Senior Director, Head of SOX

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At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.

Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.

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Overview

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Director, Head of SOX to lead and elevate our Sarbanes-Oxley compliance program as we continue maturing as a public company. We need a proven SOX expert with deep technical expertise—not a generalist internal audit background—to strengthen our internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) in a highly complex technology infrastructure and business environment.

This is a transformational role requiring someone who can assess our current state, identify opportunities for enhancement, and implement sustainable improvements. As many stakeholders are still building their public company expertise, you will need to balance education and enablement with driving continued maturation of our controls framework. This role demands someone who thrives in technical complexity and can dive extraordinarily deep into complex IT General Controls (ITGCs) and IT Application Controls (ITACs).

About the Role

You will own the complete SOX compliance lifecycle—from scoping and risk assessment through testing, remediation, and continuous improvement. Given our organization's complexity and the team's evolving SOX maturity, you must be both a technical expert and an effective educator, capable of building SOX competency across finance, technology, and operations while strengthening our foundational controls.

Critical focus areas include:

• Program enhancement and maturation: You'll evaluate our existing SOX program, identify areas for strengthening, and implement improvements to ensure we continue building a robust, efficient compliance framework.
• Deep technical expertise in ITGCs and ITACs: You'll navigate complex technology environments, including modern cloud architectures, APIs, data pipelines, DevOps practices, and integrated systems. Surface-level understanding won't suffice—you must go into the weeds to truly understand control design and operating effectiveness.
• Education and enablement: You'll continue developing organizational SOX capability through training programs and hands-on guidance to stakeholders building their public company expertise.
• Framework optimization: You'll refine and mature our controls framework, making it more efficient, risk-based, and scalable for our unique business model and technology stack.

You'll partner closely with executive leadership, finance, IT/Engineering, external auditors, and other key stakeholders to establish financial reporting integrity and build sustainable compliance practices.

About the Team

You'll lead and strengthen the SOX compliance function, establishing it as a trusted center of excellence. You'll work across the organization—collaborating with finance, accounting, IT, security, legal, and business operations—to embed controls thinking into how we operate. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role where your expertise will directly shape our compliance maturity and risk posture.

Key Responsibilities

SOX Program Leadership & Optimization

• Lead the end-to-end SOX compliance program, driving continuous improvement and maturation
• Assess and enhance our scoping methodology to ensure appropriate coverage of in-scope systems, processes, and controls
• Refine process narratives, risk-control matrices, and control documentation for clarity and completeness
• Execute risk assessments to validate and prioritize key financial, operational, and IT controls
• Ensure compliance with Section 404(b) of SOX and PCAOB audit standards
• Identify and implement efficiency opportunities while maintaining control effectiveness

IT Controls Expertise (ITGCs & ITACs)

• Go exceptionally deep into IT General Controls across access management, change management, computer operations, and program development
• Assess and strengthen IT Application Controls within complex, interconnected technology environments
• Evaluate controls in modern tech stacks including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), SaaS applications, custom-built systems, data warehouses, and integration layers
• Understand technical architectures sufficiently to identify control gaps and design effective, practical controls
• Partner with IT, Engineering, and Security teams to implement sustainable technology controls

Education & Organizational Development

• Develop and deliver SOX training programs for employees at all levels, from executives to process owners
• Create educational materials, playbooks, and resources to build SOX literacy across the organization
• Serve as the go-to SOX subject matter expert, providing guidance and answering complex technical questions
• Build a culture of controls awareness and compliance accountability

Testing & Remediation

• Design and execute comprehensive control testing programs (design and operating effectiveness)
• Identify control deficiencies, assess severity, and drive timely remediation with process owners
• Document testing results, deficiencies, and management responses with precision and clarity
• Track remediation efforts and validate effectiveness of corrective actions
• Ensure lessons learned inform ongoing improvements

Governance & Reporting

• Report regularly to the CFO, Audit Committee, and SteerCo on SOX program status, risks, and deficiencies
• Prepare management's assessment of ICFR effectiveness for SEC filings
• Develop executive-level dashboards and metrics to provide transparency into compliance status
• Build confidence with leadership and the Audit Committee through clear, proactive communication

External Audit Management

• Serve as primary liaison with external auditors (PwC) for SOX-related matters
• Coordinate audit planning, walkthroughs, testing, and issue resolution with internal auditors (EY)
• Provide timely, complete documentation and responses to auditor requests
• Manage audit timelines and deliverables to ensure efficient, successful audits
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with audit partners

Continuous Improvement & Automation

• Identify opportunities to streamline controls, reduce manual effort, and improve efficiency
• Leverage technology solutions (GRC platforms, automation tools, monitoring capabilities) to enhance the control environment
• Assess impact of system changes, implementations, and business transformations on controls
• Drive process improvements that strengthen controls while enabling business agility

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the SOX team, providing clear direction and support
• Foster a culture of excellence, continuous learning, and proactive problem-solving
• Provide career development opportunities and technical training for team members
• Build team capability and confidence

About You

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, or related field
• CPA, CISA, or CIA certification required (CPA strongly preferred)
• 15+ years of progressive, hands-on SOX compliance experience, with significant time spent in technical SOX roles (not general internal audit)
• Deep, demonstrable expertise in ITGCs and ITACs—you must be able to discuss technical control design and testing at a granular level
• Proven track record of successfully strengthening and maturing SOX programs, particularly in complex technology environments
• Experience building credibility and driving results in dynamic, fast-paced organizations
• Comprehensive knowledge of SOX regulations, COSO framework, PCAOB standards, and US GAAP
• Proven ability to work in highly technical environments and understand complex system architectures, integrations, and data flows
• Strong executive presence with ability to educate and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills—able to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to build trust quickly and establish yourself as a credible leader

Preferred Qualifications

• Big Four public accounting firm experience with focus on SOX advisory or audit (Manager level or above)
• Experience with public companies, particularly in technology or SaaS environments
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS in Accounting, MS in Information Systems)
• Experience with modern ERP systems (NetSuite, Oracle, SAP, Workday) and financial close/consolidation tools
• Familiarity with GRC platforms (AuditBoard, Workiva, ServiceNow, etc.)
• Understanding of DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and modern software development practices
• Experience in high-growth technology, SaaS, or fintech environments
• CRISC, CISSP, or other information security certifications demonstrating technical depth
• Experience coaching and developing SOX teams

What Sets the Ideal Candidate Apart

You are not a generalist—you are a SOX technical specialist who genuinely enjoys diving into complex control environments. You can read system architecture diagrams, understand data lineage, and assess whether a control is truly effective or just "checkbox compliance." You're energized by complexity, not intimidated by it.

You're a proven leader who can step into an organization, quickly assess what's working and what needs enhancement, and implement improvements that drive real results. You know how to build credibility, gain stakeholder trust, and deliver outcomes in dynamic environments.

You're a builder and educator who knows how to meet people where they are, patiently explain SOX concepts, and build capability across teams. You balance technical rigor with pragmatism, designing controls that are both effective and sustainable.

Finally, you have the gravitas and communication skills to operate at the executive level, presenting complex issues clearly and building confidence with the Board, auditors, and leadership team.

This is a high-impact opportunity to shape and mature our compliance program. If you're a SOX expert who thrives on technical complexity, excels at driving program excellence, and wants to make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you.

#LI-Remote

Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.

Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.

For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.

CA, NY, CT, NJ

$270,000—$285,000 USD

WA

$259,000—$273,500 USD

OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI

$248,000—$261,500 USD

All other states

$225,000—$237,500 USD