The Audit & Risk Recruitment Company
has partnered with a fast-growing, global payments business who facilitate cross-border payments for medium to large businesses. In addition, they specialise in cash management and FX risk too. We are looking for an IT Audit Manager in Madrid (4 x per week in office) to travel 20% of the time across Europe who would lead the first Madrid office, and partner with the Head of IT Audit. This is a brand new role and is due to significant growth.
As an IT Audit Manager based in Madrid, you will take a lead role in the design, execution and oversight of IT audit programmes across the business's technology landscape. Working closely with general, regional and local stakeholders, you will ensure that the IT controls, processes and risk frameworks are robust, aligned to regulatory and internal standards, and support the business as it scales.
Key Responsibilities Develop the annual IT audit plan in alignment with business risk priorities, technology roadmap and regulatory requirements. Lead end-to-end IT audit engagements: scoping, planning, fieldwork, documentation, reporting and follow-up of findings and remediation. Assess the design and operating effectiveness of key IT controls including (but not limited to) access management, change management, configuration management, cyber security, data integrity, third-party / vendor risk, cloud adoption, and business-continuity / disaster-recovery. Use data analytics and automated tools (where applicable) to enhance audit efficiency and coverage. Build strong working relationships with IT, Risk, Compliance, and Business stakeholders; present findings clearly to management and/or audit committees, providing actionable recommendations. Monitor remediation efforts and track closure of audit findings; escalate issues as needed. Provide advisory contributions to major IT projects and transformations: identify control risks early in project lifecycles and embed appropriate governance. Stay informed of emerging technology risks (cloud, AI/ML, cyber threats, regulatory change – e.g., GDPR, PSD2) and how they impact the developing control environment.
Required Qualifications & Experience Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, IT Audit, Information Security, Business, or equivalent. Professional certifications preferred: CISA, CISSP, CRISC, or equivalent. Minimum 5 + years of hands-on experience in IT audit (either internal or external) ideally within a financial services or a fintech environment. Strong understanding of IT control frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ISO27001, NIST), audit standards and regulatory requirements. Demonstrated ability to lead IT audit engagements end-to-end with clarity and impact. Solid technical acumen: cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), cyber security fundamentals, third-party/vendor risk, systems integration, data governance. Strong analytical thinking, fluent in identifying root causes and formulating pragmatic recommendations. Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills — able to engage with senior management and non-technical stakeholders. Professional working proficiency in English and Spanish; additional languages a plus. Able and willing to travel occasionally within Europe and globally as needed. A proactive mindset, high integrity, willingness to work in a dynamic, fast-paced fintech environment.