Senior Director FCO

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role: Financial Controls Organization Senior Director

The Financial Controls Organization Senior Director is responsible for the strategy, development and oversight of the Global Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) Compliance Program and providing internal control consultation.  These responsibilities include establishing and maintaining the requirements of the Global SOx Compliance Program; incorporating new requirements and guidance for emerging risks (e.g. AI and automation), determining annual SOx scope; leading management’s annual assessment of internal control effectiveness, evaluating and integrating the SOx impact of significant corporate activities (acquisitions, divestitures, system integrations, etc.); identifying and managing key relationships with process owners, Corporate Audit Services (CAS), IT, Ernst & Young (EY), Elanco’s Audit Committee and third party service providers to influence and drive key decisions and solutions.  In addition, this role may be responsible for special projects occasionally.

Your Responsibilities:

Development and Oversight of the Global SOx Compliance Program:

• Develop and implement the annual project plan, including risk assessment, materiality, testing scope and materiality
• Lead SOx Steering Committee and Financial Controls Organization (FCO)/CAS/EY Coordination ; communicate program status, emerging risks, deficiencies, remediation progress, and decisions and behaviors required form leadership.
• Escalate issues appropriately to the CAO (Chief Accounting Officer), General Auditor, CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and SOx Steering Committee.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders, external auditors, CAS Business Process and IT SOx Coordinators to manage the program efficiently and resolve issues timely.
• Coordinate and influence CAS and EY on testing scope and approach and resolution of issues.
• Provide SOx and internal control consultation on changes to controls (new, redesign, gaps, etc.).
• Identify, prioritize and lead process improvement, standardization, data analytics and control automation initiatives that improve risk coverage and program efficiency.
• Conduct SOx and internal control presentations and training
• Document management’s assessment of internal control effectiveness, as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Provide SOx and Internal Control Consulting:

• Consult on SOx and internal controls, including issue identification and resolution, deficiency remediation, deficiency impact assessment, etc.
• Assess and integrate the SOx impact of acquisitions, divestitures, ERP and technology implementations, including use of AI and automation, process transitions and other significant business changes; ensure controls are integrated into project design and deployment.
• Serve as subject-matter expert on the PCAOB rules relating to the audit attestation on internal controls.
• Monitor direction of PCAOB proposals and prepare PCAOB comment letters articulating Elanco’s concerns of any proposed relevant standards.
• Assist in evaluation of certain global, regional and local third-party service providers, including initial due diligence and annual evaluation of internal controls and internal control reports (i.e., SOC 1, SSAE No. 18).
• Review and ensure all global EY management letter comments (relating to local statutory audits) are identified with action plans.

Build Strong Working Relationships with Key Stakeholders: 

• CAS (Coordinators for Business & IT) and SOx IT Coordinator.
• SOx Process Owners and Local Coordinators.
• Global Process Owners (Order-to-Cash, Purchase-to-Pay, Record-to-Report, Inventory, Tax).
• Shared Services Center Leadership and Regional Controllers.
• IT & ERP Security.
• External Audit Team (Partner, Senior Manager, and other levels).

Lead a Team:

• This position currently has four direct reports.
• Define and ensure clear accountability for program delivery and continuous improvement.
• Create an inclusive, collaborative environment that encourages constructive challenge, innovation and ownership.
• Coach and develop team, provide timely feedback and build technical, leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Evaluate program requirements and ensure cost-efficient, sustainable resourcing models are in place.

Other Special Projects: 

• Assist with local GAAP/IFRS or accounting and reporting issues with affiliates and EY (or other external auditor)
• Network with other companies to benchmark and share best practices relating to SOx
• Determine scope and develop procedures for affiliate and shared service center assessments (that includes internal controls) on a rotational basis (in coordination with shared service center leaders, Regional Controllers, and areas Controllers)
• Consult on financial compliance topics as part of special projects within the organization
• Various other special projects

What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
• CPA or Chartered Accountant
• Required Experience: 8+ years work experience and 4+ years public accounting experience
• Strong knowledge of and prior experience with:
  • Financial processes (examples: O2C, P2P, RTR, Treasury, Manufacturing)
  • SAP or other ERP system
  • Implementation of SOx
• Elanco does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position. 

What Will Give You the Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications):

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities.
• Develop good relationships and the ability to influence within Elanco, third party service providers and external auditors.
• Solid technical accounting background with extensive knowledge of current US GAAP and SEC reporting requirements.
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to lead and influence others.
• Experience with large, multi-national corporations.
• Ability to perform well under pressure.
• Strong self-management and project management skills with ability to deliver practical solutions.
• Solid independent problem-solving skills and ability to be innovative and creative. 

Additional Information:

• Location: Elanco Global Headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana. 
• Domestic and international travel of less than 10%

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8-week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.