Internal Audit and Control Coordinators at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Internal Audit and Control Coordinator

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Role Purpose

• The Internal Audit & Control Specialist will work with the SCI Internal Audit and Control Manager to support compliance with all Save the Children and donor guidelines and policies. This will be done through evaluating the effectiveness of the governance, risk management and control systems in place in SC Nigeria.
• S/he will review, document and assess effectiveness of financial and operational controls over the SC Nigeria program administrative and project activities both at the country level and in field offices (incl. the north-eastern part of Nigeria).
• The Internal Audit & Control Specialist will undertake regular checks- process and management practice reviews, analyse- records, reports and financial statements to ascertain that adequate internal controls are in place to mitigate the risk of non-compliance with local laws, donor requirements and SCI policies and procedure.
• S/he will advise on additional controls to be put in place in any area of weakness identified to ensure the protection of the programme’s assets, funds and reputation and compliance with applicable donor guidelines and policies.
• Dimensions:  Save the Children operates through 10 field bases (Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa and Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Borno and Cross River. SC Nigeria is working with over 80 implementing partners in implementing various donor funded project (including USAID) across the country.  SC Nigeria has a total of 350 staff with about 33 finance staff. SC Nigeria has about 29 active awards with a total of $163m
• With funding from different donors including humanitarian donors such as OFDA, FFP and ECHO, the Country program has been scaling up on humanitarian program in the North-east focusing on food assistance, non-food items distribution, protection, cash distribution livelihoods support, WASH and capacity building of humanitarian response actors in order to reach more beneficiaries with additional and varied assistance

Key Areas of Accountability

• On a sample basis, carry out a regularly reviews of financial, procurement/logistic, HR and program transactions, ensuring documentation supporting the transactions are in compliance with Save the Children policies and procedures, grant agreements and donor regulations both at the country and field offices.
• Conducting spot-audits tests on donor requirement compliance in finance, Human resources, award, logistics, operations and programme (activities, documentation and reporting).
• Assist IA&C Manager in regularly updating in-country risk assessments and follow up to confirm implementation of mitigating measures.
• Lead on fraud investigations as may be assigned, diligently document all relevant evidence and report consistent with SCI standards  through the Internal Audit & Control Manager to Country Director and SCI Fraud team. 
• Work closely with programme development unit to further a risk aware and responsive culture in designing and developing potential high risk awards.
• Plan, conduct and lead audits and follow up on all internal and external audit action plans and provide periodic updates on actions taken.
• Assist the IA&C Manager in ensuring SCI Global Assurance Audit findings are tracked and closed on the MKinsight audit platform.
• S/he will serve as a liaison for external audit and regulatory agencies as may be assigned by the IA& C Manager.
• Assist in performing internal control reviews of in-country processes including cash and advance management, procurement, logistics, Programs- documentation and reporting, Data quality Assurance of M& E (Monitoring and Evaluation) data source documents, stock ( incl. food commodities), assets management. Coordinate with the relevant departments to come up with actionable recommendations to improve any identified weaknesses
• Work with the IA&C Manager to flag significant internal control weaknesses to the country management, with actionable recommendations to reinforce those weak controls and support the monitoring of compliance with approved reinforcing controls.
• Track and age all the findings consistent with agreed implementation timelines and follow-up to confirm implemented actions.
• Maintain good working relationships with all SCI stakeholders- staff, vendors, auditors, implementing partners) through effective communication and exercising professional conduct and objectivity
• Deliver training as required to reinforce internal controls, risk mitigation, anti-corruption, fraud and anti-terrorism financing awareness and prevention.
• Carry out any other responsibility delegated within the role of internal audit and control duties.

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• A graduate of Finance, Accounting or a related business field is required with professional qualification-ACA, ACCA or CPA)
• 5 years+ related work experience with a not-for-profit organization;
• Strong background in compliance accounting and internal controls; experience in auditing (internal or external experience)
• Extensive experience in relevant operational areas (e.g. in programme/project management in an INGO context) and experience of risk-based auditing.
• Be highly accurate, detail-orientated, and able to complete multiple projects, with conflicting priorities, on a timely basis
• Excellent report English writing skills
• Proven  interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and relationship building
• Willingness to undertake high amount of travel within the NIGERIA SCI field locations (50%) and work with minimum supervision under difficult conditions in some of the most underdeveloped, insecure and remote parts of NIGERIA.
• Strong cultural awareness and be able to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Demonstrate standards of ethics and integrity
• Commitment to Save the Children values

Desirable:

• INGO experience or have worked in a commercial/public sector international organisation
• Familiarity with grant requirements of major donors such as USAID, EC/ECHO,FFP,OFDA, DfID and the UN
• Good financial analysis aptitude
• Experience of Agresso financial software or other ERP softwares
• Experience of audit
• Counter fraud and investigation experience
• Ability to look at the bigger picture when assessing organisational performance and risk

Application Closing Date
20th December, 2016.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online