Manager - Internal Audit - FMCG

Education & Professional Qualifications:

Essential:

- Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Business Administration, Economics, or related discipline.

Professional Certifications:

- One or more of the following: CIA (Certified Internal Auditor), CPA, ACCA, CMA.

Preferred:

- MBA or Master's Degree in Finance, Risk Management, or Business Administration.

Experience:

Essential:

- 7-10 years of experience in Internal Audit, Risk, Compliance, Finance, or External Audit.

- Minimum 3 years in a supervisory or managerial audit role.

- Experience within FMCG, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Retail, or Distribution sectors.

- Hands-on experience in operational and financial audits.

Preferred:

- Experience working across multiple East African countries.

- Exposure to multinational FMCG operations.

- Auditing experience in manufacturing plants and distribution networks.

- Experience with ERP systems such as SAP HANA S/4, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or ERP Next.

Technical Competencies:

- Risk-Based Internal Auditing, Internal Control Evaluation, Operational Auditing, Financial Auditing, Fraud Risk Assessment, Compliance Auditing, Inventory & Supply Chain Controls, Data Analytics, ERP Controls Review, Report Writing & Presentation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Audit Planning & Execution:

- Develop audit scopes, objectives, work programs, and testing procedures.

- Lead and supervise internal audit assignments across regional operations.

- Conduct risk assessments and identify areas requiring audit focus.

- Ensure audits are completed within approved timelines and budgets.

- Maintain compliance with Internal Audit Charter and audit methodology.

2. Operational Audits:

- Conduct audits covering:

1. Manufacturing Operations: Production controls and process efficiency, Raw material consumption and yield analysis, Inventory controls and stock management, Quality assurance and quality control procedures, Plant maintenance and asset utilization.

2. Supply Chain & Logistics: Procurement processes and vendor management, Warehousing controls, Distribution operations, Fleet and transportation management, Inventory reconciliation and stock loss management.

3. Sales & Commercial Operations: Distributor management controls, Trade promotion and rebate programs, Route-to-market effectiveness, Sales incentive schemes, Credit management and receivables controls, Revenue assurance reviews.

3. Financial Audits & Internal Controls:

- Assess effectiveness of financial controls and accounting processes.

- Verify compliance with accounting policies and IFRS requirements.

- Review cash management practices and treasury controls.

- Test key controls over revenue, procurement, inventory, and fixed assets.

- Recommend improvements to strengthen the internal control environment.

4. Compliance & Regulatory Audits:

- Assess compliance with company policies and procedures.

- Review compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements across East African markets.

- Monitor adherence to tax, labor, environmental, and industry regulations.

- Support governance and ethics compliance initiatives.

5. Fraud Risk Management & Investigations:

- Identify fraud vulnerabilities and recommend control enhancements.

- Participate in fraud investigations and special reviews.

- Conduct root cause analysis of control failures.

- Support whistleblower investigations and ethics-related reviews.

- Monitor implementation of fraud prevention measures.

6. Audit Reporting & Follow-Up:

- Prepare clear and concise audit reports.

- Present audit findings and recommendations to management.

- Track implementation of agreed corrective actions.

- Follow up on outstanding audit issues and verify closure.

- Provide periodic status reports to the Head of Internal Audit.

7. Risk Management:

- Support Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) initiatives.

- Evaluate adequacy of risk mitigation controls.

- Monitor emerging operational and business risks.

- Assist management in strengthening risk awareness and control culture.

8. Data Analytics & Continuous Auditing:

- Utilize audit analytics tools to improve audit effectiveness.

- Analyze large data sets to identify anomalies, trends, and control weaknesses.

- Support continuous auditing and monitoring programs.

- Recommend automation opportunities to strengthen controls.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- Audit plan completion rate.

- Timely issuance of audit reports.

- Closure rate of audit findings.

- Reduction in repeat audit observations.

- Quality and impact of audit recommendations.

- Number of control improvements implemented.

- Fraud loss reduction and issue resolution effectiveness.

- Stakeholder satisfaction ratings.