Head of Internal Audit: skills & capabilities the market requires
Based on 185 real Head of Internal Audit job postings, here is what companies actually require for this role today: the capabilities that define it, the hard skills named most often, the scope expected, typical experience and pay. The market leans hardest on Risk, Security & Compliance (88%) and Executive Communication (66%).
Open the interactive Skill Check to filter by country, industry and company size.
Core capabilities for a Head of Internal Audit
- Risk, Security & Compliance — required in 88% of postings
- Executive Communication — required in 66% of postings
- Stakeholder Management — required in 54% of postings
- Strategic Leadership — required in 51% of postings
- Data & Analytics — required in 42% of postings
- People Leadership — required in 24% of postings
- Operational Excellence — required in 18% of postings
Most-required hard skills
- Risk Assessment
- Internal Audit
- Audit Planning
- Risk Management
- Regulatory Compliance
- Financial Controls
- Internal Controls Evaluation
Leadership & soft skills
- Leadership
- Stakeholder Management
- Communication
- Strategic Thinking
Scope, experience & pay
Head of Internal Audit roles expect deal / M&A experience in 0% of postings, IPO or capital markets in 7%, and transformation in 12%. Typical stated experience: 10 years. Pay signal from postings (base): $198K–$243K.
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