POSITION SUMMARY & JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Assisting the Head Internal Audit, the incumbent will be responsible for planning, organizing and executing internal audit assignments, including but not limited to J-SOX, Operational, and Management Audits, by assessing the existence, adequacy/ effectiveness of internal controls, efficiency of processes and risk management and compliance (especially concerning J-SOX). The incumbent will be expected to lead individual audit assignments and act as J-SOX PMO, if required. He/ she will be expected to manage and perform these audits projects/ as an expert providing detailed and relevant recommendations to improve internal controls and mitigate risks across operational and financial processes. He/ she will be expected to engage the relevant group company (GC)/ BSID functional heads and advise line management and business on how to implement audit recommendations and track the results periodically to ensure implementation within agreed timelines. He/ she may also be involved in special projects/ assignments and ad-hoc activities of a varying nature on request.
Key Responsibilities:
Operational Audits:
- Organise, lead and perform operational audit assignments including; planning, communication with auditees, developing audit programs, executing work assignments, preparing the audit report and explaining it to Local Management.
- Work and collaborate with co-sourcing audit service providers and other relevant stakeholders to ensure timely and quality deliverables by Big 4/other firms.
- Track open audit findings and conduct the follow-up assessments to ensure that prior recommendations have been adequately implemented
- Provide advice to Local Management and business operations on request, such as how to implement audit recommendations and providing templates or policies from other companies
- Support the annual planning process by performing risk assessments of all operations
- Support the continuous improvement process and proactively suggest how the quality and efficiency of audits can be improved.
- Utilize data analytics and audit management software to enhance audit efficiency and effectiveness
J-SOX Audits:
- Manage and lead all the annual J-SOX activities, ensuring clear and timely communication to all stakeholders and closely follow-up with stakeholder to ensure they complete each activity on a timely basis with good quality and proactively suggest corrective actions as soon as an issue is identified.
- Ensure that all J-SOX activities are performed on a timely basis, including the updating of documentation, performing self-assessments and reporting to the global J-SOX team
- Perform quality checks for the different J-SOX activities performed throughout the year & proactively propose improvements and follow-up whenever necessary.
- Manage all requests and information enquiries concerning J-SOX and provide detailed and timely responses to Regional J-SOX team.
- Conduct follow-up assessments to ensure that prior recommendations have been adequately implemented.
- Provide J-SOX training and advice to the business whenever needed.
Special Projects/ Assignments:
- On request, lead and perform special investigations (including suspected frauds) & ensure the quality and completeness of the investigation. Present the outcome of special investigations to local management and follow-up regularly to ensure that countermeasures have been properly implemented.
- Participate in other ad hoc studies, projects and other special assignments if requested.
Stakeholder Management and Reporting
- Build and maintain effective country and regional relationships, liaise with defined key stakeholders to understand the business, and keep informed about changes in risks facing the business
- Engage with line management at the GC and support them on specific requests and/ or consulting projects and provide advisory services to the business on an as needed basis and as assigned by the Senior Manager, IA&C
- Anticipate and proactively address business (strategic, operational, financial) and regulatory issues/concerns
- Effective negotiation skills, a proactive approach in communicating issues and strength in sustaining independent views
Other:
- Provide training and guidance to more junior auditors or onboarding to new staff on all aspects of operational and J-SOX auditing
- Work closely and lead co-source resource where applicable on IA and other projects, as required
- Participate and/ or lead IA initiatives at Regional conferences, and special projects, where required
- Support the Head of Audit, BSID on IA activities and initiatives
- Manage other ad hoc tasks, as required.
Transversal Responsibility
- All business decisions and actions must serve and be in line with the Groups Essence, principles & values, TRACE, and our way to serve the community
- Partnering with Business and Functional Leaders to champion, communicate, inculcate, drive, promote and live Bridgestones Essence and TRACE principles & values
- Fostering and promoting diversity i.e. gender, generational, cultural, nationality-diversity and inclusion.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelors Degree or higher and professional auditing qualification (e.g. CIA) or Finance/ Accountancy qualification (e.g. CPA), other qualifications will be considered where relevant
- Minimum eight (8) years of work experience in Internal Audit and/or IT Audit, etc. Statutory Audit experience will be considered provided it is combined with Internal Audit. Commercial audit experience preferred in a dynamic, fast-paced MNC or Big Four Accounting Firm.
- Deep knowledge and understanding of internal control frameworks, (like COSO), risk management, and regulatory requirements, knowledge and prior experience of SOX and/or J-SOX will be an advantage
- Basic understanding and appreciation of general IT controls
- Collaborative team player across all functional teams and relevant stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to professionally engage with business leaders and develop strong, supportive and transparent relationships. Aspire to become a trusted advisor.
- Dynamic personality with positive attitude and self-motivation
- Excellent planning and project management skills, meticulous and well organized, and able to multi-task
- High level of integrity, ethics, and commitment to professionalism
- Strong focus on relevance, quality and accuracy (including good helicopter view)
- Analytical mindset, preferably with strong data analysis (DA) capabilities (knowledge of special DA tools and language is not a must) with good problem solving and root cause analysis skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills (confident, clear, precise, especially for presentations). Fluency in English is essential
- Be proactive (proposing improvement ideas and potential solutions to issues) and demonstrated ability to drive transformational changes in processes and culture, ability to withstand adversity to do the right thing.
- Ability to handle special requests and ad-hoc assignments (may be complex & require quick thinking with no prior reference), able to handle ambiguity.
- Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and work under tight deadlines
- Prior working knowledge of SAP/ HANA
- Willingness to travel up to 20% to 30% per year, primarily within India, and other Asian countries, if required.
