About us
Practical Action is a change making organisation that works in unconventional ways. We put ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We do things differently, so answers that start small can grow big – bringing people together in bold collaborations, using innovation and knowledge to build futures free from poverty and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
About the role
The primary purpose is to provide independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve Practical Action’s operations. The internal audit department helps Practical Action accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes.
About you
We are seeking an experienced, dedicated and detail orientated Internal Auditor, with high standards of professional ethics. The role requires someone who can operate independently under remote supervision and is also a good team player. It requires someone who can be creative and pragmatic in their approach, whilst also being systematic, methodical, and organised. It requires someone who is curious in their thinking, and at the same time able to blend a robustness and a sensitivity in their interactions with others. And it requires someone to have excellent written and spoken language skills, including English.
Key Accountabilities
- Lead or support the Head of Internal Audit as required in the planning, pre-audit testing and fieldwork testing of risk-based internal audits
- Communicate findings with the audit clients in a timely manner, collaborating with them to ensure common understanding of issues, and their root causes with a commitment to implement recommendations
- Lead on the administration, tracking, and reporting of all internal audit recommendations using dedicated audit software
- Develop a good working knowledge of Practical Action’s finance system (Microsoft Business Central) and processes
- Membership of the global Financial Crime Team. Support to and occasional leading of financial crime investigations where necessary
See Job description for a full list of accountabilities
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience
Essential
- Part Qualified CIA/CA/ACCA/CIMA/CPA or Degree in a relevant subject
- 3 years of relevant internal audit or similar experience
- Strong working knowledge of internal audit concepts, operational risk, compliance, and control
- Good Excel, technical and accounting knowledge with attention to detail
- Highly computer literate with ability to use and understand accounting systems and reporting tools
- Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team
- Ability to work in a professional environment, keep organised and manage multiple demands on time
- Excellent written & spoken communication skills (in English)
- Proactive and resilient, with ability to engage others across the organisation and independently overcome obstacles
- Ability to comply with the Code of Ethics of the Global Institute of Internal Auditors; the core requirements being: integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, and competency
Desirable
- Fully qualified CIA/CA/ACCA/CIMA/CPA or master’s Degree in a relevant subject
- Relevant experience working in finance, ideally using Business Central
- A background in international development, ideally including time spent overseas
- Fluency in Spanish or French
Behaviours
The most important practical behaviors, for role success are:
- Completing; Collaborative; Creative; Dynamic; Learning
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Why join us?
The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, and working with values-driven and highly engaged colleagues are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.
This will be a global role based either in the UK or in one of our country offices in Rwanda, or Nepal. The final salary and benefits for this role is dependent on the country of base and job market conditions.
The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the country from which they will be based. They must be in a commutable distance from one of our global offices either in Rwanda or Nepal, as the successful candidate would be expected to attend the office on regular occasions.
Additional information
Practical Action believes that having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture based on respect will enable us to be an effective organisation. We seek to create an inclusive workplace in which people are accepted as individuals, regardless of their differences and where they feel their contribution is valued. Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups.
We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing.
Closing date for applications: 16th February 2025. Please note that should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.
Interviews: It is anticipated that interviews will take place in the week commencing 24th February 2025.
If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.
HOW TO APPLY
If you want to work for a charity with significant people ambitions, then we would like to hear from you. For more information, please visit our careers page.
To apply please submit a copy of your CV on no more than 4 sides and also a supporting statement on no more 2 sides that includes the answers to the following questions:
- Why do you want to work in internal audit in the charity sector?
- What are your most relevant skills & experiences for this role?
- Describe a work-based situation where someone has challenged or criticised your work. How did you respond?
Please send your CV and supporting statement to: [email protected]