Chief Audit Officer

About the role

Arthur C. Clarke famously said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." At Mercury, we aim to deliver a magical experience to our customers who rely on us for their banking* and financial workflows. But behind the magic lies a lot of rigor - internal audit is a key part of keeping Mercury safe, resilient, and worthy of our customers' trust. As Mercury's first Chief Audit Officer, you will lead the company's independent assurance program that allows us to scale with confidence. You will serve as a strategic partner to the Board and Audit Committee, providing an objective, enterprise-wide view of our financial, operational, and technical resilience. This role is about finding the right balance between high-velocity innovation and the rigorous expectations of our partner banks and regulators. By moving toward data-driven, continuous monitoring, you will ensure our growth is anchored in integrity. You'll drive a culture of audit readiness where excellence is the baseline and regulatory exams result in no surprises.

Key facts

What you'll do

Establish the strategic direction for the internal audit function and evolve the risk-based audit plan to align with Mercury's growth trajectory and emerging regulatory demands. Provide independent assurance to the Board and Audit Committee on the effectiveness of risk management, internal controls, and governance frameworks. Own the end-to-end audit universe to guarantee comprehensive coverage of Mercury's operations, including technical and operational audits that examine automated fund movements and cloud infrastructure. Validate that product workflows and financial controls operate as intended, identifying potential friction or deviation before it impacts the customer experience. Act as the primary liaison between Mercury and partner banks or regulators, conveying the maturity and rigor of our internal oversight. Design, implement, and refine continuous monitoring systems that replace static checklists with real-time, data-driven audit insights and risk indicators. Partner with Engineering, Product, and Risk teams to champion structural remediation of audit findings, ensuring issues are resolved sustainably and prioritized within roadmaps. Maintain strict independence while communicating complex risk concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders, including the Board, regulators, and cross-functional partners. Foster a culture of audit readiness and operational excellence, ensuring the organization remains consistently prepared for examinations and regulatory assessments. Explore emerging risks in new markets and product lines, advising leadership on audit strategies that support innovation without compromising integrity. Drive process maturity across the audit lifecycle, from scoping and testing to reporting and follow-up on remediation progress. Leverage curiosity and vision to define the future of audit in a modern fintech, identifying opportunities for innovation within the assurance function. Build and mentor a high-performing audit team, instilling accountability, transparency, and a commitment to sustainable outcomes. Ensure all audit activities uphold the highest standards of professionalism, objectivity, and confidentiality in service of customer trust.

Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate proven leadership in building or scaling internal audit functions within high-growth banking or financial services environments, ideally at the intersection of traditional finance and fintech innovation. You must possess technical fluency that enables comfortable discussion of API integrity, automated controls, and cloud-native architectures alongside financial statements, reconciliations, and balance sheets. You should have the ability to navigate the regulatory landscape with confidence, engaging directly with regulators and helping Mercury anticipate and adapt to evolving expectations. It is essential to maintain strong and effective independence, with the fortitude to deliver difficult news and the diplomacy to ensure insights lead to constructive change. Clear and simple communication is required, whether addressing the Board, regulators, engineers, or product teams, translating risk concepts into understandable and actionable guidance. You must balance protection with possibility, safeguarding the company while enabling innovation and viewing the audit function as a catalyst for secure growth rather than a barrier. Curiosity and vision are required, as you are ambitious about the future of audit in fintech and willing to explore new markets, products, and methodologies to serve customers safely. The ability to inspire and develop others is mandatory, as you will build strong teams, mentor future leaders, and foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.