Director, Internal Audit

A member of the FTSE 100, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion Footwear and Apparel, with revenues of over £11bn. We  operate in 36 countries with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The North America Market now represents 40% of JD Group revenues across our 4 main fascias – JD Finish Line, Hibbett, Shoe Palace and DTLR.  

The JD Group Internal Audit Team was formed in 2023, following the delivery of significant governance improvements within the JD Group. The role holder will have a unique opportunity to develop an Internal Audit function for the North American Market. Reporting to the Group Head of Assurance (GHA) for the UK PLC, and the local US CFO, the HIA will occupy a senior leadership position. The role holder will be responsible for planning and overseeing the end-to-end delivery of the audit plan and manage the work completed by our co-source partners. This leader should effectively exhibit JD Finish Line’s core values of Customer, People, Winning, Community, and Financial Responsibility in everything they do by performing the following main duties:

• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with management and second line functions. 

• Engage regularly with Divisional Leadership and local Audit Committees as required. 

• Keeping up to date with evolving governance and compliance requirements. 

• Recruiting, managing and mentoring a small team of high performing Internal Audit professionals.

• Planning and managing end to end internal audit work and producing high quality audit reports. 

• Completing and overseeing sensitive investigations and more complex audit assignments. 

• Ensuring remediation actions are communicated clearly and effectively, ensuring they are followed up regularly. 

• Communicate audit results and findings to senior management and the audit committee, providing actionable recommendations to mitigate risks.

• Manage relationships with external auditors and regulatory bodies, providing necessary documentation and support during audits.

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls, recommending improvements to enhance operational efficiency and mitigate financial risk.

• Ensure compliance with the company’s code of conduct, ethics, and governance policies.

• Provide guidance on internal control design and the remediation of identified control deficiencies.

• Assist in special projects or investigations as needed, including fraud detection and compliance matters.

• In addition to a range of experience in auditing business processes, this role requires outstanding communication skills both written and oral, and the ability to build relationships up to the Executive and Board level. 

• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. 

• Additional duties and projects as required.

Required Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Accounting from an accredited four-year college or university; at least 8 - 10 years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license or Auditor qualification with 3+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE) is required.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sit for more than 6 hours per shift

• Use hands to finger, handle and feel

• Reach with hands and arms

• Talk and/or hear

• Walk or move from one location to another

• Periodically may need to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch

• Lift and/or move up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally

• Punctuality and regular attendance consistent with the company’s policies are required for the position.

• The average work week is 45-50 hours, which can vary depending on business needs.

• The work environment for this position is a moderately noisy office setting with very limited exposure to a moderate to loud warehouse setting.

• Based at the Indianapolis HQ + up to 30% travel to Birmingham AL, San Jose CA and Baltimore MD.

The company reserves the right to modify this job description with or without notice. Employees may be asked to perform additional duties outside of normal job scope on a temporary basis per the company policy.

#LI-DNI

This job description is not intended to cover all aspects, duties, and/or responsibilities required of employees.  Employees may be asked to perform additional duties outside of normal job scope on a temporary or permanent basis per company policy. ​The company reserves the right to modify this job description with or without notice. 

EEO Statement:

The Finish Line, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local EEO laws.  The Finish Line, Inc. prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on race or color, religion or creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, sex, pregnancy status, age, military status, disability, or any other characteristic or class protected by law.  The Finish Line, Inc. provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws, including for disabilities, pregnancy, and religious practices.

Need accessibility assistance to apply?
Applicants who require accessibility assistance to submit an employment application can either call Finish Line at  (317) 613-6890 or email us at talentacquisition@finishline.com.  A member of our Talent Acquisition team will respond as soon as reasonably possible. (This email address and phone number is only for individuals seeking accommodation when applying for a job.)