Associate Director, Risk & Controls

Join us as Associate Director, Risk & Controls

Location: Hoboken, NJ OR Los Angeles, CA

Terms & Conditions: Full time, International assignment is not available for this role and relocation for local and international candidates is not provided

ABOUT UNILEVER:  

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. We work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

JOB PURPOSE:

The Associate Director, Risk & Controls plays a key leadership role in strengthening the risk and controls environment across Unilever. This position partners closely with Finance, Technology, and Business leaders to identify and mitigate business risks, improve control effectiveness, and support strategic transformation initiatives.

The role balances strong governance with practical business solutions, helping ensure the organization operates with appropriate controls while enabling growth, efficiency, and innovation. It serves as a trusted advisor across functions, supporting the development of a proactive risk culture and sustainable control environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Risk & Controls Leadership

• Support the development and execution of Unilever's Risk & Controls Framework.
• Promote risk-based decision making across Finance and business teams.
• Identify, assess, and address financial, operational, compliance, and technology-related risks.
• Support the ongoing evolution of governance standards and risk management practices.

Financial Controls & Governance

• Lead the design, implementation, and monitoring of key financial controls and risk assessments.
• Partner with Controllers, Finance teams, and business stakeholders to strengthen compliance and control effectiveness.
• Support internal and external audits, ensuring timely remediation of findings and sustainable process improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement in governance, monitoring, and control processes.

IT Controls & Systems Risk

• Partner with Technology teams to strengthen controls across key financial systems and business applications.
• Support governance related to access management, segregation of duties, change management, and audit readiness.
• Help ensure controls are embedded into system implementations and process transformation initiatives through a control-by-design approach.

Transformation & Business Partnership

• Serve as a risk and controls advisor for major transformation and process improvement initiatives.
• Assess business risks associated with organizational, process, and technology changes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop practical control solutions that support business objectives.
• Promote adoption of risk-aware ways of working through training, guidance, and stakeholder engagement.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead and develop team members responsible for financial and IT controls activities.
• Build strong partnerships across Finance, Technology, Audit, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Operations functions.
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior leaders to support informed decision making.
• Influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization to strengthen accountability and control ownership.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 10+ years of experience in Finance, Risk Management, Internal Audit, Controls, Compliance, or Controllership.
• Strong understanding of governance frameworks, internal controls, risk management, SOX, and COSO principles.
• Experience working within complex multinational organizations.
• Knowledge of enterprise systems and ERP controls, ideally including Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives across functions and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Big 4 audit or advisory experience preferred.

Pay: The pay range for this position is $146,200 to $219,400. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs. 

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible. 

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible. 

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents. 

------------------------------------

At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.

Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.

For more information on your federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.