Head of Internal Audit (Fixed Term Contract - Maternity Cover)

Qonto is a fast-growing, regulated Payment Institution active in 8 European markets, currently transitioning to Credit Institution status. Since 2024, we've built a genuine Internal Audit function from the ground up: a dedicated Head of Internal Audit, a growing internal team, best-in-class external partners, a 3-year Audit Plan, and direct governance ties to our Board's Audit & Risk Committee and CEO.

Join us as our Head of Internal Audit (Maternity cover) to take over the function end-to-end for ~7 months and ensure full continuity of assurance, governance reporting, and team leadership — at a pivotal moment, as Qonto's upcoming Credit licence (expected end of 2026) raises the bar on audit coverage and regulatory expectations.

➡️ What you'll do

• Own the audit portfolio end-to-end: You'll supervise all internal, external, and joint missions — from pre-scoping through execution to sign-off — and manage budget allocation across external providers in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.
• Steer the Audit Plan: You'll review and re-prioritize the 2027–2029 plan in real time as risks evolve, regulatory requirements shift, and the Credit licence transition raises expectations.
• Lead a distributed team: You'll manage 6–7 auditors across Paris and Italy on a day-to-day basis — including supporting 1–3 team members through their trial period — alongside coordinating the full network of external providers.
• Drive governance reporting: You'll represent Internal Audit in committees and deliver monthly reporting to the CEO and quarterly reporting to the Audit & Risk Committee Chair.
• Leverage AI and data tools: You'll use analytics and AI-assisted approaches to strengthen risk identification, track recommendation completion, and sharpen the quality of your reporting.
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➡️ What we're looking for

• Deep internal audit expertise: You've spent 5+ years in internal audit within banking or fintech, and you know the full mission lifecycle — from scoping and fieldwork to sign-off and recommendation tracking — inside out.
• Proven people management: You've led a small distributed team and can keep people engaged, support development, and maintain performance through a period of change.
• Board-level communication: You've reported to senior governance bodies and can distil complex findings into clear, structured messages for non-technical audiences.
• Autonomous under pressure: You can step into an established framework, adapt the audit plan under changing constraints, and run the function at full strength from day one.
• Open to AI-augmented ways of working: You use or are ready to embrace analytics and AI tools to extend audit coverage, automate tracking, and improve reporting quality.

➡️ What we can offer you

• Full ownership of a built function: Methodology, tools, and governance structure are already in place — you step in to lead, not build from scratch.
• Rare governance exposure: You'll report monthly to Alexandre Prot, our CEO, and quarterly to the Board's Audit & Risk Committee Chair — front and centre as Qonto transitions to Credit Institution status.
• High-impact mission: Head of Internal Audit scope with full autonomy, in a window where your work carries real regulatory and strategic weight.
• International team: You're inheriting a motivated, established team across France and Italy, with a multi-country network of external partners already integrated.

➡️ Your future manager

You'll be stepping in to cover Catherine, our Head of Internal Audit, who built Qonto's audit function from the ground up after joining in March 2024. With 12+ years spanning retail banking, corporate banking, and payment services — across sales, internal audit, and risk management — Catherine will make sure you're fully equipped before she leaves. Expect a structured handover, genuine availability throughout, and a management style built on care and trust.