Head of Internal Audit

The Internal Audit and Investigations Group (IAIG) Director reports directly to the Executive Director of UNOPS, and is responsible for providing audit, investigation, and related advisory services. The Head of Internal Audit reports to the Director of IAIG and will lead the team in ensuring that UNOPS continues to achieve high standards of good governance, risk management, and accountability. IAIG conducts internal audits to evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of UNOPS governance and risk management as well as controls.
IAIG supports UNOPS in ensuring:
(a) Achievement of the organization’s strategic objectives;
(b) Adequacy and effectiveness of risk identification and prioritization, determination of risk tolerance and efficiency and effectiveness of control processes in mitigating residual risks;
(c) Effectiveness, economy and efficiency of operations and programs;
(d) Safeguarding of assets;
(e) Compliance with applicable regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and contracts.

IAIG internal audit activity adds value to the organization and its stakeholders by providing objective and relevant assurance and advice, and by contributing to the effectiveness and efficiency of governance, risk management, and control processes using a systematic, disciplined, and risk-based approach.

The Head of Internal Audit will be expected to interact closely with the Head of Investigations and their team. IAIG leads investigations into alleged fraud, corruption, waste of resources, abuse of authority or other misconduct, and violations of UNOPS regulations, rules, and administrative instructions. Ensuring close cooperation and timely information sharing between the Audit and Investigations Sections will better prevent misconduct and strengthen the internal control environment.

Under the supervision of the Director, IAIG, the Head of Internal Audit will:

Summary of key functions: 

1. Strategic development

2. Quality assurance

3. Knowledge management and innovation 

4. Team Leadership

• Advanced University degree (Masters or equivalent) in Accounting, Auditing, Economics, Finance or related field is required. 

• First level degree (Bachelor or equivalent) in combination with additional two years of relevant  professional experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.

• Certification: Professional certification in a related field such as Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is highly desired.

• 10 years of professional experience in Auditing. 

• Within these 10 years, a minimum of 5 years managing an audit team 

• Experience leading, planning, and executing audits

• Previous experience within a UN organization, International Financial Institution, or Big 4 audit firms is desirable. 

• Knowledge of Project management tool , MS ProjectTM or similar team management tools, TeammateTM Audit Software, and related CAAT’s are considered an asset. Familiarity with ERP is considered a plus. 

• Experience in leading or supervising data analytics teams is an asset.

• Experience in artificial intelligence is considered as a plus.

• Experience in IT and cyber security audit is considered as a plus.

• Experience in forensic audit is considered as a plus

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• Fluency in written and spoken English. 

• Working knowledge of another United Nations language such as French or Spanish is an asset.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.