Internal Auditor at the West African Power Pool (WAPP)

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) is a specialized institution of ECOWAS that operates in the general interest of the regional power network system in order to ensure a reliable power supply throughout the region (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo). Today, WAPP comprises thirty-five (35) electricity companies that are public and private power generation, transmission, distribution and commercialisation entities involved in the operation of the power network system in West Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Internal Auditor

Location: PMU Head Office, Abuja, Nigeria
Project Name: WAPP North Core/Projet Dorsale Nord Interconnection Project
Employing Institution: Project Management Unit (PMU) of the North Core Project
Reports to: PMU Director
Subordinates: N/A
Appointment: Full time, approximately 36 months
Language required: Proficiency in English and/or French with a good knowledge of the second language

Project Background

• Within the framework of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the Governments of Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina are collaborating to develop a sub-regional interconnection project referred to as the 330 kV WAPP North Core Project. The project involves the construction of approximately 875 km of 330 kV transmission lines from Nigeria to Burkina Faso, through Niger, and Benin. The project will also involve the electrification of rural communities located within a 5 km radius on both sides of the line, and the implementation of several environmental and social mitigation measures. These include, among others, the implementation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) to provide for persons and communities affected by project implementation activities.
• The project is being financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB).
• Given the regional dimension of the project, and in order to enhance its coordination, Energy Ministers of the North Core countries agreed to put in place an institutional framework which includes the establishment of a Project Management Unit (PMU) to, among others, assist in the preparation and physical implementation of the North Core project.

Job Purpose

• The Internal Auditor will support the Project Director in providing an independent evaluation of the activities of the Project and its related entities. S/he will centrally coordinate all audit and compliance activities at the Project Head Office and at Field Offices and ensure strict adherence to the WAPP, World Bank and AfDB’s internal policies and procedures, regulatory and statutory requirements. The jobholder’s tasks will be undertaken with a view to promote transparency and accountability, develop risk-based audit, add significant value, enhance risk management, governance and compliance, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the internal control systems within the operations of the project.
• The jobholder will therefore assess among others the extent to which there is reasonable assurance that: risks are appropriately identified and managed, significant financial, managerial, and operating information is accurate, reliable, and timely, institutional policies and procedures are complied with, resources are acquired economically and used efficiently, quality and continuous improvement are fostered and institutional assets (physical and intellectual), records and data are safeguarded.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Develop and implement internal audit work programs, audit plan and risk register and drive the development, deployment and update/review of the charter, manual, relevant policies and other frameworks for the Internal Audit Function;
• Establish effective business relationships within the project and support Management in the understanding and application of, and adherence to internal control, risk management, compliance and governance principles;
• Perform audits through the review of physical and electronic records, evaluate the level of compliance with established business control policies, processes, procedures, standards, laws and regulations in assigned functional areas/business units, identify control weaknesses or process improvement opportunities and initiate workable solutions;
• Document and file work papers and audit procedures performed. Track timely and effective corrective actions taken following audit recommendations;
• Maintain back up (physical and electronic) of all internal audit materials for easy retrieval and reference and monitor the document management process;
• Continuously review all documents and manuals and recommend amendments to reflect current Resolutions and Decisions as well as best practice;
• Promptly disclose identified irregularities to the Project Director and ensure follow up of external audit findings, financial management supervision and Interim Financial Report (IFR) review findings.
• Train project staff on key audit issues and proactively keep project staff informed of emerging trends, developments and practices affecting the work of internal audit;
• Submit, on a timely basis, monthly, quarterly and annual internal audit reports to the Project Director and donors;
• Monitor internal and external KPIs;
• Monitor and drive compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements across all project areas.

Qualification and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting or related field with a minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience;
• At least five years of professional experience should have been in an audit role in a donor funded project, the public sector or any of the big four accounting firms;
• Professional certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), DSCG, DESCOGEFF, or equivalent qualification is mandatory.

Knowledge Requirements:

• Sound knowledge of the policies and guidelines of international institutions, such as The World Bank (WB), African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD);
• Knowledge and ability to use ERP tools such as TOMPRO, together with associated sub modules;
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and the internet.

Desirable Qualities, Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrate a high sense of professionalism, integrity and excellent work ethics;
• Ability to take initiative and work independently with very little or no supervision;
• Have knowledge of specialized IT audit applications, such as IDEA, ACL, and TeamMate;
• Possess excellent information gathering and reporting skills;
• Have critical thinking skills to identify solutions to recurrent issues;
• Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Languages:

• It is required that the Internal Auditor is proficient in English or/and French (Read, write, speak) with a good knowledge of the other language.

Contract Duration:

• The contract is for a period of 36 months with a probation period of 6 months.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Internal Auditor will be required to prepare weekly, monthly and quarterly and ad hoc reports as required by the PMU Director.

Performance Assessment:

• The performance of the Internal Auditor will be evaluated annually by the PMU Director. Key Performance Indicators derived from the duties and responsibilities above and agreed upon between the jobholder and the PMU Director, would be used as the basis for measuring the performance of the jobholder.

Further Information

• This position is on a full time basis envisaged for a duration of approximately 36 months with a six (6) month probation period. Successful candidates will be stationed at the PMU Head Office in Abuja, Nigeria.
• A key requirement for this position may be/is fluency in French and/or English with a good working knowledge of the second language and ability to use relevant computer software (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as the internet.
• Interested applicants are strongly advised to refer to the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the advertised position prior to sending their applications.

Applications Closing Date
18h00 GMT Friday, 15th May 2020.