Country Assurance Lead - Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper.

Through its Young Africa Works strategy and Canadian EleV program, the Foundation works with partners to ensure that millions of young people, especially young women, access quality education, financial services, and dignified work.

Mastercard Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company.

The Foundation is independent with its own Board of Directors and CEO.

THE WORK AT THE FOUNDATION

We have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. 

Our role at the Mastercard Foundation is to be a catalyst.

Our Young Africa Works strategy focuses on working with others to spur systemic change so young people have the opportunity to find work that is dignified and fulfilling.

The Foundation has opened offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda, building a broader leadership presence in Africa to develop specific strategies that support youth employment. 

Within a country, we work with governments, the private sector, educators, and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the workforce, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and connect job seekers to dignified and fulfilling work.

We are ambitious and driven. Our values transcend and rise above everything else as our guide. We encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work.

We laugh at ourselves and with each other. We are a team. Our journey together makes our impact even more meaningful.

If you are a driven and passionate Internal Audit professional ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to Regional Assurance Head – Western, Central and Northern Africa, the role will be based in Ghana and will be responsible for performing country internal audits and reviews which helps the Foundation achieve its objectives by evaluating the effectiveness of its governance, risk management, operational effectiveness, financial management, and internal controls and fostering an environment of continuous improvement.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Internal Audit

• Provide input into the development of the foundation’s audit strategy and risk-based annual internal audit plan which covers all countries and functions
• Execute on the relevant country’s sections of the annual internal audit plan
• Provide audit reports to country leadership that articulate the potential impact of issues identified and provide practical recommendations. Collaborate with management on implementation and track progress.
• Report to the country leadership on the status of internal audit activities, emerging risks, and potential exposures, and guide concerning enterprise risk management and internal control best practices.
• Perform Program audits to periodically review and assess the use of the Foundation’s funds by its program partners, including site visits.
• Review and report on internal controls, risk assessments, and risk management & monitoring
• Participate in senior country management meetings including various forums in an advisory capacity on risk and audit matters or the design of key controls
• Review implementation of recommendations from incident reports, internal and external audit reports
• Other duties and responsibilities as required

Stakeholder Management

• Maintain positive relationships with stakeholders and steer collaborations across the country including relevant enterprise functions, program partners, external auditors, colleagues, and communities
• External professional engagement with Internal Audit and Risk practitioners

Team management

• Team building and participation
• Staff engagement
• Train foundation teams in different aspects including risk management, internal controls, governance aspects

WHO YOU ARE:

• Professional accounting designation with a university degree in accounting or a related field.
• Accreditation as a member with a recognized institute of internal auditors or professional accounting body
• Minimum 10 years in audit or risk roles within large and/or global organizations, with at least 4 years in a senior internal audit or risk management role.
• Previous work in the development sector is a definite asset.
• French language skills would be a strong asset. 
• Experience in planning and performing all stages in the audit process and business reviews
• Experience in preparing and presenting reports to the senior leadership team
• Impeccable integrity that exemplifies the Foundation’s values.
• You are flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• You possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• You possess professional maturity and sensitivity to different cultures
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and engaging with a range of stakeholders