Chief Audit Executive - March 2025 at ATNS

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Strategy and Leadership -

• Lead conceptualisation, design, implementation, and review of the overall Internal Audit strategy aligned to the business needs, ATNS’ vision, and business strategy. and ensure that internal audit goals are aligned with the strategic goals of ATNS; 
•  Lead the internal audit activities in accordance with the internal audit charter and the mandatory elements of the internal audit professional practice framework and standards to ensure that ATNS is provided with best practice knowledge base;
• Provide the Internal Audit input into ATNS’s long-term strategy.Set clear targets for the Internal Audit function and ensure the achievement of such targets by cascading the targets throughout the department;
• Drive the vision, mission and values of ATNS within internal audit whilst ensuring that the activities and outputs are also aligned; Lead, co-ordinate and ensure implementation of the corporate transformation strategy in line with relevant legislation;
• Provide input and influence on the ATNS permission planning process to ensure the required resources and infrastructure are allocated to internal audit to enable the achievement of the ATNS’ strategy.

Internal Audit Risk Management  - 

• Ensure that Internal Audit strategic plans are aligned with the Enterprise-wide risk management plan; Proactively identify all strategic, operational, as well as functional risks related to internal auditing; Develop and implement internal audit mitigation plans to address identified risks in the business; Perform internal audit evaluation to assess how the effectiveness of how the organisation previously managed the risks and develop action plans to address any shortcomings; Identify and effectively manage internal audit risks in business processes and decision making.

Audit and Risk Committee Reporting - 

•  Attend all Audit & Risk Committee meetings; Respond appropriately to the requests of executives and Audit & Risk Committee with regard to special investigations and ad hoc projects; Liaise with Audit & Risk chairman on a regular basis; Liaise with external audit to ensure that risk-based approaches are complemented by various parties and that no duplication of audit functions exist

Management and co-ordination of internal audit function - 

• Develop and maintain a combined assurance e.g. external audit, executives framework, Identify all direct and indirect assurance providers, and align on the standards and a coordinated approach by all role players involved in providing assurance to ensure a better understanding of the key risks, alignment of assurance to the key risks and prioritise tracking of remedial actions as well as reducing of repetitive reports reviewed by different committees for overall improved reporting;  
• Test compliance with regulatory requirements and provide feedback to executives and ARC regarding company compliance levels; Monitor regulatory changes and ensure that appropriate systems are in place to test compliance; Investigate whistle-blowing matters referred on time.

Stakeholder Management -.

• Develop and nurture effective, long-lasting relationships with strategic business partners; Establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the ATM regulatory bodies and institutions; Adapt operational delivery as practically possible to meet client needs and expectations; Build effective relationships with internal business functions to ensure the required resources are available to drive the ATNS strategy and ensure alignment and optimal operational delivery 

People Management -  

• Ensure the availability of skilled and competent staff in the internal audit function to meet the current and future needs aligned to the departmental and overall business strategies;
• Promote high levels of discipline and performance standards to achieve the internal audits and ATNS strategies; Manage performance outputs of the internal audit team by using the performance management system and taking corrective action promptly and effectively; Mentor and coach staff as required;
• Ensure the transfer of knowledge and skills to enable sustainability within internal audit from a succession management perspective; Perform talent management aligned with the HR policies, procedures, and disciplinary code;
• Implement transformation initiatives within the internal audit to ensure an inclusive environment and a representative staff complement; Drive employee engagement and retention within internal audit.

Internal Audit Standards -

• Managing the Internal Audit Activity: The chief audit executive must effectively manage the internal audit activity to ensure it adds value to the organization. Chief audit executives are additionally accountable for the internal audit activity’s overall conformance with the Standards;
• Planning: The chief audit executive must establish a risk-based plan to determine the priorities of the internal audit activity consistent with the organization’s goals;
• Communication and Approval: The chief audit executive must communicate the internal audit activity’s plans and resource requirements, including significant interim changes, to senior management and the board for review and approval;
• Resource Management: The chief audit executive must ensure that internal audit resources are appropriate, sufficient, and effectively deployed to achieve the approved plan; Policies and Procedures: The chief audit executive must establish policies and procedures to guide the internal audit activity;  
• Coordination and Reliance: The chief audit executive should share information, coordinate activities, and consider relying upon the work of other internal and external assurance and consulting service providers to ensure proper coverage and minimize duplication of efforts;
• Reporting to Senior Management and the Board: The chief audit executive must report periodically to senior management and the board on the internal audit activity’s purpose, authority, responsibility, and performance relative to its plan and its conformance with the Code of Ethics and the Standards;
• Engagement Supervision: The chief audit executive is responsible for supervising the engagement, whether performed by or for the internal audit activity, but may designate appropriately experienced members of the internal audit activity to conduct the review;
• Monitoring Progress: The chief audit executive must establish and maintain a system to monitor the disposition of results communicated to management;
• Communicating the Acceptance of Risks: When the chief audit executive concludes that management has accepted a level of risk that may be unacceptable to the organization, the chief audit executive must discuss the matter with senior management. If the chief audit executive determines that the matter has not been resolved, the chief audit executive must communicate the matter to the board;
• Purpose, Authority, and Responsibility: The chief audit executive must periodically review the internal audit charter and present it to senior management and the board for approval; Chief Audit Executive Roles Beyond Internal Auditing: The chief audit executive may be asked to take on additional roles and responsibilities outside of internal auditing, such as responsibility for compliance or risk management activities;
• Quality Assurance and Improvement Program: The chief audit executive must develop and maintain a quality assurance and improvement program that covers all aspects of the internal audit activity; Organizational Independence: The chief audit executive must confirm to the board, at least annually, the organizational independence of the internal audit activity.

Financial Management -

• Lead the development, utilisation and management of the departmental budget; Ensure effective leadership in managing operational cost to enable efficient utilisation of financial resources; Ensure compliance with the financial policies and procedures applicable to ATNS; Ensure accountability and reporting on all costs incurred against the approved budget.

Minimum requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Chartered accountant South Africa (SA)
• Certified Internal Audit (CIA) as an additional advantage 
•  Masters level qualification in business or related field

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE 

• 10 years proven experience in leading Internal Auditing in a complex business environment, of which 7 years should be at senior management level within the field of internal audit.