Senior Director Internal Audit – Mercy Corps Support Offices Washington D.C., UK, or NL

Position Description

Location Portland, OR; Washington DC; London, UK; or The Hague, NL

Position Status Full-time, Regular

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Department

The role of the Internal Audit Department (IAD) is to provide objective assurance that Mercy Corps’ business risks are being managed appropriately and that the agency’s risk management and internal control framework is operating effectively. The IAD actively reviews the reliability and integrity of financial and operating information as well as the systems established by the agency to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures, donor policies and regulations and US and host country laws and regulations.

General Position Summary

The Senior Director of Internal Audit (SDIA) will provide leadership and strategic direction to the Mercy Corps Internal Audit Department. The SDIA will implement Mercy Corps’ internal audit program to evaluate compliance with accounting principles, donor regulations and requirements, and organizational financial policies and procedures, thereby helping to safeguard MC assets, verify the accuracy of financial records, and promote organizational and operational integrity. The SDIA will provide strategic leadership to the Internal Audit Department (lAD) and work closely with the Joint Audit & Risk Committee of the Board of Directors.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND VISION

• Sets clear direction and strategy for the lAD, to ensure it delivers quality internal audits, based on an assessment of agency risk and insights into MC’s operations, even under difficult or changing conditions.
• Ensures that strategic objectives for the lAD are seen through to completion, anticipating challenges and identifying opportunities, but also acting decisively to end initiatives that aren’t working.
• Ensures that the lAD and its activities provide valuable information to management to enable effective internal controls and risk management, thereby enhancing the department’s and Mercy Corps’ reputation for quality performance, both within and external to the organization.
• Develops IAD reports and communications that are comprehensive, clear and visually appealing so agency management can understand audit findings and timely address them.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintains high ethical standards. and treats people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrates an awareness of his/her personal strengths and development needs, modeling non-defensive behavior and openness to feedback.
• Builds a culture of feedback and learning so IAD reports are viewed by agency management as tools for improved compliance, performance, service delivery and achievement of mission outcomes.
• Always demonstrates sound judgment, is welcoming of idea generation and bold thinking. Implement innovative approaches and evaluate their impact.
• Shares information proactively and appropriately, helping to create a trusting, collaborative team environment that supports reasoned risk-taking and risk assessment.

REPRESENTATION

• Maintains productive relationships with all stakeholders. Builds mutually rewarding professional relationships inside Mercy Corps at all levels.

INTERNAL AUDIT SERVICES

• Document and maintain the Mercy Corps Internal Audit program, including the periodic review of all audit methodologies and procedures to evaluate compliance with Mercy Corps’ policies and donor regulations.
• Ensure that all internal audit protocols, reports and interactions with field, HQ staff and other parties
• are conducted with a high degree of integrity, objectivity and with the overall objective of positively promoting improvement.
• Guide the implementation of any special scope or surprise audits as requested by senior management, the CFO or the Joint Audit & Risk Committee.
• Review, edit or write and publish all required Internal Audit reports, ensuring their clarity, readability, completeness, correctness and fairness, while strictly adhering to established timelines and due dates.
• Using appropriate channels, alert senior management, the CFO and/or Audit & Risk Committee to any organizational conflicts of interest or other significant internal control or compliance issues.
• Maintain an expert knowledge of Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures as well as stay abreast of donor rules and regulations.
• Maintain and upgrade as necessary a system for the safeguarding and completeness of all internal audit historical documents and records.
• Present findings and discuss recommendations with senior management and the Joint Audit and Risk Committee.
• Member of and participate in the Ethics Incident Committee meetings, and provide support with ethics investigations, as needed and resources are available.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular
• performance reviews.
• Assist country teams to identify areas that need to be remedied as a result of internal audits.
• Provide country team leadership and lAD team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Supervise, train and mentor IAD staff.

FIELD AUDITS

• SDIA to conduct 3-4 field audits per year including travel to international field locations to perform internal audits as determined in the annual schedule or in response to requests for special scope audits.

COORDINATION

• Coordinate closely with the CFO, Corporate Finance, Grant Compliance Support Unit, Global Procurement and Logistics, International Finance, Program Operations teams, Human Resources, and the Global Controller to ensure that the Internal Audit program remains current with Mercy Corps field and/or HQ policies and procedures.
• Provide feedback to these units on the effectiveness of current policies, procedures and controls and identify areas for improvements.
• Liaise with Mercy Corps’ external auditors as necessary and assist the Global Controller or
• International Finance Department in responding to relevant inquiries.

Supervisory Responsibility

Internal Auditors (3)

Accountability

Accountable Directly To: MCG Board of Directors, Joint Audit & Risk Committee and the COO

Reports Directly To: Joint Audit and Risk Committee; COO for administrative purposes

Works Directly With: Field personnel, including Country Directors, Country Finance Managers and finance staff members and any Internal Audit staff in countries; International Finance; Grant Compliance Support Unit; Global Procurement and Logistics, Operations teams; Human Resources; Global Controller

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Masters’ degree and/or significant relevant experience with internal audit or related activities
• A degree in Business Administration, Accounting and/or Finance and a CIA (Certified Internal
• Auditor) credentials are required
• Previous relevant internal or external auditing experience, preferably with a recognized public accounting firm or not-for-profit organization with worldwide operations similar to that of Mercy Corps.
• Relevant “hands-on” experience with federally funded grants, US Government and European Union donor regulations, and automated general ledger software.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills and able to communicate effectively with both
• financial and non-financial audiences.
• Overseas working experience in similar settings is preferred, as is positive experience in dealing with people and cross-cultural communication.

Success Factors

The successful SDIA has a proven ability to analyze complex situations, objectively document and prioritize findings and communicate findings and associated risks with agency management. S/he must work both independently in Mercy Corps field offices and cooperatively with agency staff at all levels. In addition, the SDIA will conduct him/herself with a high degree of integrity and objectivity while also working towards an overall objective of positively promoting improvement. Effective, positive written and verbal communication is essential to success in this position.

Living Conditions I Environmental Conditions

The location of the position is flexible. The position will entail up to 40% travel to field locations, including program locations that may include insecure or harsh environments.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.