Regional Head, Internal Audit, Pan Africa (WACA & SEA)

Job Objectives:
The primary responsibility of the RHIA is to support the GCIA in providing independent assurance and advisory services to executive management, BARCC, Statutory Audit Committee, and the Board on the effectiveness of the Group’s risk management processes and the internal control systems over financial and operational processes across the clusters, Pan Africa

Job Summary:
This role oversees the Internal Audit function in Pan Africa and reports directly to the GCIA.

Job Responsibilities:

• Supervise the Country Internal Audit Departments (CIAD) within the designated region and provide leadership to audit teams.
• Establish risk-based plans to set out the priorities of the Country internal audit departments consistent with the Group’s objectives.
• Establish policies and procedures to guide the internal audit activity of each country within the region.
• Coordinate the internal audit activities, plan, and resource requirements, including significant interim changes, to the GCIA for review and approval.
• Ensure that internal audit resources are appropriate (i.e., professional qualifications and skills), sufficient, and effectively utilized to achieve the approved Audit plan.
• Participation in major Internal Audit projects such as ICFR, EQA, SAP GRC, Power BI, and IT Audit.
• Prepare and submit periodic activity/management reports to the GCIA on the activities of the region.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of internal controls within the region through the CHIAs and provide each CHIA assessment of the effectiveness of the control of the environment and the region to the GCIA.
• Implement all relevant aspects of the internal audit manual and ensure that work programmes adhere to applicable professional standards per IIA standards, including the Code of Ethics.
• Ensure the timely completion of, and reporting on, individual audit engagements in accordance with professional standards.
• Report periodically to the GCIA on the status of action points implementation across the region.
• Report annually to the GCIA IA function’s conformance with professional internal auditing standards, internal audit charter, and applicable regulations.
• Provide support for the forensic audits and investigations team in all cases of fraud, losses, and malpractice within the region.
• Provide routine coaching, training, and continuing educational opportunities for each audit staff within the region, to develop knowledge, skills, and maximize performance.
• Ascertain skill gaps of internal audit personnel within the region, develop and update the annual training, and communicate the training plan to the Human Resources department for implementation.
• Prepare performance evaluations for all internal audit personnel within the region in line with the Group’s appraisal system.
• Develop and maintain a quality assurance and improvement program that covers all aspects of the regional internal audit function and continuously monitor its effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen financial controls and improve operational efficiency and productivity.
• Share information and coordinate activities with other internal and external providers of relevant assurance and consulting services to ensure proper coverage and minimize duplication of efforts

Requirements
Educational Qualification:

• B Sc. or HND in Accounting or any related discipline
• A good MBA will be a distinct advantage

Professional Qualification:

• Possession of any of the following professional qualifications is required: ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIA
• Possession of any of CISA, CQA, or CFSA is an added advantage

Desired Experience and Competencies:

• Minimum 15 years of relevant work experience, 8 of which must be at a senior management level. Also, relevant experience in a top-tier Audit firm or a global manufacturing company is desirable.
• Experience across multiple industries/markets, e.g., Manufacturing, Energy, Utilities, etc. International work experience is an added advantage
• Knowledge of internal auditing standards, responsibilities, code of ethics, and certification.
• Knowledge of the internal audit's role in corporate governance and its key relationships with the audit committee, board, and executive and operating management.
• Knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and financial reporting requirements of regulatory agencies (SEC, state regulatory bodies, etc.), as appropriate, and compliance and reporting requirements of applicable tax authorities (IRS, federal, state, and local), as appropriate, and the applicability of control models such as the COSO.
• Awareness of new technologies and audit automation tools.
• Practical knowledge of office productivity tools (MS Office) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
• Good project management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to provide sound business judgment, strategic thinking, and a broad financial and business perspective across the organization.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, including writing internal audit reports.
• Proven ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people, at all levels, with different functional skills, cultures, and personalities.
• Analytical with the ability to quickly assimilate and synthesize complex data and information into a fact-based decision-making framework.
• Mature, with high professional integrity and honesty