Director, IT Audit & Advisory

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of. Who We Are… When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next… From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive. Your New Role Internal Audit and Advisory strengthens WBD’s ability to create, protect, and sustain value by providing the board and management with independent, risk-based, value add, objective assurance, advice, insight, and foresight. WBD Internal Audit’s vision is to accelerate innovation, increase efficiency and effectiveness while providing value added assurance and advisory services, while anticipating and mitigating risks. Our approach is designed to directly influence and drive change, facilitating the development of strategic relationships and bolstering the company's ability to anticipate and mitigate risks effectively. We are seeking a dynamic and innovative Director, IT Audit & Advisory, focusing on enhancing the achievement of WBD’s ongoing business strategies and objectives. This includes actively supporting the business with risk, process and control perspectives in ongoing transformation efforts and aiding leadership in developing and executing initiatives that foster growth, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness and a proactive control environment. You will be responsible for developing, leading, driving project teams to conduct IT audit and advisory projects of systems and IT processes across business units that extend from understanding risks, objectives and strategies and then developing project plans, leading plan execution (facilitation, analysis, testing etc.), to identifying process opportunities and improvement and delivering clear and detailed insights. You will play a crucial role in identification of IT process and internal control observations, recommendations, and strategies to address risks and improve the IT control environment, and opportunities to advance the organization’s transformation efforts and create synergies. In this pivotal role, you will serve as an IT process, risk, control, and IT Internal Audit (IA) subject matter expert across designated organizations, IT processes and stakeholders. To develop an effective internal audit project strategy and plan, you must understand the organization / process / business area’s governance, risk management, and control processes in addition to the objectives of the businesss/area. Your responsibilities will encompass leading project team(s) in strategizing, designing, and implementing comprehensive IT audits, reviews, analyses, suggest solutions, and other related activities while confidently facilitating discussions with and presenting outcomes and developing recommendations to senior management. As a primary point of contact, you will maintain strong, productive relationships with peers and up through leadership across the organization, playing a key role in driving the success of the Stakeholder and Internal Audit teams. The successful candidate will be a leader capable of influencing change, with a sharp focus on programmatic objectives who can support business leadership in the translation of the overarching strategy into focused initiatives, and process and control capabilities and appropriate roadmaps and action plans. Exceptional leadership, cross functional collaboration, and effective communication skills (both verbally and written) are crucial to navigate, lead and execute, and communicate audit & advisory projects successfully, engaging comprehensively with executives from various levels across the business. This strategic position demands an agile, proactive, and insightful leader committed to advancing business practices, strategic and critical thinking, creativity, and fostering excellence in stakeholder engagement. The IT Audit Director will be asked to perform the following: Your Role Accountabilities Audit & Advisory Strategy for Various Businesses and IT Processes, Project Leadership, Operation and Reporting • Oversee multiple IT audit and advisory projects with a strategic mindset, expertly distilling broad visions into detailed operational plans. Focus on delivering valuable outcomes that drive change, improve IT processes, mitigate risk, and foster synergy across IT and business processes. • Maintain expertise as a subject matter expert in broad range of designated IT process areas, guiding audit strategies and innovations with a fresh perspective. • Develop a comprehensive understanding of top-down goals, organizational objectives and the WBD business area and develop strategies to align our IT audit strategy, focusing on value-added activities that support business strategy & transformation. • Align technology audits with the prioritization of enterprise risks and organization objectives to assess, manage, and optimize information technology risk across a wide range of areas, including cybersecurity, IT strategy and governance, IT operations, IT regulatory and compliance, and business continuity and disaster recovery. • Demonstrate leadership presence and influence across a broad range of stakeholders, IT internal Audit team, and external partners to drive organizational change. • Structure high-level and ambiguous problems soundly, develop clear insights and effectively translate it to work planning and process, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Mentor direct reports and other team members to develop strong problem-solving skills. • Build deep understanding of WBD, external competitors, leading business practices and controls processes and overall industry trending to identify potential improvement opportunities and to develop solutions with business partners. • Regularly assess changes in the market and emerging and unaddressed IT risks to ensure robust and forward-thinking IT audit strategy. • Expertly prepare and present insightful analyses and reports, detailing and delivering them to business unit leaders, C-suite executives, and senior leaders, including the WBD Audit Committee. Emphasize strategic foresight and value-add outcomes in each report, seamlessly integrating broader business visions into actionable IT plans that catalyze change. • Review and improve the design and effectiveness of controls over application processes, physical and logical security, systems acquisition and development, system and network infrastructure, system architecture, organizational change, computer operations, and production support. • Engages in effective change management processes such as presenting the need for change in a way that encourages commitment and action, developing strategies and providing recommendations and solutions to implement desired changes, while managing stakeholders’ expectations. • As needed, participate in investigations and compliance-related matters, integrating fresh approaches to navigate complex issues effectively. • Exemplify the highest degree