SOX strategy: Define the audit charter, methodology, and resourcing model. Own the enterprise risk assessment and establish a risk-based audit plan for financial reporting, technology, third-party, and regulatory compliance—keeping it current as the business evolves while building a roadmap to sustained SOX 302/404 compliance. Build and lead the function: Recruit talent and manage co-source partners. Oversee scoping, walkthroughs, testing, deficiency evaluation, and reporting. Establish evidence-retention standards and risk-control matrices while leveraging GRC tools, data analytics, automated testing, and continuous monitoring to scale coverage. Drive remediation governance: Track control deficiencies from identification to validated closure, monitoring aging and high-risk findings, enforcing root-cause resolution, and escalating material delays to leadership and the ARCC. Operate as a trusted partner: Collaborate closely with executive leadership and partners across Finance, Accounting, Technology, Product, Legal, Compliance, and Enterprise Risk to support business goals while maintaining independence.   Why you're a fit at Avant: 15+ years in internal audit, SOX, or internal controls, including at least 4 years leading an audit function or SOX program at a Director level or above Direct experience owning the relationship with an audit committee or board — you've built the materials, delivered the readout, defended the plan, and handled tough questions from…