[EU] Head of Internal Audit EU

Role Summary

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the multi-year internal audit strategy for Bybit EU, aligned with the entity's risk profile, regulatory obligations, and business growth trajectory.
• Serve as the primary audit representative to the Board / Audit Committee, providing independent assurance opinions and strategic counsel on emerging risks.
• Maintain the local Internal Audit Charter, policies, and quality assurance framework in accordance with IIA Standards and local regulatory expectations.
• Build, lead, and develop the EU internal audit team — setting culture, hiring, coaching, and performance management.

• Plan and deliver a risk-based annual audit plan covering finance, operations, compliance, IT, cybersecurity, and business-specific processes (trading, custody, listing, AML/CFT).
• Align with the Global Internal Audit function on group-wide methodologies, tooling, and combined assurance approaches while adapting to EU-specific requirements.
• Lead the transition from outsourced/co-sourced audit arrangements to a scalable in-house capability. During the transition period, coordinate closely with co-sourcing partners — overseeing the quality of their deliverables (both breadth and depth of coverage), managing the relationship, and controlling the audit budget.
• Conduct and supervise detailed audit work — walkthroughs, control testing, data analytics, root cause analysis — ensuring audit depth and quality.
• Prepare and present audit reports with clear findings, risk ratings, root causes, and actionable remediation plans to the Board, senior management, and regulators.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for regulatory audit inquiries (FMA, ECB/SSM where applicable) and coordinate regulatory examination support.
• Monitor and anticipate evolving EU regulatory developments (MiCA, MiFID II, DORA, AMLD6, EMD2, GDPR, NIS2) — proactively adjusting audit coverage and methodology.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external auditors, regulators, and key internal stakeholders across Compliance, Risk, Legal, Finance, Operations, IT, and Product.
• Work closely with 2nd line functions (Compliance, Risk) to deliver an integrated assurance model — ensuring all key regulatory obligations are closely monitored and audited, controls are consistently designed and operating effectively, and gaps are timely escalated with clear action plans to remediate.

• Drive automation and innovation in audit processes — leveraging data analytics, continuous auditing/monitoring, and AI-enabled techniques.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement across the EU business.
• Coordinate remediation tracking and follow-up, ensuring timely closure of audit findings and management actions.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 12–18 years of progressive experience in internal audit, external audit, or risk/controls functions, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior/leadership capacity within regulated financial services, fintech, payments, or digital assets.
• Strong knowledge of Austrian and EU regulatory frameworks — including MiCA, MiFID II, DORA, EMD2, AMLD, GDPR — with practical experience engaging European regulators (FMA, BaFin, or equivalent).
• Professional certifications required: CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) or equivalent. Additional certifications (CISA, CAMS, CFE, CRISC, ICA) are highly valued.
• Proven team-building experience — must have built or significantly scaled an audit function or team in a regulated environment.
• Excellent written and spoken German and English — essential for regulatory engagement, Board reporting, and multi-jurisdictional coordination.
• Board / Audit Committee reporting experience — comfortable presenting independently to non-executive directors and regulators.
• Genuinely hands-on — this is not a "sit at the top" role. Must be deeply involved in the details of individual audit projects, understand the substance of findings, and personally drive quality on key engagements.
• Outstanding stakeholder management — experience operating effectively in a global matrix structure with cross-regional collaboration.
• Strong project and resource management skills — managing multiple concurrent audits, budgets, and external service providers.
• Adaptable, self-driven, and resilient — comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities and regulatory landscape.
• Knowledge of crypto, DeFi, Web3 ecosystems, and blockchain technology is strongly preferred.

Nice to Have

• Prior experience in a Head of IA or equivalent role at a crypto/fintech entity regulated in the EU.
• Experience with IIA's Three Lines Model implementation and maturity advancement.
• Familiarity with ISAE 3402 / SOC reports, COSO frameworks, and EU outsourcing/ICT risk guidelines (EBA, DORA).
• Track record of building audit functions in scaling/high-growth organisations.
• Proficiency in data analytics using SQL, Python, and AI tools for audit evidence gathering, continuous monitoring, and fraud detection.