Principal Internal Auditor at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/19/123
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50001344

The Complex

• The President plans, supervises and manages the business of the Bank Group. Under the direction of the Boards of Directors, the President conducts the business of the Bank and the African Development Fund and manages operations and activities in accordance with the Agreements establishing the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund.
• The President supervises several Departments and Units including: Office of the President; Independent Development Evaluation Department; Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department; Compliance Review and Mediation Unit; Secretariat to the Sanctions Appeals Board; Administrative Tribunal; Office of the Auditor General; Group Risk Management Directorate;  General Counsel and Legal Services Department; Communication and External Relations Department; Staff Integrity and Ethics Office and Office of the Secretary General & General Secretariat.

The Hiring Department

• The Office of the Auditor General provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve the Bank’s operations.
• It also assists the Bank to accomplish its strategic objectives by bringing a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.
• The Office of the Auditor General is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and controlling a broad, comprehensive program of auditing and consulting/advisory services both internally and externally including, without limitation, all projects and programs of the Bank group.

The Position

• The role of the Principal Internal Auditor provides independent and objective assurance and consulting and advisory services in compliance with established professional internal auditing standards with a focus on Treasury and Private Sector Operations.

Duties and responsibilities
Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, the Principal Auditor will:

• Evaluate risk management as part of the global Bank risk management.
• Plan and conduct risk-based audit of assigned activities and operations relating to the financial, operational and administrative functions of the Bank in a timely manner.
• Determine the adequacy and effectiveness of established internal controls to prevent and/or detect errors and irregularities and determine compliance / conformance with existing controls, best practices and international standards.
• Direct, counsel and instruct audit assistants in the performance of audit assignments and ensure compliance with time schedule.
• Advise management on an ongoing basis, on accounting, reporting, control and compliance issues to prevent costly errors and irregularities.
• Prepare audit reports and submits them for the Manager/Chief review and submission to the Auditor General.
• Express opinions on the adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency of the systems, control procedures in place to achieve established objectives and recommend corrective actions to improve operations, enhance internal control and reduce cost; and
• Proactively liaise with audit clients to help them to better understand risks related to their business area in order to develop strong internal controls.
• Review functions and activities to determine the nature of operations, procedures, and related internal control to achieve established objectives.
• Determine the adequacy and effectiveness of established internal controls to prevent and/or detect errors and irregularities; design audit procedures and programs; prepare audit planning memoranda for the Manager clearance and Auditor General approval.
• Determine the accuracy of financial information and the other disclosures provided.
• Hold exit conference with auditees to discuss audit findings and recommendations.
• Contribute to the development and update of the audit manual.
• Provide technical updates to the audit team on new developments in the audit profession.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in Audit, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration and an internationally recognized Professional Certification.
• A minimum of six (6) years of auditing experience in an internationally recognized professional accounting firm or an international Financial Institution.
• Sound knowledge and auditing experience of Treasury and Private Sector operations and financial instruments and information systems such as SAP/R3 system, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). Integrated audit approach would be of a comparative advantage. A professional certification, such as, CPA, Expert-comptable, CISA, CIA, CISSP, or CISM is a plus. Experience with computer-assisted audit tools is a plus.
• Ability to deal with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural environment and to build effective working relations with colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines while ensuring quality and exceeding client expectations.
• Ability to apply international audit standards to deliver quality audit report in line with the Bank’s strategy needs/situation.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications; knowledge of SAP is an added advantage.