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

Our mission and customers: We are creating the freedom for SMEs to succeed by delivering Europe's leading finance workspace with banking at its core, augmented by financial tools. We are proud to be rated 4.8 on Trustpilot, based on 55,000+ reviews. Our culture puts customer satisfaction at the core of what we do, as proven by our Net Promoter Score of 75 (more about our culture here). Our journey: Founded in 2017 by Alexandre and Steve, Qonto has grown to 1,600+ Qontoers serving over 600,000+ customers across 8 European countries. We have been profitable since 2023, and we are just getting started. Our beliefs: We hire for skills and potential. With 80+ nationalities, 45% women, of which 56% of women in our leadership team, diversity isn't a program; It's who we are. We've built a discrimination-free hiring process because the best teams are built on merit. AI at Qonto: AI is deeply embedded in how we work (here) - Every Qontoer gets unlimited access to the best AI tools. We want people who experiment without waiting for permission, push AI beyond the obvious, know when to trust it, and when to question it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.   ➡️ What we're looking for