Internal Audit & Compliance Officer at Widows and Orphans Empowerment Organisation (WEWE)

Widows and Orphans Empowerment Organisation (WEWE) in partnership with European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD) an International NGO based in Brussels and a leading agribusiness company based in Lagos, is soliciting for qualified applicants for a proposal to Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) - Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA), an agricultural intervention jointly funded by USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates and Rockefeller Foundation. WEWE and its partners are proposing to implement the project to develop a market-led maize and soy bean value chain targeting 100,000 farmers in Niger and Kaduna States.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Internal Audit & Compliance Officer

Location: Abuja

Key Relationships

• Internally: WEWE Executive Director, WEWE Finance and Admin Director, State Programme Manager, Head, Internal Audit/Compliance
• Externally: Auditors; some interaction with local implementing partners and other stakeholders at the local level.
• Direct Reports: State Programme Manager, WEWE Executive Director

Purpose and Scope of Work

• The Internal Audit and Compliance Officer will assist to ensure that project’s financial processes are compliant with international finance and administration rules and regulations
• The post holder must have hands-on experience with daily internal auditing and/or financial and administrative compliance monitoring.
• The post will be based in the WEWE Abuja office (Project Secretariat) with occasional trips to the project sites, State offices (Niger and Kaduna).

Responsibilities

• Internal Audit and Compliance Portfolio
• Carry out pre and post review of all financial expenditures.
• Review monthly certified expenditure reports to ensure correctness.
• Carry out internal control self-assessment on assigned agents.
• Ensure compliance with donor’s cost principles.
• Ensure full compliance with donor’s financial rules and regulations.
• Ensure strict adherence with WEWE’s internal policies, procedures and practices.
• Ensure project activities’ adherence to Nigerian fiscal, tax and related rules and regulations.
• Perform monthly review and evaluation of financial records/reports and bank reconciliation statement.
• Ensure project assets are safeguarded.
• Regularly review and ensure that inventory records are updated, complete, and accurate.
• Assist the organization in carrying out risk identification and exposures; and timely report to the appropriate authority with recommending improvements.
• Timely investigate all cases of fraudulent practices and missing assets.
• Ensure withholding tax is remitted within 21 days of deduction by the organization.
• Ensure Project Staff PAYE Tax is remitted to the relevant tax authority within 10 days monthly.
• Ensure monthly remittance of Staff Pension benefit to the relevant pension managers by the Organisation.

Controls, Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintains internal audit/compliance register detailing auditing investigations and remediations.
• Prepare period reports of audit activities in line with WEWE’s processes and procedures.

General Responsibilities:

• Ensure high levels of transparency and accountability to both donors, to the project communities in line with WEWE’s vision to be the most financially compliant NGO in Nigeria.
• Observe with all WEWE and donor’s performance management standards and indicators.

Job Requirement (Knowledge/Skills Competencies)
Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy/Accounting or a related field.

Minimum Working Experience:

• 3 - 5 year experience working in the field.
• Be a chartered accountant (ICAN or ACCA)
• Thorough understanding of program management, donor reporting requirements and managing donor relations.
• Demonstrated research and evaluation skills
• Very strong report writing skills.
• Fluent in English Language (Oral and Written)
• Ability to effectively manage a variety of internal and external relationships, including relationships with donors and partners.
• Proven ability to manage team, with show leadership, and able to work independently.
• High degree of accountability and integrity.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in working with international NGOs, local civil society organizations, government, bilateral and multilateral donors in a multi-cultural, politically sensitive environment is an advantage.

Critical Competencies

• Strong skills in the following areas: project and people management skills; information management, research and reporting, administrative, networking and stakeholder engagement, negotiation and persuasion; planning and organising; problem analysis; verbal and written communication; and organisational learning and capacity development
• The post-holder is expected to be results and data orientated; able to orient employees, be a team-player; pro-active and creative; culturally and gender sensitive; a good listener; committed to self-development; and able to make sound judgements under pressure.
• The post holder should have a knack for investigations, and pay strong attention to details; good time management, analytical.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their comprehensive Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter in ONLY one attachment (MS word document) explaining suitability for the job to: [email protected] Please indicate the title of the position applied for in the subject line of the email.

Note

• Applicants should provide their functional emails/mobile phone numbers on their CV as well as three professional referees
• Candidates must provide functional email addresses and telephone numbers of referees.
• WEWE’S recruitment process for this position will be on a rolling basis and while we thank all applicants for showing interest, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. Applications will be reviewed in batches on a first come first served basis
• WEWE reserve the right to conclude this recruitment process when suitable candidates are selected.