Save the Children International Country Programme Internal Audit Manager Job in Kenya

Vacancy: Country Programme Internal Audit Manager - Kenya
 

Position Code: SCI-CPA


Status: New


Team / Programme: Internal Audit

Location: Nairobi (with up to 40% travel to field sites in Kenya)
 

Grade: 2

Post Type: National (12 months)
 

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.
 

Role Purpose: Reporting directly to the Country Director, the internal audit position will independently evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of the governance, risk management and control systems within the country programme. 

The post holder will provide regular feedback to the Senior Management Team on the effectiveness of these systems, together with costed and detailed action plans to address any areas of weakness or non-compliance. 

The position will play a lead role in supporting internal and external audits and in coordinating fraud investigations as required.

Scope of Role: The post holder will work closely with all senior managers in the Kenya programme and will have a direct reporting line to the Country Director. 

Working on independently, as well as part of a team, he/she will carry out audits, reviews and investigations to deliver feedback on the effectiveness of the controls and risk framework operating across the country programme to the various stakeholders. 

Specific requirements include:

• leading on and completion of audits, reviews, investigations and other work assigned to  agreed professional standards and stakeholder expectations, on time and within budget.
• working as a team to support Global Assurance team members and external auditors by facilitating their activities in accordance with their Scope of Work and coordinating with relevant colleagues in the Kenya programme to ensure the delivery of timely responses.
• production of high quality, value-adding audit reports for senior managers that are clear, concise, timely and solutions-driven
• building strong working relationships across the organisation and keeping abreast of changes in the internal and external environment that will impact on the risk profile of the country programme.

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya.

In February 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own. Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Nairobi, Turkana and Wajir. 

We work through partners in many other parts of the country. We have a staff complement of around 300 staff and an operating annual budget of approximately US$25 million in 2014.

Reports to: Country Director

Staff directly reporting to this post:  Donor Compliance Officer

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Together with the SMT, develop a Terms of Reference for reviews to be undertaken by the internal audit review team.
• Lead, plan, conduct, report and follow up assignments from the audit plan on time, to a high standard and within budget. All audits will be conducted in teams and some of these assignments will require the post holder to assume the lead role
• Develop an annual plan to undertake quarterly reviews in each of the Kenya programme’s 6 main areas of operation: Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp (including Garissa), Mandera (Takaba and El Wak), Nairobi, Turkana and Wajir. 
• Undertake visits to selected project sites when visiting field offices. Engage with beneficiaries and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team on complaints and community feedback mechanisms. 
• Conduct or lead on organising special investigations into cases of alleged fraud and/or serious negligence as required; provide advice to the senior management team (SMT) on corrective action, as appropriate and in accordance with Save the Children International’s Fraud Policy. Update the SMT on any current fraud issues on-going in the programme and liaise with the global and regional fraud management teams to ensure effective and timely reporting.
• Manage the Risk Register ensuring that top key risks are identified by the SMT and that these are reviewed regularly.
• Work with the awards management team to develop check lists for budget holders of all donors’ compliance requirements.
• Work with the MEAL team to monitor the feedback and complaints systems and ensure any substantial complaints are followed up on and are reported to the SMT.
• Build the capacity of senior managers in the country programme to understand and apply relevant SCI policies (fraud, whistleblowing, procurement, finance, etc.), donor and SCI compliance regulations and Government of Kenya legislation. Deliver workshops and presentations as required to disseminate information and to train staff.
• Provide leadership and supportive management to the Donor Compliance Officer and any staff subsequently appointed to the internal audit team. Ensure that they have clear annual objectives and that performance is reviewed both continuously and through a formal mid-year and annual procedures as required by SCI.
• In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal job description and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
 

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate remedial actions when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates the highest levels of integrity

Qualifications and Experience

• A University degree in Commerce, Accounting or Business Administration (Finance or Accounting option) from a recognised university.
• A minimum of 3 years of progressively mid-level management experience with INGO’s in professional accounting and financial management.
• Be a qualified internal auditor (IIA) or accountant; or have extensive experience in relevant operational areas (e.g. in programme/project management in an INGO context) and be willing to learn the appropriate audit skills

Experience and Skills:
 

As a minimum you will:

• Be highly accurate, detail-orientated, and able to complete multiple projects, with conflicting priorities, on a timely basis
• Have been producing high quality effective written communication e.g. reports, in English
• Have highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and relationship building
• Have strong results-orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets 
• Be willing to undertake high amount of travel within the programme’s field locations (up to 40%) and work with minimum supervision under difficult conditions in some of the most insecure and marginalised parts of Kenya.
• Have a strong cultural awareness and be able to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Demonstrate and model the highest standards of ethical behaviour, professionalism and integrity.
• Be committed to Save the Children’s values

We expect applications from internal auditors to:

• Have experience of risk-based auditing
• Have a track record of leading small teams for specific short-term audit or other work assignments and delivering high quality timely results
• Have experience of evaluating systems and processes, identifying weaknesses and areas of improvements

We expect applications from operational staff to:

• Show extensive experience in relevant operational areas (e.g. in programme/project management in an INGO context) and be willing to learn the appropriate audit skills

It would be advantageous if you: 

• Have INGO experience or have worked in a commercial/public sector international organisation 
• Have some experience of grant requirements of major donors such as EC/ECHO, DfID, USAID and the UN agencies
• Have an aptitude for financial analysis
• Have some experience of Agresso financial software
• Have some experience of IT audit
• Have some counter fraud experience
• Are able to look at the bigger picture when assessing organisational performance and risk

How to Apply

Interested candidates are required to submit a CV and mandatory Cover letter to kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org indicating the Position Code & Title on the subject line by 21st October 2014 COB. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.