Audit & Compliance Manager

About the Job

Role Summary: The Audit & Compliance Manager is responsible for maintaining operational integrity by ensuring all restaurants comply with company policies, franchise requirements, financial controls, and regulatory obligations. Working closely with leadership and functional teams across the organization, you will design and lead internal audit and compliance frameworks that safeguard financial discipline, operational consistency, and adherence to regulatory, food safety, and franchise standards. Operating across a multi venue portfolio, you will drive proactive risk identification, control effectiveness, and continuous improvement, promoting accountability and operational excellence throughout the organization. Key Responsibilities: Conduct scheduled and unannounced operational audits across all restaurant venues and brands. Review compliance with SOPs, food safety, hygiene, and brand standards during each audit. Design, implement, and maintain internal audit and compliance frameworks across the portfolio. Evaluate internal controls and identify operational, financial, and compliance risks. Monitor adherence to ISO standards, health and safety regulations, and local regulatory requirements. Prepare audit reports with clear findings, recommendations, and corrective action plans. Follow up on the implementation of audit findings and track remediation through to closure. Partner with Operations, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain teams to embed compliance into day-to-day processes. Investigate incidents, discrepancies, or policy violations and report findings to leadership. Present audit reports, risk assessments, and compliance dashboards to senior leadership. Ensure franchise agreements and brand operating standards are consistently upheld across all concepts. Support the development and continuous improvement of compliance procedures and internal controls. Lead training and awareness programs on compliance, food safety, and internal controls for site-level teams. Promote accountability and operational excellence throughout the organization. Monitor regulatory developments affecting the hospitality and food and beverage sector and update internal policies accordingly. Educational Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; a professional certification such as CIA, CPA, CISA, or ISO Lead Auditor is preferred. Years of Experience: 6–9 years of experience in internal audit, compliance, or risk management, ideally within hospitality, food and beverage, retail, or other multi-site operating environments. Key Competencies: Strong knowledge of internal audit methodologies, risk management, and internal control frameworks. In-depth understanding of food safety, health and safety, and ISO compliance standards. Strong analytical and investigative skills, with high attention to detail. Ability to conduct objective, evidence-based audits consistently across multiple sites and functions. Excellent report writing and presentation skills for senior leadership audiences. Strong cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain teams. High integrity, discretion, and sound ethical judgment. Ability to manage multiple audits and compliance projects concurrently across a multi-venue portfolio. Technical Skills: Proficiency with audit management and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software. Strong working knowledge of ERP and point-of-sale (POS) systems used in multi-venue food and beverage operations. Advanced Excel skills for data analysis, reconciliation, and audit sampling. Familiarity with Power BI or similar business intelligence tools for compliance dashboards and reporting. Working knowledge of HACCP, ISO 9001, and ISO 22000 food safety and quality management systems. Understanding of financial control systems, inventory management systems, and POS reconciliation processes. Knowledge of local labor law, tax regulations, and health and safety legislation