Internal Controls Consulting, Principal

Your Role 

The Internal Controls Advisory Services (ICAS) team supports Blue Shield of California in strengthening enterprise-wide internal controls, risk management, and governance practices across business and technology functions. The Principal will report to the Director, ICAS and play a critical role in driving a strong and sustainable control environment. This role goes beyond execution, owning complex initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders, and shaping how controls evolve in a changing risk landscape (including AI-enabled processes). You will operate with high autonomy, bring a point of view, and help translate risk and controls into practical, business-friendly solutions.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Your Work 

In this role, you will: 

• Lead complex internal controls advisory engagements across the organization
• Drive end-to-end control assessments, including risk identification, scoping, testing strategy, and reporting
• Identify control gaps, root causes, and sustainable solutions - not just observations
• Provide clear, actionable recommendations that balance risk mitigation with business practicality
• Contribute to and help shape the ICAS work plan and risk coverage strategy 
• Evaluate emerging risks (operational, regulatory, financial, privacy etc.) and proactively adjust control focus
• Support enterprise initiatives (e.g., system implementations, transformations, AI adoption) from a controls perspective
• Demonstrate strong working familiarity with AI and automation concepts, and how they are transforming business processes and control environments 
• Act as a translator between business, technology, and risk, helping teams understand how their roles, processes, and controls evolve in an AI-enabled environment
• Partner with stakeholders to embed controls and governance into AI-enabled processes, balancing innovation with appropriate risk management
• Promote a mindset of experimentation and continuous learning, helping teams evolve as AI capabilities expand across the enterprise
• Build strong relationships with business leaders and act as a trusted advisor 
• Influence to drive timely remediation and accountability
• Communicate complex control issues in simple, business-relevant language (written and verbal)
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise reports for senior leadership on control effectiveness and risks 
• Highlight themes, trends, and systemic risks, not just individual issues
• Provide forward-looking insights, not just backward-looking assessments

Your Knowledge and Experience 

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Requires a minimum of 10 years of experience in internal audit, internal controls, risk advisory, or related field 
• Strong understanding of internal control frameworks and risk assessment methodologies 
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional engagements
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive outcomes with minimal supervision 
• CPA, CIA, CISA or equivalent certifications 
• Prefer: Healthcare experience (e.g., Medi-Cal, Medicare) 

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies. 

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience. 

To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities – join us!  

Our Values: 

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short. 
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals. 

Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail. 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.