Practice Lead -- Financial Advisory Services (FAS)

Haumaru FAS (Financial Advisory Services) Practice Lead — Financial Advisory Services (FAS) Auckland, New Zealand (Hybrid) — or Riyadh, KSA (Hybrid) — Global remit Full-time Senior (15+ years) Competitive — commensurate with experience (base + performance bonus + practice profit share) Apply by 30th August 2026 Foundational leadership role to build and run Haumaru FAS — our new six-pillar advisory practice covering Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Risk Advisory, Financial Advisory, Virtual CFO (vCFO) and Fraud Advisory & Investigations. Lead engagements personally, hire the team, and shape go-to-market across NZ, the Gulf and beyond. About This Role Haumaru Whānau is launching Haumaru FAS — Financial Advisory Services , a new group-wide advisory practice sitting alongside Haumaru Technologies (PCI DSS QSA · ISO 27001), Haumaru Labs (CREST) and Haumaru Code. We’re hiring a Practice Lead — FAS to own the practice end-to‑end: engagement delivery, methodology, hiring, client development and P&L. This is a builder role for a senior finance/audit leader who has operated at the intersection of Big‑4 assurance, listed‑company internal audit and industry CFO/FC responsibilities — and who wants the platform to build a differentiated, technology‑enabled advisory practice inside a fast‑growing global group. You will personally lead the first engagements across all six pillars, then recruit and mentor Pillar Leads, Managers and Senior Associates to scale delivery. Responsibilities Practice leadership Set the vision, methodology and quality standards for Haumaru FAS across all six pillars. Build the FAS team from the ground up — hire Pillar Leads (IA, Internal Controls, Risk, Financial Advisory, vCFO, Fraud), Managers and Senior Associates. Own the practice P&L, utilization, pricing and margin. Represent FAS in Group leadership, executive committees, and Board updates. Internal Audit (Pillar 01) Design and deliver risk‑based internal audit plans for clients across finance, HR/payroll, procurement, IT‑in‑scope, governance and compliance. Deliver outsourced, co‑sourced and IA quality assessment engagements aligned to IIA IPPF. Present findings and risk themes to client Audit Committees. Internal Controls Advisory (Pillar 02) Lead COSO‑based internal control reviews, finance process reviews, procurement/payroll/revenue & inventory controls, SoD and DoA design. Risk Advisory (Pillar 03) Deliver Enterprise Risk Management, risk assessments, risk registers, risk appetite frameworks, business continuity, operational resilience and governance reviews. Financial risk assessments, IFRS financial reporting reviews, cost optimisation, working capital, cash flow risk analysis, financial controls assessment, business process improvement, governance & compliance advisory. Deliver fractional CFO engagements: strategic financial leadership, budgeting & forecasting, management and Board/investor reporting, business planning & growth strategy, KPI dashboards, fundraising & lender support, profitability analysis. Draw on hands‑on CFO/FC experience in listed and project‑finance environments. Fraud Advisory & Investigations (Pillar 06) Oversee fraud risk assessments, fraud prevention frameworks, internal investigations, procurement & financial fraud reviews, whistleblower program reviews, anti‑fraud controls, and forensic data analysis (partnering with Haumaru Labs where digital forensics is required). Lead sales, proposals and pricing for FAS engagements across NZ, GCC (KSA/UAE/Oman), USA and Pakistan. Build referral relationships with law firms, banks, VCs, PE, family offices and regulators. Cross‑sell with Haumaru Technologies (PCI DSS QSA, ISO 27001, Managed GRC via RiskCircles) and Haumaru Labs (CREST offensive security). Governance & operations Stand up FAS methodology, working papers, quality review, independence, and conflict‑check processes. Own regulator and professional‑body relationships (e.g. ACCA, CA ANZ, IIA, ACFE). Contribute to Group ISO 27001 ISMS as it relates to FAS engagements. Requirements Must‑have Qualified Chartered/Certified Accountant — FCCA, CA, CPA, ACA or equivalent . 15+ years post‑qualification experience spanning Big‑4/mid‑tier assurance and industry finance leadership (Finance Manager / Financial Controller / Head of Internal Audit / CFO). Deep hands‑on experience in at least four of the six FAS pillars , and executive familiarity with the remaining pillars. Proven track record leading internal audit at a listed/regulated company , reporting directly to an Audit Committee. Strong IFRS application experience — quarterly, half‑yearly and annual statutory reporting. Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, long‑range planning, financial modelling, treasury and cash management . Experience with IPO readiness, capital structure, lender/shareholder engagement or project finance environments. Excellent stakeholder management with Boards, Audit Committees, senior executives, lenders and regulators . Ability to build a practice from zero — hiring, mentoring, sales, delivery, and P&L ownership. Willingness and legal right to work in New Zealand or Saudi Arabia , with cross‑border travel across GCC/NZ/USA. Highly desirable Additional credentials: CIA, CISA, CFE, CRMA, CTP, CMA, CFA or FRM. Experience in energy, utilities, infrastructure, financial services, fintech, healthcare or government‑supplier verticals. Experience with Oracle Financials, SAP and modern FP&A/BI tooling (Power BI/Tableau). Familiarity with IIA IPPF, COSO 2013, ISO 31000, ISO 27001, PCI DSS , and local regulatory frameworks (SAMA, NCA ECC, RBNZ, FMA, VARA). Experience with LIBOR→SOFR transition , debt‑service reserve LC negotiation, or similar treasury/financing exercises. Fluency in English + Arabic (advantage for the GCC market). Experience introducing data analytics, continuous auditing and automation into IA/finance functions. What we offer Foundational role — build the FAS practice with executive backing and cross‑sell into an established multinational client base. Global remit with delivery from Auckland, Riyadh, Dubai, Muscat, Karachi and USA. Integration with a cybersecurity group that is ISO 27001 certified , a PCI DSS QSA Company , and CREST accredited — a differentiated proposition few advisory practices can match. Competitive base + performance bonus + practice profit share. #J-18808-Ljbffr