Who is responsible for SOC 2? Roles, RACI, and how to avoid a one-person program

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When prospects ask “who is responsible for SOC 2?” they are really asking whether accountability is clear—or whether compliance lives in one overwhelmed person’s inbox.

Related: SOC 2 project plan · Collection

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Key takeaways

• Executive sponsorship sets priority and resources.
• A program owner coordinates scope, evidence, and auditor requests.
• Control owners in Engineering, IT, HR, and Legal operate specific controls.
• The CPA firm performs independent attestation—they do not run your program.

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Executive sponsor

Typically CTO, CISO, COO, or CEO. The sponsor approves scope, budget (tools + audit fees), and escalation when remediation blocks release timelines.

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Program owner (day-to-day)

Often a compliance manager, security lead, or first GRC hire. Responsibilities:

• Maintain control matrix and evidence calendar
• Run readiness and gap tracking
• Interface with the SOC 2 auditor

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Control owners across the business

Domain	Examples
Engineering	Change management, SDLC, production access
IT / Security	MFA, logging, vulnerability management
People Ops	Background checks, termination, training
Legal / Sales	Customer commitments, DPAs, subprocessor lists

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External auditor (independent)

Auditors test and opine—they are not responsible for implementing fixes. Keep roles separate to preserve independence.

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SecureSlate

Assign owners and automate evidence in one workspace: Get started

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Disclaimer (legal note)

Organizational charts vary. Informational only.