Internal Audit Manager, Technical at Seplat Energy

Purpose of the Job: 

This role is intended to lead the operational audits of the organization. An operational audit aims to identify ways and areas to make the organization’s operations more efficient and effective. The role will combine deep oil and gas experience and internal audit methodologies to aid management to stay ahead of risks, improving processes, reduce costs, and generally support the business to operate efficiently and effectively.

Principal Accountabilities: (Describe the important 8 – 12 accountabilities/responsibilities of the job, i.e., what needs to be achieved and why. Start with the most important and number each one separately)

• Risk Assessment

Perform a comprehensive risk assessment of the operational and technical areas of the organization for internal audit planning. The result is a risk-based annual audit plan and the audit programs for each audit.

• Audit planning

Develop the Internal Audit plan for the year along with the GM IA. This plan identifies the critical areas of audit and the timing/scope of the planned audits. This role will also be involved in periodic review of the plan and in preparing the department’s budget for review by the GM IA.

• Design and implement audit work programs

Develop work programs that test control design and operation. Work programs should be tailor-made for each of the operational or technical areas being audited, having done a critical review of the area and its processes and considering previous audit reports, risk assessment, and impact on the overall audit plan.

• Execute audit assignments

Execute audit assignments while supervising the IA Leads and Officers in the completion of required audit procedures through appropriate testing techniques, assessing compliance with established business control policies, processes, and procedures across the organization, identifying violations of Seplat operational procedures, and escalating identified weaknesses in controls and opportunities for improvement, to the GM IA.

The outcome of each audit assignment includes making recommendations on appropriate preventive or remedial actions and ensuring their implementation.

• Reporting

Provide timely, reliable, fair, and balanced audit reports and another audit-related memorandum for review by the GM IA. Recipients of these reports include executive management, Board Audit, and Finance committees, and the Board of Directors. In addition, the incumbent will contribute to the quarterly board updates as required by the GM IA, including a summary of significant findings and recommendations. The reports and documents should be in line with the standard reporting quality of the department.

As directed by the GM IA from time to time, present internal audit reports and other audit memoranda to designated audiences of these reports including executive management and Statutory Audit Committee, and the Board Finance/Audit committee.

• Working with other assurance providers

Coordination and information sharing with the external auditors for the successful external audit engagement and audit planning by the external and internal audit. Internal audit activities must be coordinated with the work of other governance and internal control pillars within the business such as Risk, Legal, Business Integrity, and other control-related activities. In view of the broad dimensions of Internal Audit, it is necessary to manage a variety of stakeholders and their expectations through regular interaction and communication.

• Capacity building and advisory services

Keep abreast of emerging issues and leading practices through research, interviews, and observation to ensure continuous process improvement in internal audit practices and techniques.

This role acts as a key source of independent advice on risk, operational efficiency and controls, process improvement, performance, industry developments, and regulatory insights.

Training and mentoring of audit leads and audit officers, as part of the audit quality control, is an important part of this role.

Dimensions: (Record any significant quantities on which job has some effect, e.g., budget or turnover, records processed, employees supervised, including personnel at other locations, if appropriate).

This job supervises the positions of internal audit leads and internal audit officers and has an impact on the level of compliance within the organization including loss quantification due to irregularities, fraud, wastages, penalties and fines, quality of audit findings, timely completion of audit assignments, the effectiveness of internal control environment for the company.

Relationship: (Who are the job holder’s most important external/internal contacts and for what purpose?)

Internal: Other Seplat employees – provision of audit and advisory services

External: External auditors, regulators, suppliers – respond to audit inquiries

Job Context and Challenges: (Identify the most complex or demanding aspects of the job)

The role involves planned and unplanned traveling across all Seplat locations

Job Knowledge and Qualifications: (Indicate minimum knowledge and essential background qualifications necessary to perform the job competently)

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering or Geology with up to 10 years of experience in the oil & gas E&P sector. The following experiences will be an advantage:

• Internal Audit

• Quality Management Systems Audit

• HSE Audits

• Contract / Project Management Audit

• Joint Venture Audits

A minimum of 10 years of cumulative operations or technical work experience in the oil and gas E&P sector is required. Prior internal audit/quality management systems audit experience will be an advantage.

Professional qualifications – Engineering or Geology qualifications. Accounting/auditing qualifications such as ACA/ACCA/CIA/CISA or equivalents will be an advantage. ISO 9001 certification also applies.