Head of Internal Control, Risk and Insurance at ENGIE

Job Summary:

• We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Head of Internal Control, Risk and Insurance to lead and optimize the financial processes, be in charge of internal control matters, follow-up on insurance coverages and drive the risk assessment exercise at country level. Acting as a strategic partner to the CFO, this role will play a pivotal part in driving operational excellence, identifying risks, ensuring effective internal controls, and enhancing the efficiency and scalability of finance functions. The ideal candidate will have a broad expertise across internal controls reviews, risks, process improvement and insurance, ensuring that the finance organization operates at peak performance and meets ENGIE’s policies.

Financial processes:

• In the Target Finance Operating model, the financial processes and some other transactional processes are run in expertise centres at different levels of the organization, either directly or with shared service centres.  All the Finance management line is responsible for delivering to GBUs the corresponding outcome with the appropriate level of internal control. While the Head of Internal Control, Risk and Insurance in South Africa will focus on Finance & Accounting related topics, he/she will also work on other domains throughout ENGIE (for instance Health and Safety, Sapin 2, ethics,etc.)

Operational and strategic processes:

• GBU entities together with Corporate functional lines are responsible for running these processes and ensuring the relevant internal control attached. In the Target Finance Operating model, the regional Hub provides to GBU entities the assistance and support to steer the Group internal control program in their activities.
• Internal controllers are part of the Finance team of the various entities. In this context, the Head of Internal Control, Risk and Insurance South Africa provides the services listed below, reporting to South Africa CFO and supervised by the Internal Control Officer AMEA and in cooperation with other members of the Internal Control Line in the entities and in the Group IC Department.

Key Responsibilities:

Insurance

• Working with the Regional Risk and Insurance Manager and other areas likes business development and operations, ensure the placement and management of adequate, appropriate, and cost-efficient insurance covers for assets in operations and under construction.
• Management of insurance risk engineering surveys and claims management.
• Assist with the implementation of group rules in terms of loss prevention (fire and machinery breakdown notably) in liaison with the AMEA regional insurance team as well as Global Care and other internal functions.

Internal Control & Compliance:

• Establish and maintain a robust internal control framework to ensure compliance with both internal policies and external regulatory requirements.
• Partner with risk management teams to assess and mitigate financial risks, ensuring all processes and systems are safeguarded against potential fraud or inefficiencies.
• Regularly audit and review financial processes and systems to ensure continued adherence to control frameworks and industry best practices.
• Coordinate the annual self-assessment exercise at country level, interacting with BPOs and finance managers in the different entities. As a result of that, follow-up on action plans to improve the level of control.

Risk Management:

• Develop and update risk management policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that they are aligned with industry best practice, and Group and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and analyse potential risks that may affect the organisation's operations, including financial, operational, strategic, compliance, and reputational risks.
• Maintain a comprehensive risk register and regularly update it with new risks and their assessments.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies and action plans to reduce the organisation's exposure to identified risks.
• Communicate risk-related information to relevant stakeholders, fostering a risk-aware culture.

Key Accountabilities:

• Process Excellence: Drive best-in-class financial process management, ensuring that all workflows are efficient, well-documented, and compliant with relevant regulations.
• Internal Controls: Establish and maintain an internal control environment that minimizes risk and ensures financial integrity.

Perimeter of accountability

• ENGIE activities in South Africa, potential testing missions in AMEA or in the other regions of the Group

Internal interfaces

• Direct reporting to CFO SOUTH AFRICA and Internal Control Officer AMEA
• Corporate functional lines (Procurement, Ethics, HR,etc.)
• Group Internal Audit teams
• GBU MDs
• Management of existing entities in south Africa
• South Africa Country Manager

Your Profile:

• Education: Master’s degree in finance, business, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 8-10+ years of experience in finance operations, internal controls and process optimization, ideally in a large or international organization.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Proven leadership experience with the ability to manage cross-functional teams and implement change across various levels of the organization.
• Risk Management: Solid understanding of risk management principles and internal control frameworks, with experience in ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• Analytical & Strategic Thinking: Ability to think critically and strategically, with excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Communication Skills: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Comfortable leading in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and able to adapt to changing business needs.