Sr. SOX Controls Analyst

Job Description

Job Description

Position : Sr. SOX Controls Analyst

Location / Department : Richmond Headquarters / Accounting

Status : Full-Time / Salaried Exempt

Our Company

Universal is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and is the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Tobacco sourcing and processing has been the Company's principal focus since its founding in 1918. The largest portion of the Company's business involves procuring and processing flue-cured, burley, and dark air-cured leaf tobacco for manufacturers of consumer tobacco products. Over the past few years, Universal has expanded its business through a series of acquisitions to develop a plant-based ingredients business segment to support the food and beverage markets which will provide future growth opportunities for Universal. We are now a global business-to-business agri-products supplier to consumer product manufacturers, that sources and processes leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients. Through our plant-based ingredients platform, we provide a variety of value-added manufacturing processes to produce high-quality, specialty vegetable- and fruit-based ingredients as well as botanical extracts and flavorings for human and pet food end markets.

Universal conducts business in over 30 countries on five continents and employs over 25,000 permanent and seasonal workers. Domestically, Universal employs over 1,000 permanent and seasonal workers, and its revenues ending March 31, 2024, were $2.75 billion.

For more information on Universal, visit our website at www.universalcorp.com

Summary

As a Sr. SOX Controls Analyst at Universal, you will be responsible for leading the annual SOX risk-based scoping process and ensuring alignment with corporate risk priorities. This role involves evaluating internal controls, performing process reviews, and assessing the impact of regulatory and organizational changes on the control environment. This position collaborates with cross-functional teams and leadership to standardize controls, conduct controls testing, and provides mentorship to junior staff. What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Lead the annual SOX risk-based scoping process at both the account and process levels, ensuring alignment with corporate risk priorities.
• Perform process reviews to evaluate current business practices, internal control structures, and existing SOX documentation.
• Assess the SOX implications of changes in the control environment due to updates in accounting regulations, company policies, system enhancements or implementations, or organizational restructuring. Determine if adjustments to existing controls or the establishment of new controls are required.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and subsidiary leadership to evaluate, identify, and develop standard controls by process for use across all subsidiaries.
• Conduct system walkthroughs, assess the adequacy of internal controls, and perform detailed control testing.
• Provide oversight and mentorship to junior team members, including reviewing control testing and providing guidance on best practices.
• Monitor the progress of process owners' testing activities to ensure timely completion, research risks and impacts of control findings, recommend remediation plans to management, develop re-testing timelines, and maintain compliance with SOX documentation requirements.
• Communicate effectively with all levels of business management.
• Collaborate with internal and external auditors to coordinate audit timing, address control finding remediation and re-testing, and manage SOX reporting.
• Develop SOX training materials for process owners.
• Communicate SOX compliance status, risks, and remediation plans to management.

Minimum Requirements

Preferred Skills

Benefits

We offer a wide range of market-competitive total rewards that include 401(k) match, pension, merit increases, paid holidays, medical, dental, life, vision, short and long-term disability benefits, and tuition assistance to name a few.

EOE M / F / Disabled / Vet Employer

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.