Manager – Internal Controls

Your Opportunity

As a member of the Stantec Internal Controls (IC) team, the Manager, Internal Controls plays a key role in driving and supporting Stantec’s global internal control environment, with a primary focus on Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR) and Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (SOX) compliance. The role partners with leadership across various business functions globally to identify and address financial reporting risks and to design, document, implement, assess, and sustain effective controls across financially relevant business processes and supporting systems.

The role serves as a strategic business partner, providing practical guidance on financial reporting risk, control design, documentation, remediation, process and system changes, and evolving regulatory requirements. The role works closely with stakeholders to strengthen controls while identifying opportunities to simplify processes, improve consistency, and integrate effective controls into business operations.

The role drives the annual SOX compliance and audit cycle, working collaboratively with business stakeholders to support their control responsibilities and serving as a primary liaison with internal and external auditors. This includes coordinating walkthroughs and testing, managing audit requests, facilitating the resolution of control matters, monitoring remediation activities, and ensuring appropriate documentation and evidence are maintained. The role continually seeks opportunities to improve the ICFR program through more efficient processes, greater standardization, and the effective use of technology and automation.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic business partner to leadership across various business functions globally, providing practical Internal Controls expertise and guidance to identify and address financial reporting risks, influence effective and sustainable solutions, and design, implement, document, assess, and sustain controls across financially relevant business processes and supporting systems.
• Manage Internal Controls processes and priorities while serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing practical guidance on complex financial reporting and control matters and balancing planned ICFR activities with evolving business, audit, and regulatory needs. Apply a risk-based approach to prioritize Internal Controls involvement and focus efforts where the function can provide the greatest value to the business.
• Lead key activities across the annual ICFR and SOX compliance audit cycle, including annual planning, risk assessment and scoping, walkthroughs, control assessments, evaluation of changes to the control environment, deficiency assessment, remediation, management reporting, and year-end activities.
• Act as a key liaison with internal and external auditors, coordinating audit activities, walkthroughs, testing requests, and supporting documentation; facilitating discussions with business stakeholders; and supporting the timely resolution of audit and control matters.
• Maintain and enhance the internal control framework, including process narratives, risk and control matrices, control procedures, flowcharts, evidence standards, assessment methodologies, and supporting documentation to ensure the framework remains current and aligned with financial reporting risks.
• Perform and facilitate risk and control assessments to identify emerging or changing risks, control gaps, redundancies, and opportunities to strengthen or simplify the control environment. Develop practical recommendations that balance risk mitigation, operational effectiveness, and business needs.
• Provide Internal Controls guidance on significant business, process, and technology changes, including system implementations, process transformations, acquisitions, organizational changes, and other initiatives that may impact ICFR, helping ensure financial reporting risks and control requirements are considered as changes are designed and implemented.
• Lead and monitor remediation of control deficiencies and identified gaps, partnering with business stakeholders to understand root cause, develop practical and sustainable corrective actions, establish clear ownership and timelines, and assess whether remediation appropriately addresses the underlying financial reporting risk.
• Provide clear and timely reporting on the internal control environment, including control deficiencies, remediation status, emerging risks, audit matters, and significant program activities for business partners, senior leadership, and governance stakeholders.
• Leverage AI, technology, data analytics, and automation to modernize and continuously improve Internal Controls processes and the broader control environment. Identify opportunities to streamline Internal Controls activities, enhance the quality and value of analysis provided to the business, identify trends and emerging risks, automate manual control processes, and improve control monitoring, documentation, and evidence management. Partner with business and technology teams to develop scalable, technology-enabled solutions that strengthen controls, reduce manual effort, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of both Internal Controls and business processes.
• Develop and deliver practical training and guidance on ICFR, SOX, financial reporting risk, control ownership, documentation, remediation, and Internal Controls methodologies, helping business stakeholders understand their responsibilities and translating technical requirements into clear, practical expectations.

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Demonstrated knowledge of internal controls, ICFR, SOX, and financial reporting risk, supported by solid financial and accounting acumen and an understanding of IFRS and/or U.S. GAAP.
• Sound understanding of audit principles and practices, with experience navigating internal and external audit requirements and complex control matters.
• Strategic and business-oriented mindset, with the ability to assess risk, understand business objectives, challenge constructively, and develop practical and sustainable solutions.
• Excellent communication, relationship management, and influencing skills, with the credibility to advise and collaborate with senior leadership and stakeholders across a global organization.
• Highly developed analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, connect issues across processes and systems, and translate findings into clear, actionable insights.
• Technology-forward and curious mindset, with an aptitude for identifying new and innovative ways to improve how Internal Controls and the business operate.
• Sound professional judgment, with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity, make well-reasoned decisions, and influence outcomes without direct authority.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Accounting, Finance, or similar discipline
• Minimum 10 years of relevant post-designation experience within a large, complex, environment in some or all the following areas: public accounting, internal auditing and / or ICFR compliance
• Excellent understanding of COSO and risk assessment practices
• Engineering industry experience is a definite asset
• CPA, CIA, or another relevant professional designation
• Ability to travel up to 25% of time both domestically and internationally for up to two weeks in duration

Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each others’ talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.