Group Head Internal Audit at Cellulant

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

The organisation is in search of an experienced professional to establish and lead its Internal Audit function. The creation of this function at Cellulant presents a unique opportunity for a newcomer to build the department from the ground up. This individual will assume a critical role in guaranteeing the reliability, accuracy, and integrity of the organisation's management information systems, policies, plans, procedures, and records. Their foremost objective will be to align these elements effectively with the organization's intended goals.

In the capacity of the Head of Internal Audit, this individual will assume responsibility for supervising the performance and management of the internal audit function. They will ensure rigorous adherence to financial standards, regulations, and statutory provisions while implementing appropriate financial controls. This will facilitate the efficient, effective, and prudent allocation of the organisation's resources. The organisation is actively seeking a candidate who can embrace this role with a business-oriented mindset and a collegial approach.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

As the Head of Internal Audit, your responsibilities will encompass a wide range of critical functions aimed at ensuring the organisation's financial integrity and compliance. Here is a clarified and enhanced list of your key responsibilities and tasks at a senior leadership level:

• Develop and Implement Audit Strategy: Develop a robust risk-based audit and compliance testing strategy to proactively identify and address potential risks and issues.
• Annual Audit Planning: Take charge of developing and executing the company's annual audit plan, ensuring it aligns with organisational objectives and emerging risks.
• Internal Control Evaluation: Assess the adequacy and effectiveness of established internal controls to prevent and detect errors and irregularities, providing recommendations for improvements.
• Compliance Assessment: Evaluate internal control systems to ensure compliance with policies, plans, procedures, laws, regulations, contracts, and ethical business conduct.
• Ad-Hoc Audits: Conduct ad-hoc audit reviews as needed, responding to areas flagged by management for investigation.
• Documentation and Reporting: Coordinate the documentation of audit findings, prepare comprehensive audit reports, communicate audit issues to relevant stakeholders, and follow up on corrective actions to ensure timely resolution.
• Audit Standards Adherence: Ensure that audits conform to professional standards and that financial statements align with applicable accounting standards regarding presentation and disclosures.
• Strategic Advisory Role: Provide ongoing advice to management on accounting, reporting, control, and compliance matters, offering guidance to prevent costly errors and irregularities.
• Fraud Prevention and Evaluation: Evaluate the adequacy of the organisation's fraud prevention strategies, including a review of fraud control policies and procedures, and recommend enhancements as necessary.
• Reporting: Prepare relevant reports related to the Internal Audit function's activities, ensuring transparency and clarity in communication.
• Board Reporting: Report periodically to the Board of Directors through the Board Audit and Compliance Committee, presenting audit results and offering recommendations in line with the internal audit charter and annual audit plan.

In this role, you will play a pivotal part in upholding the company's financial integrity, managing risks, and promoting a culture of compliance, all while providing valuable strategic insights to support decision-making at the highest levels of the organisation.

Must Have Experience:

• Total of 10 years experience: minimum of 7 years working experience in an auditing role on both financial and IT/Technology controls audits is required and at least 3 years leadership experience totaling 10 years working experience.
• Must have worked in a large system, corporate setting and have been exposed to best practise 
• Experience starting off an IA department from scratch in a high growth business 
• Cross border, multi-jurisdictional experience 
• Business Process improvement experience and change implementation and enablement experience

Experience that will count in your favor:

• Fintech/Financial services Industry experience 
• Experience within technology firms

Nice To Have Experience:

• Implementing change at large scale 
• Automation and process improvement experience 

Qualifications:

•  Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field. A Master's degree would be an added advantage.
• Professional certification such as ICAN, CPA, ACCA, CIA, or CISA

Skills:

• Broad audit and audit practice knowledge and expertise
• Leadership and management skills
• Business/Commercial acumen
• The ability to evaluate options and provide sound practical solutions
• Awareness of market forces, politics and economics, and their relation to changing laws and regulations
• The ability to provide practical commercial legal advice to stakeholders and non-legal personnel
• Strong communication skills with the ability to liaise with those at all levels
• Ability to delegate  tasks to team members and the confidence to provide senior management with audit recommendation  and corrective actions 
• The ability to manage risk effectively
• Negotiation skills
• An integral and discretionary approach

Personal Attributes:

• Integrity
• Good judgement  and Gravitas
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) and French at business level, will be an added advantage 
• The ability to listen, learn and be open-minded
• Passionate about well-done teamwork 
• Able to influence
• Honest and responsible
• Advanced sense of leadership and team spirit
• Positive interpersonal relationships