Sr Manager, Internal Controls

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

This is a strategic leadership role responsible for the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a robust and high-impact internal controls program across the Risk and Core Platforms (RCP) organization. This role is accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of business controls, fostering a culture of proactive risk management, and driving alignment with enterprise-wide strategies and risk frameworks. The Senior Manager serves as a trusted advisor to Director + level stakeholders and plays a pivotal role in modernizing and optimizing key control processes through the adoption of AI and automation. This position demands a highly motivated individual with a strong understanding of risk management principles, internal controls methodologies, and regulatory requirements, along with proven leadership and communication skills.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead complex projects related to internal controls and risk management.
• Resolve complex problems by applying specialized knowledge in internal controls.
• Develop methods and procedures for new assignments to improve internal control processes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement best practices in internal controls.
• Analyze current business trends to inform internal control strategies and improvements.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Strategic Leadership & Governance: Provide strategic leadership and direction for Internal Controls across RCP, ensuring consistent delivery, governance, and adherence to established standards across key areas including Business Continuity, Issue Management, and Exam/Regulatory Request Coordination. Develop and maintain a comprehensive control framework tailored to the specific risks within RCP. 

• First Line of Defense Risk Management: Oversee and continuously enhance controls related to Risk and Compliance Programs within the First Line of Defense, ensuring readiness, quality, and alignment with enterprise expectations. Foster a proactive approach to risk identification and mitigation. 

• End-to-End Controls Ownership: Direct the end-to-end controls lifecycle, from design and implementation to testing and remediation. Embed effective controls into new and existing products and processes, execute a structured testing and evidence program, and proactively address control gaps to prevent losses, outages, and regulatory findings. 

• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Lead Director + level and senior-executive engagements, fostering open communication and collaboration. Enable clear risk storytelling, confident challenge, and alignment on prioritized actions, ensuring stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining a strong control environment. 

• Automation & Innovation: Identify and embed automation opportunities into internal control processes, increasing efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and reducing operational costs. Champion the use of innovative technologies to enhance control effectiveness. 

• Testing & Validation: Coordinate internal and external controls testing activities, partnering with cross-functional teams (e.g., Internal Audit Compliance, Technology) to ensure timely, accurate, and complete responses to testing requests. Analyze testing results to identify areas for improvement. 

• Standardization & Best Practices: Drive consistency and excellence across risk deliverables through the development and implementation of standardized methodologies, templates, and review protocols. Promote the adoption of best practices in internal controls. 

• Monitoring & Analysis: Monitor and analyze trends across incidents, complaints, KPIs/KRIs, and control evaluation results to proactively identify areas of exposure or emerging risks. Develop and implement action plans to address identified weaknesses. 

• Proactive Risk Management: Transition from a reactive posture of learning about weaknesses from incidents, audits, or MRAs to a proactive, accountable model where the first line systematically knows where controls are strong, where they are weak, and what is being done about it. Drive a culture of continuous improvement in risk management. 

• Second Line Liaison: Serve as a key connector between RCP leadership and the Second Line of Defense (e.g., Risk Management, Compliance), ensuring adherence to established frameworks while enabling business agility and innovation. Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between the first and second lines. 

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

-

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

Austin, Texas | ($130,500.00 - $193,600.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

San Jose, California | ($143,500.00 - $212,850.00 Annually)

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.