ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position: Senior Internal Auditor

Term of Employment: One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):  Addis Ababa

Required Number:  Two

Salary & Benefits: Competitive

Application Deadline: June 4, 2021

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate the development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results. 

At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector. We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Internal Auditor participates in preparing the plan and the budget of the internal audit functions of the Agency to ensure robust governance and internal control system. Performs financial, compliance, and performance auditing activities in all operations, projects, and other activities of the ATA’s mandate areas. S/he is specifically responsible for assurance audits and provision of the preventive risk advisory services on regular basis regarding the devolved authorities and deployed resources to Regional Offices (ROs) of ATA. With the guidance of the Director and the audit Manager, the incumbent conducts studies on risks and compliance issues provides recommendations on how to mitigate risks and strengthens the internal control systems of the ATA in general, and the Internal Control system of the assigned Regional Offices of ATA, in particular.  Assess and evaluates books of accounts, purchase transactions and awards, asset registrations, and inventories are properly carried out based on policies and procedures of the Agency to address the interests of key stakeholders like donors and the government of FDRE. Participates in detecting and inspecting misconducts and misappropriations of assets and reports findings with recommendations as deemed necessary. Particularly, the responsibility of the senior auditor gives significance to evaluate the BO’s adequacy and effectiveness of controls in responding to risks within the ATA’s governance, operation, and information system regarding compliance with the government policies, laws, regulations, and ATA’s plan, procedures, contract agreement, safeguarding of assets, reliability of financial information, economical and efficient use of resources.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Design and develop internal audit procedures, define internal audit areas, resources, and internal audit engagement requirements concerning the devolution of authorities and resources to Regional Offices (ROs) of ATA.
• Perform audit procedures by paying frequent field visits to the ROs of ATA to verify that controls are adequately and effectively operating to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Analyze and conclude on the adequacy, effectiveness, and efficiency of the control environment and promote compliance with organizational policies, laws, regulations, and donors’ agreements.
• Documenting permanent and temporary audit working papers to support the audit conclusion and engagement result per professional standards.
• Contribute, as appropriate, to the year-end financial audit with the external auditor, and participate in other observation roles.
• Build, develop, and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders to smoothen the audit work.
• Provide advice on internal control upon request and participate in enhancing internal audit standards and practices within ATA.
• Lead and manage regular and ad-hoc internal audit engagements (audit entry and exit meetings) following requirements defined under the Internal Audit Charter of the Agency.
• Develop contextualized audit plans concerning the devolution of authorities and resources to Regional Offices (ROs) of ATA, define activities to be audited, set clear objectives to be achieved; define types of audit review, key resources required, the period of engagements, and related communication channels to provide management with adequate, reliable, and timely information on risks and associated controls in collaboration with the audit manager.
• Manage and supervise the internal audit staff under supervision and performs other internal audit reviews as instructed by the Audit Manager.
• Perform follow-up review and report on ensuring that management takes corrective actions on the implementation of the audit recommendations.
• With the guidance of the immediate supervisor, perform and control the full audit cycle including the risk management and internal control over operations’ effectiveness, financial reliability, and compliance with all applicable directives and regulations.
• Prepare customized training material and coordinate continuous knowledge development programs regarding regulations, best practices, tools, techniques, and performance standards.
• Based on the guidance and instruction of the immediate supervisor, perform special internal audit inspections and investigations as well as providing consultancy services to auditees as required.
• Assess and evaluates books of accounts, purchase transactions and awards, HR administrations, asset registrations, and inventories that are properly carried out based on policies and procedures of the Agency and check whether they comply with government policies and/donors’ agreements.
• Conduct studies on risks, compliance, and internal control systems of the Agency and make appropriate recommendations to address the associated risks with the respective projects/programs, which are under the audit universe of the BO’s.
• Conduct periodic assurance audit and provide consultancy services to enhance the ATA’s operations and prepare reports with recommendations for improvement.
• Assess whether the accounting system and other financial policies and procedures adopted by the ATA are maintained as per the donors' agreement and Government accounting system.
• Participates in the audit of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the ATA’s program/project, in carrying out its responsibilities. Audit funds granted to specific Projects have been used for their intended purposes.
• Contributes to the overall success of the ATA by working as a team member on audits and other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or other relevant subjects.
• A minimum of bachelor’s degree (Master’s Degree preferred) with at least eight years of experience for bachelor’s degree holders and six years for master’s degree Holders.
• Excellent knowledge of accounting and risk-based auditing with a focus on the assurance and consultancy service provisions.
• Be adaptable and able to meet deadlines as well as work with different types of staff of ATA.
• Strong skills in negotiating, relationship building, problem-solving and timely escalation.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Detail-oriented and able to quickly grasp the big picture.
• Able to learn quickly and work towards the Vision & Strategy of the Agency.
• Motivated to contribute to high-performing teams with frequent field visits. 

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) click here to apply

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.