of trust and integrity by continually upholding the principles of the internal audit profession and the Global Internal Audit Standards Team Leadership and Relationship Building • Maintain leadership presence, and establish and maintain "trusted advisor" relationships, promoting robust collaboration with both clients and Internal Audit colleagues through innovative approaches and strategic objectivity and independence. • Keeps leaders and peers informed about key issues, communicates effectively, and courageously influencing others to support a point of view, gain alignment, or take action. • Lead and mentor IA direct reports and team members to deliver value on a range of audit and advisory initiatives and develop strong problem-solving skills. • Drive talent development by recruiting, training, mentoring, and coaching diverse teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. • Oversee a team of technical auditors (both internal and external) to oversee audit and advisory activities of key systems and applications across the organization, performing risk and data analysis, delivering high-quality audit reports, and communicating to senior leaders on results and corrective actions. • Advance the IA organization by leading initiatives to enhance overall team efficiency and performance through analytics, agile approaches, Artificial intelligence, and other efforts. • Support the Internal Audit organization in advancing innovation and operations by leading initiatives to enhance overall team efficiency and performance through analytics, agile approaches, artificial intelligence, and other efforts. Strategic and Technical Responsibilities • Develop broad business area IT Audit strategies to deliver on business-critical objectives, needs and address risks. • Oversee the planning and execute concurrent IT and integrated audits, including reviews in areas of cybersecurity, system controls, system development and implementation, technology infrastructure, and specialized or emerging technologies. • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of IT platforms, processes, systems, and controls, including network security, logical access, change management controls at an infrastructure and application level, databases, and systems maintenance. • Leverage specialized software and tools to enhance audit processes and outcomes. • Exhibit deep technical and risk management expertise across a broad spectrum of IT domains. • Maintain a strong understanding of IT and information security management frameworks and standards such as ISO, SANS, COBIT, ITIL, and regulations such as SOX, PCI Compliance, etc Qualifications & Experience ● 12 years of experience of experience in Big 4, Management Consulting, Multinational Corporate Environment, IT Audit and/or related field. ● Strong organizational planning and process management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. ● Ability to break down complex and ambiguous problems into manageable components, enabling effective analysis and solution development. ● Proven leadership in guiding and managing comprehensive audit plans from planning through to reporting. ● Possesses strong critical thinking skills, capable of challenging the status quo and thinking broadly to translate problems into actionable strategies that drive organizational progress. ● Exceptional people management, including ability to lead and mentor more junior team members. ● Experience assessing IT processes and the design and implementation of internal controls and their continuous improvement. ● Experience developing feasible actionable solutions and recommendations to address process and control improvements across business teams and organizations ● Consulting, audit and or IT control advisory experience ● Possess the ability to compile robust reporting that deliver clear and valuable insights, making them impactful and actionable for the business. ● Ability to confidently develop and communicate clear and insightful reporting and executive summaries, both written and verbally, to convey outcomes and influence change. ● Skilled in building and maintaining effective relationships across all levels of the business, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. ● Experience in analyzing data, evaluating trends, assessing risks and impact to develop insights. ● BA/BS/MS in Technology, Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Accounting Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field of study preferred. ● Professional audit certifications preferred (CISA, CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or other professional qualifications etc.). ● Fluent English. ● Critical thinker able to work in ambiguous areas across multiple organization with minimal direction. ● Self-starter who can work independently and spearhead projects. ● Experience working with business partners to understand, assess and evaluate, design and test IT control environment. ● Ability to leverage complex stakeholder relationships to obtain consensus and drive successful completion of projects with understanding that success is based on influence rather than direct authority. ● Experience effectively managing competing priorities in a complex work environment, focusing on high-value activities. Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities which could change at any time. ● Experience in customer-facing, translating technical concepts and solutions to non-technical and executive audiences. ● Experience working in a dynamic, results-driven environment. ● Experience working with data analysis and visualization tools (PowerBI, Tableau) desired. ● Knowledge of agile audit principles and methodologies preferred. ● High level of self-confidence, strong people and management skills, strong influencing skills preferred. ● Excellent written communication and presentation skills. ● Must be solutions focused with good problem-solving skills. ● Strong customer focus; good listening, negotiation, and problem-resolution skills. ● Experience interacting with all levels of management. ● Must maintain a continuous improvement mindset and focus on automation opportunities to drive efficiencies and reduce costs. ● Must have the ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment. ● Understanding of the media & entertainment industry. ● The position may require domestic/international travel ● Hybrid work position with 3 days per week in office How We Get Things Done… This last bit is probably the most important Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview. Championing Inclusion at WBD Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law. If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request. In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $126,350.00 - $234,650.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation. If you’re a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.