Head of Internal Audit and Risk

Job Title

Head – Internal Audit & Risk

Reporting To

Board of Directors / Managing Director

Location

Chennai Corporate Office

Objective

Establish and lead a best-in-class Internal Audit & Risk function at Dugar Finance to ensure process integrity, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk minimization, and a robust control environment across all business lines and support functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the company-wide risk management framework, risk registers, and internal audit program covering credit, operations, finance, IT, and compliance.
• Conduct periodic, thematic, and ad-hoc risk-based audits; identify, report, and track closure of material process gaps, control failures, policy non-compliance, and fraud risks.
• Lead Internal Audit operations, including audit calendar planning, review of business-critical processes, detailed documentation, root cause analysis, and recommendations of remedial actions.
• Build and maintain an enterprise risk heat map, quantify risk exposures, and drive continuous gap analysis across functional and process owners.
• Prepare and present risk dashboards, internal audit findings, and control assessment reports to the Board and MD regularly, highlighting high-impact risks and actionable mitigation plans.
• Drive inspection readiness and facilitate statutory, regulatory, and external audits in conjunction with senior management.
• Implement a robust whistleblower policy, oversee internal investigations, ensure independence, and closure of all reported incidents without bias or delay.
• Champion risk culture and training; lead workshops with function heads to instill ownership for risk-based thinking and control effectiveness.
• Regularly review adequacy of policies, procedures, and operational controls to ensure compliance with RBI and other regulatory bodies; propose revisions where required.
• Ensure timely closure and documentation of all outstanding audit points, management comments, and regulatory observations.

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ hands-on experience in Internal Audit and Risk Management, preferably within NBFC, Banking or regulated BFSI entities.
• Demonstrated ability to build audit and risk frameworks from inception; proven track record in leading or transforming internal audit and risk oversight functions.
• Experience in conducting and presenting risk-based audits to senior management.
• In-depth understanding of RBI/NBFC regulatory requirements, audit methodology, fraud risk management, and enterprise control frameworks.

Competencies

• High integrity and independence; strong analytical and forensic acumen.
• Risk-based decision-making; in-depth control orientation.
• Effective stakeholder management and cross-functional influence.
• Strategic process improvement mindset.

Qualification

Chartered Accountant (CA), MBA (Finance/Risk) or equivalent professional certification. Advanced training/accreditation in risk management or audit methodology preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for concise Board-level reporting.
• Proficiency with risk management tools, MS Office, and audit workflow platforms.
• Strong leadership and mentoring ability; capacity to operate independently with minimal supervision.