General Description of the Role Stakeholders including; trustees, employees, donors and the public expect those charged with governance of the charity to manage the significant risks the charity is facing and to put adequate controls in place to deal with such risks. These risks encompass risks related to charitable operations, as well as risks related to compliance with laws and regulations, and financial reporting. Good governance, by its nature, demands effective systems of internal control and a charity's system of internal controls therefore has a key role in the management of risks that are significant to the fulfilment of its charitable objectives. A sound system of internal control contributes to safeguarding ALL stakeholders and the charities assets. A charity’s objectives, its internal organization and the environment in which it operates are continually evolving and, as a result, the risks it faces are continually changing. A sound system of internal control therefore depends on a thorough and regular evaluation of the nature and extent of the risks to which the company is exposed. Since quality programs from which beneficiaries will benefit are, in part, the reward for successful risk-taking by charities; the purpose of internal control is to help manage and control risk appropriately, rather than to eliminate it.
The purpose of internal audit within GOAL is to work with senior management to continually review and develop sufficient systems of internal control in order to manage the respective risks that the charity faces thereby protecting all stakeholders. Responsibilities • Develop Internal Audit Plans with Head of Internal audit / Audit Committee and COO, and decide on prioritisation of field sites based on risk assessment. The Plan will be reviewed and amended if necessary on a regular basis. • Undertake internal audits in field offices as described in the plan, with visits to each field twice a year [approx. 6 fields] • Set up risk committees in each country and attend meetings, in conjunction with local management. • Establish and ensure management of a risk-register in each country that is regularly updated in conjunction with the CD’s and risk committees • Provide recommendations to Country Director (CD), Assistant Country Director Systems (ACDS), Field FC and other country management, where necessary, on improvements to be made in systems and controls. • Discuss findings of audit with CD, ACDS, Field FC and other country management in advance of finalising Audit Report and incorporate their comments. • Follow through of all action points with in country management until they have been fully addressed • Management of in-country Internal Auditors and their plans. o Develop an IA plan for the year for the national IA function o Review national IA reports and give feedback o Where necessary, advise and train CD’s on Internal audit • Assist in training of national staff in GOAL financial policies and procedures as required. • Meet with GOAL’s finance/audit committee twice a year or when necessary Give feedback and comment on field visits and country IA functions • Work with the Head of Internal Audit / Audit Committee and COO to develop a comprehensive standard audit programme for use in auditing field offices. • Review GOAL’s field reporting procedures and identify areas for improvement. • Familiarisation with current structures, systems and procedures of the Finance Department in GOAL Dublin and its interaction with the finance function of field offices. • Provide advice and input / recommendations in ongoing review and on improvements to GOAL finance systems, procedures and controls where appropriate. • Familiarisation with GOAL’s relationship with major donors, including main donor guidelines and principles, (in co-ordination with GOAL’s donor liaison officer). • Conduct any ad-hoc audit or financial investigation assignments at the request of the Audit Committee / Head of Internal Audit or senior management. • A principal focus of the work will be to assess how efficient budget management and monitoring is in each field. • A principal focus of the work will be to review systems of control around the use of cash in field offices. Donor Compliance Knowledge and understanding of the key areas of donor compliance. As a further remit to each field visit ensure appropriate systems are in place in all relevant areas; reporting, documentation, filing protocols, resources allocated to ensuring donor compliance, training of staff. Subsidiary ongoing responsibilities: (It is intended that these responsibilities will be minimal but if urgent need arises they may be prioritised) • Assume the role of acting Field FC (i.e. provide cover) in situations where there may be a time period between contract end and contract start of successive Field FCs, or a Field FC may require a prolonged leave of absence. • Assume the role of emergency financial co-ordinator in a field where an emergency may occur. • Undertake project management tasks if required in emergency circumstances.
Minimum experience: 3+ years post qualification • Both audit and management accounting experience • Excellent written and spoken English • Computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Experience with accounting packages, preferably SAGE • Very strong communication and organisational skills and ability to determine priorities • Ability to work with people from operations, programmes and finance backgrounds in a multi-cultural environment • Outgoing personality with excellent communication and training skills. This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. This is an unaccompanied position. Interviews will be held in Dublin or London. Unfortunately GOAL cannot contribute to financial costs incurred when attending interview. Note: GOAL is an equal opportunities employer
GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Child Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies any job offer made is also subject to police clearance.
If you would like to apply for the above position, please send your CV and covering letter to applications@goal.ie, ensuring that the job title and location of the role are clearly stated in the subject line of your email. Thank you.
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