Vacncy Title: Senior Internal Auditor – AECF

About AECF

The AECF is a development institution that supports businesses to innovate, create jobs, and leverage investments and markets to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa. It provides concessional capital, technical assistance, and support to the wider enabling environment for emergent and scaling SMEs.

To date, AECF has supported over 400 businesses in more than 40 value chains and 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In the renewable energy and adaptive climate change sector, AECF has supported businesses across solar home systems, mini and micro-grids, biogas, financial services, and adaptive climate change technologies. AECF focuses on agribusiness, renewable energy, and adaptive climate technology sectors while addressing the cross-cutting themes of gender, youth, and fragile contexts to reduce rural poverty, promote resilient communities, and create jobs.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya, with offices in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania.

The Role

The role holder is responsible for assisting the audit department in providing independent, objective assurance and advisory service to the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee on the effectiveness of the AECF’s policies, procedures, internal controls, and governance processes to ensure the achievement of the AECF’s mandate.

Key Responsibilities

Internal Audit

• Support the Head of Internal Audit in developing and implementing internal audit strategy and budgets aligned to the AECF’s strategic plan.
• Evaluate existing areas of risks and controls within the fund, assess them in order of priority, and suggest ways of mitigation.
• Design audit programs and plans and ensure their implementation.
• Conduct risk-based audits and system compliance audits both at the fund and its intermediaries and recommend improvements.
• Regular reviews to monitor the implementation of action plans to address internal control deficiencies.
• Update the Head of Internal Audit on the implementation of findings raised through external audits.
• Reviewing and advising on compliance levels through regular appraisal of the actual operations versus the policies and procedures so as to maintain reasonable and applicable levels of compliance.
• Undertake special investigations, follow-up, and specific analysis as requested by the Head of Internal Audit.
• Determine the adequacy of internal controls by conducting internal protective and constructive audits of the controls, financial records, administrative procedures, and operations of core business activities as well as management support services.
• Examine and inspect activity records, accounting systems and procedures relating to equipment, physical facilities, including intellectual property to determine their efficiency and protective value and the degree of resource utilization.
• Analyze data for evidence of deficiencies in control, duplication of effort, extravagance, fraud or lack of compliance with approved policies; may be required to interact with suppliers to verify records.
• Provide advice, challenge and support to multidisciplinary teams in developing, implementing and evaluating strategic management plans, in order to improve organizational effectiveness.

Board Papers and Reporting

• Assist in the preparation of board papers, periodic progress reports, and annual reports showing achievements of the internal audit function.
• Evaluate progress and status of steps taken to address any audit comments received from external audit reports to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Make recommendations for the improvement of the AECF operations to the Head of Internal Audit.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Proactively develop a trusted advisor relationship with management that enables internal audit to effectively influence positive changes within the AECF.
• Develop strategies for strengthening collaborative partnerships and networks with stakeholders, particularly relevant agencies to ensure statutory compliance.
• Liaising with the Human Resources and Administration Manager to familiarize the fund’s employees/clients with audit procedures and requirements through consultative meetings and seminars.

People and Leadership

• Assess training needs to build staff capacity in internal audit control, ethical business conduct as well as integrity and accountability of funds.

The Candidate

Suitable candidates should have the following:

• Hold an undergraduate degree in business management, finance or equivalent field of study.
• Hold a professional qualification in CPA, CIA or CISA.
• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in audit of private companies.
• Experience working with donor-funded organizations is desirable.
• Demonstrate proven ability to document findings and provide possible solutions.
• Possess the ability to interact and maintain professional standards with stakeholders.
• Demonstrate proven communication, presentation, and writing skills with the ability to effectively communicate within the organization and externally.
• Possess excellent written and spoken English. Working knowledge in French or Portuguese is an added advantage.