Chief Assurance Officer

The Opportunity

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as the Chief Assurance Officer to be based in any existing Save the Children International Regional or Country office worldwide. 

Purpose:

Team purpose

To provide a global shared service for the movement, ensuring high quality, independent, strategic and relevant audit and assurance work; and be a key catalyst for strengthening the risk and control environment and culture across the global Save the Children network.

Role purpose

To lead Save the Children’s Global Assurance (GA) function as a global shared service for the movement, ensuring high quality, independent, strategic and relevant audit and assurance work; and be a key catalyst for strengthening the risk and control environment and culture across the global Save the Children network.

Principal Accountabilities

• Provides inspiring leadership to Save the Children’s Global Assurance function across multiple global hubs (and serving multiple Save the Children entities) – building strong professional capability and a culture of excellence, integrity and continuous improvement. 
• Acts as the Association’s senior global lead on internal audit/advisory provision, providing strategic and intellectual leadership on auditing the risk, internal control and governance arrangements across entities that are audited by GA, and advising the Board and Assembly on the adequacy of internal audit provision across the Association as a whole.
• Drives an Association-wide methodology, practice, and ‘products’ for GA’s work – rooted in the new Global Internal Audit Standards set out by the Institute of Internal Auditors; and in a manner that is cost-effective, aligned to our global strategy, and to the agency-wide Risk Framework.
• Ensures the development of the annual audit plans for all entities audited by GA (including SCI, SCUS and SCUK) – based on a comprehensive risk assessment of all of their auditable activities and processes, and global shared risks, for the approval and endorsement of their respective Audit and Risk Committees. 
• Delivers high quality annual programmes of work across all entities to provide assurance over their risk, control and governance processes, alignment to global strategy, and internal control culture. Discusses with CEOs and senior leaders results from the audit work undertaken in their organisations, and makes recommendations to resolve audit findings requiring corrective action.
• Effectively positions Global Assurance as a key business partner in identifying the key strategic issues for the attention of the SCA and individual Member/National Boards, and helps senior leaders better understand risk and internal control challenges through relevant, concise, and insightful ‘products’
• Builds a strong and meaningful partnership with the Chief Risk Officer, and critical ‘second line’ functions across the Association (including but not limited to Safeguarding, Counter-Fraud, Risk Management, Safety and Security, and Legal Compliance) to further the organisation’s risk and internal control culture in an increasingly joined-up manner. 
• Supports the Audit and Risk Committees of all entities in fulfilling their governance responsibilities through an effective articulation of the root causes for the challenges that the organisation is experiencing. A primary product in this regard is the CAO’s Annual Statement on Risk and Internal Control to the Board.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Strategic Leadership: Able to set a bold vision and courageously implement strategies that align with our organisation’s mission and goals, even in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity.
2. Ethical Leadership: Commitment to upholding and role modelling the highest standards of integrity and ethical behaviour, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
3. Motivational Communication: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire and engage colleagues at all levels, fostering a sense of purpose and commitment.
4. Innovation and improvement: Proven experience in championing continuous improvement and innovation, fostering a culture of creativity and excellence to stay ahead of industry trends.
5. Talent Development: Proven track record in investing in the growth and development of team members, with a commitment to nurturing and unlocking the potential of teams.
6. Extensive internal audit experience in an international setting. Proficiency in conducting comprehensive risk assessments of auditable activities and processes, developing robust annual audit plans. Demonstrable experience in advising Audit and Risk Committees in fulfilling their governance responsibilities.
7. A strong conceptual and strategic thinker with a clear ‘outcomes’ focus. A demonstrable ability to focus on key issues and the ‘big picture’, and the ability to      formulate an assurance strategy that meets organizational and oversight requirements  in a global, complex and culturally diverse setting, as opposed to a ‘compliance-only’ approach
8. Experience collaborating with senior risk management, safeguarding, legal compliance, and other critical "second line" functions to enhance organisational risk and internal control environments.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a global and, where possible, not-for-profit organisation
• Experience collaborating with senior risk management, safeguarding, legal compliance, and other critical "second line" functions to enhance organisational risk and internal control environments.
• French or Spanish languages 

This role can be based in any existing Save the Children International Regional or Country office location on approval, provided the successful candidate has proof of eligibility to work from the preferred location for the duration of the contract.

Where we Work - Where We Work | Save the Children International

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your salary expectations. A full copy of the role profile can be found available for download at www.savethechildren.net/careers/apply 

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.