Senior Controls Manager - M&A

Title : Senior Controls Manager - M&A

Work Level : WL2C

Location UK - Occasional working US time zone

Reporting into: Global Risk & Controls Director

Business Context

Unilever's Group Chief Accountant's Department (GCAD) stewards the global financial controls framework, ensuring compliance with internal and external regulations including Sarbanes Oxley (SOX). The Controls Innovation and Operations Lead partners across Markets, Finance, Technology, Process Excellence, and the Control Service Centre (CSC) to deliver a future fit, simplified, digitally enabled controls environment.

This combined role integrates strategic controls innovation with hands on control execution and operations, driving both transformation and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities 1. Acquisition & Divestiture Control Design

• Lead the assessment of control environments for target entities during due diligence, identifying control gaps, risks, and potential remediation requirements.
• Design, document, and validate SOX aligned controls (manual and automated) for acquired entities to ensure readiness within the first 12-18 months post acquisition.
• Support divestitures by ensuring appropriate control carve outs, temporary TSAs (Transition Service Agreements), and risks associated with system separation.

2. SOX Compliance & Governance

• Own the SOX control integration plan for all M&A transactions, ensuring alignment with Unilever's Global Controls Framework and AFCF.
• Oversee scoping, risk assessment, control documentation, walkthroughs, and readiness activities for acquired businesses entering SOX scope.
• Support management testing coordination, deficiency evaluation, and remediation planning.
• Act as key liaison with external auditors during acquisition related SOX work, supporting walkthroughs and evidence requests.

3. Integration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work with GCAD, local controllers, Tech teams, and third party advisors to embed controls into systems, processes, and organizational structures.
• Provide clear guidance on SOX requirements, control standards, and evidence expectations to acquired teams unfamiliar with US regulatory frameworks.
• Deliver training and capability building for newly onboarded finance and process owners.

4. Continuous Improvement & Reporting

• Monitor control performance and maturity progress through the integration period, escalating key risks and status updates to senior leadership.
• Identify opportunities to streamline, automate, or enhance control designs during integration projects.
• Prepare and present regular M&A control integration updates for steering committees, governance forums, and auditors.

5. ERP Implementation & Integration into Unilever Landscapes

• Lead the assessment of control impacts during ERP implementations (e.g., SAP S/4HANA or local ERPs used within acquired entities), ensuring controls are embedded "by design" in accordance with Unilever's Global Controls Framework and SOX requirements.
• Partner with Technology, Process Excellence & Capabilities (PEC), and the M&A integration teams to ensure acquired businesses are successfully migrated into Unilever's standardised financial systems, processes, and data models.
• Oversee mapping of legacy or target company processes and control points to Unilever's end to end process architecture, identifying required mitigations or redesigns to ensure compliance and operational effectiveness post integration.
• Validate that ERP configurations, user access models (including Segregation of Duties), automated controls, and workflow approvals align with Unilever's standards before go live.
• Support testing phases (SIT, UAT) by defining control relevant test scenarios and ensuring issues are remediated prior to deployment.
• Provide guidance to acquired entity finance and process owners on operating model changes resulting from ERP integration, including control execution, evidence capture, and reporting within the Unilever landscape.

6. IT SOX Control Familiarity & Technology Risk Alignment

• Demonstrate strong knowledge of IT General Controls (ITGCs) and IT Application Controls (ITACs) relevant to SOX, including access management, change management, IT operations, job monitoring, and interface controls.
• Assess IT control environments of acquired entities to determine gaps versus Unilever's SOX compliant IT control standards and ensure appropriate remediation or compensating controls are defined.
• Partner closely with Technology, Cyber Security, and Identity & Access Management teams to ensure system migrations, access provisioning, SoD (Segregation of Duties), logging/monitoring, and emergency access processes meet SOX expectations pre and post integration.
• Ensure that ERP integrations or new system deployments incorporate both ITGCs and automated business controls that are compliant with Unilever's Global Controls Framework.
• Support walkthroughs and testing activities involving IT control components, providing clarity to internal stakeholders and external auditors on design, operation, and evidence sufficiency.

Key Competencies & Skills

• Deep expertise in SOX, internal controls, financial reporting risks, and acquisition accounting principles.
• Strong ability to design, document, and operationalize controls in complex and changing environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management, particularly across markets, time zones, and newly integrated teams.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred), control monitoring tools, and process documentation.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders, translate regulatory concepts into practical guidance, and manage ambiguity during M&A transitions.