Senior Internal Auditor

Reports to: ICARDA Head of Internal Audit Unit (IAU)

Location: Amman, Jordan, or New Delhi, India, or Beirut, Lebanon

Main purpose of the position

ICARDA seeks to recruit an experienced Senior Internal Auditor to deliver independent, risk-based assurance and advisory services. Reporting to the Head of the Internal Audit Unit, the role will enhance governance, risk management, compliance, and internal controls across ICARDA's research and operations activities.

The Senior Internal Auditor will be responsible for the performance and high-quality delivery of assigned assurance/advisory engagements, focusing on implementing a risk-based audit methodology across various organizational risks to improve ICARDA's general, research, technology, and business control environments. This responsibility includes developing the audit scope, performing internal audit procedures, and preparing reports reflecting the work results. Work performed will include covering functional and operating units and focusing on financial, IT, research, and operational processes.

Additionally, the Senior Internal Auditor follows up on outstanding internal audit issues. S/he will also assist with the internal audit management and periodic reporting to ICARDA's Audit, Finance, and Risk Committee, developing a regularly updated internal audit plan and championing internal control and corporate governance concepts throughout the business. S/he may sometimes direct and review the work performed by other CGIAR internal audit personnel, including external assurance resources.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.

ICARDA's mission is to reduce poverty and enhance food, water, nutritional security, and environmental health in the face of global challenges, including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that consider gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information:

Main responsibilities

The role of the Senior Internal Auditor includes, but is not limited to:

Assurance/Advisory Strategy Delivery and Operation

• Actively participate in systematically developing a risk-based assurance/advisory work plan relevant to addressing the risk challenges confronting ICARDA.
• Contributes to planning and executing risk-based assurance/advisory services of existing and planned processes, products, systems, and services, including identifying risks and vulnerabilities and assessing their relevance, impact, and probability.
• Document relevant business risks in detail, including assessing ICARDA's risk management activities within a specific function, technical area, or project.
• Plans, organizes, and conducts assurance/advisory services for assigned domains and cross-functional areas across ICARDA's value chain.
• Confirms understanding of the scope and objectives of specific assurance/advisory activity with management, ensuring its alignment with organizational priorities.
• Determines appropriate methods to achieve the assurance/advisory objectives.
• Investigates problems in systems, processes, and services, including analyses of patterns and trends that challenge ICARDA's internal control architecture.
• Assists in monitoring improvement actions, including collaboration with other stakeholders responsible for implementing agreed remedies and preventive measures.

Risk and Change Management

• Assist in identifying risks and vulnerabilities, assessing their impact and probability, and recommend/advise on mitigation strategies.
• Analyze current business processes, designs, and controls to identify effectiveness and efficiency improvement needs to leverage new technologies and automation.
• Collect evidence regarding the interpretation and implementation of internal control measures.
• Identifies the root cause of issues during an assurance/advisory assignment and communicates these effectively as risk insights.
• Provide inputs on creating new and potentially disruptive approaches to performing business/internal audit activities effectively and efficiently.

People and Skills

• Develop effective working relationships within ICARDA and CGIAR Internal Audit Function members that promote ICARDA IAU's value creation and protection missions.
• Contribute to improving One CGIAR's internal audit skills and techniques.

Knowledge Management, Relationships, and Engagement

• Presents assurance/advisory observations to ICARDA management describing the effectiveness and efficiency of control mechanisms.
• Provides general and specific assurance/advisory recommendations. Collaborates with other assurance/advisory professionals to develop and integrate observations.
• Prepares and communicates factual reports to stakeholders.

• Facilitates sharing ideas, work knowledge, and examples of best practices (using formal and informal channels to achieve desired results), collaboration, and communication of collaborative technologies, processes, and behaviors that promote ICARDA's strategies and goals and the ICARDA IAU's value creation and value protection missions.

• Implements stakeholder engagement/communications plan, including collecting and using stakeholder feedback to help measure IAU's contribution and effectiveness.

• Helps develop and enhance stakeholder relationships that enable the ICARDA IAU to achieve its functional objectives.

Essential qualifications and competencies

• A University degree in business management, economics, informatics, data science, computer science, public policy, or related fields.
• Professional certification such as CIA, CISA, CRMA, PMP, or equivalent.
• A minimum of seven years of internal audit working experience, particularly in the research sector (public or private, including educational research institutions).
• A strong knowledge of internal control concepts and frameworks, internal auditing standards, and risk management practices, and experience in applying them to plan, perform, manage, and report on the evaluation of various organizational/business processes, areas, and functions.
• Demonstrated working effectively in a multicultural and fluid environment, including different time zones.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with knowledge of statistical tools and audit analytics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to influence and build consensus.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and across different time zones.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate with diverse teams.
• Experience in a publicly funded organization, particularly in a research or development international not-for-profit organization.
• Additional certifications in internal audit, cyber/information security, governance, risk management, or ISO/COSO will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of digital business management, research project management (including understanding the theory of change and impact pathways), risk assessment, information system/security audit, and proficiency in using at least mid-range ERP systems are desirable.
• Experience working in a global and matrixed organization.
• Knowledge of Arabic and/or French is preferred.

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is a nationally recruited staff position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months' maternity leave, 15 days' paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be a probationary period.

Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.