Internal Auditor at Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization

Job No.: 001/04/2016/ALCO/SE/UPM
Location: Cotonou (Benin)
Contract duration: Two (02) years, renewable
Job start date: May, 2016

Description of Duties

Under the supervision of ALCO’s PGB chair to whom (s)he is accountable through the Executive Secretary, the internal auditor:

• Plans and conducts audits/investigations of activities, processes or operations carried out on the grant funds:
• Review the activities and processes to understand the nature of the operations, procedures and related internal controls in view of determining operational risks;
• Develop the annual audit plan from the mapping of risks that all activities and grant operational processes are exposed;
• Determine the scope, nature and timing of audit activities;
• Design audit procedures and programs;
• Hold introductory meetings with corporate process owners concerning audit and program risk issues;
• Share the internal audit charter with corporate process owners, the Coordination and any concerned actor before any internal audit mission;
• Keep up to date all records of internal audit for supervision missions;
• Determine to which extent established internal controls are effective and efficient in view of preventing and/or detecting errors and irregularities;
• Check the accuracy of accounting and financial data of the program, SR and others ;
• Detect and prevent irregularities and fraud by conducting unannounced investigations or upon request from PGB Chairman;
• Advise the Coordination on the issues of accounting, reporting, monitoring and compliance with rules in view of preventing errors and irregularities;
• Organize post-evaluation meetings with the Coordination and corporate process owners to discuss the conclusions and recommendations of the internal audit;
• Ensure compliance with ALCO’s manual of administrative, accounting and financial procedures;

Prepares audit reports and submits them to PGB:

• Express opinions on the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of established control and procedures systems in view of achieving set goals and recommend corrective measures to improve both operations and internal control;
• Produce a quarterly report on major risks and pertaining recommendations;
• Ensure the monitoring of internal audit recommendations implementation to correct the weaknesses in internal controls;
• Submit an annual report on the internal control of the Program, the strengths, weaknesses, and the updating of risks and recommendations matrix;

Examines the Program financial statements and audit reports:

• Serve as a focal point or interface for external audit missions;
• Give an opinion on external audit reports and propose an action plan with appropriate timetable in view of implementing the audit recommendations;
• Ensure the implementation of recommendations action plan for the external audit;

Required Profile and Competencies

• The incumbent must hold a minimum Master Degree in Audit, Accounting, Accounts Management or any other related field of education;
• Must have at least 5 years of professional experience in the area of audit or accounts management, in an accounting firm or internal audit department of a company or an internationally funded project;
• A professional experience in health project management is an asset;
• Must have good experience in the formulation and implementation of risk-based audit plans;
• Must have thorough knowledge of rules and techniques of auditing projects and programs funded by international partners;
• Knowledge of procedures of Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is an asset;
• Must have strong interpersonal skills, (analytical and communication skills. Good command of writing skills and peculiar attention to details; strong integration capacity) ;
• Highly self-directed, communicative, available, diligent, punctual and honest;
• Must have excellent command of software applications commonly used; Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS projects, accounting software, etc.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English and or French, have good working knowledge of the other language;