Senior Team Leader - Group Audit (HO/VP Equivalent)

Job description / Role

Department: Group Audit
Location: Bahrain (+ travel)
Reports To: Group Chief Auditor
Supervises: Local Heads of Audit

Job Purpose:
To support Group Audit in providing an opinion to Senior Management and the Audit Committee on the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls related to Credit Risk Management (Credit Quality of the assets and adherence to Credit Processes). It includes:
- Delivery of audit assignments as per the annual plan and scope or ad-hoc requests
- Providing ongoing risk assessment and input to the annual audit plan
- Managing relationships within the organization or external parties
- Applying and contributing to the audit tools and methodology development

Financial (Revenue, Expenses, Ratios etc)
Group Audit is a cost centre. The Senior Team Leader has no direct budgetary responsibilities, but will be
expected to conduct local and overseas audits in the most efficient and cost effective manner. Given that Group Audits coverage extends over 12 units in 11 countries plus representative offices, the Senior Team Leaders are responsible for verifying the financial integrity and the control environment relating to approximately $ 13 billion of assets, and P&L of over $200 million.

Non-Financial (Formalised Feedback internal & external etc)
Whilst Group Audit in Bahrain has a flat structure, individual audit assignments are led by one of the Senior Team Leaders. In view of this team based operation, during the course of a year the job holder may have up to 8 different staff reporting to him, up to 4 at a time. In addition, the job holder will have permanent oversight responsibility for a number of local Heads of Internal Audit in his capacity as Relationship Manager.

Key Accountabilities

1. Delivery of internal audits in accordance with the annual audit plan
Plan the scope of individual assignments.
Establish an appropriate team to deliver the assignment in terms of skill-sets and numbers.
Allocate areas of responsibility and ensure the completion of own and others work.
Ensure work is captured within TeamMate.
Produce and discuss issue sheets on findings, agree action plans and dates for implementation
Produce and agree the audit report
Present the findings to the Audit Committee

2. Conduct ad-hoc reviews and assignments as requested by the Group Chief Auditor, Senior
management or Audit Committee As above

3. Oversee the activities of overseas Internal Audit Teams

Maintain awareness of the Overseas Unit being overseen (Businesses, Customers, Products, etc.)
Regular meetings / conversations with the Heads of Audit.
Periodic liaison with the Country Manager and the local Audit Committee
Input to the Annual Audit Plan for the local Internal Audit team.
Review draft Terms of Reference, Issue Sheets and Audit Reports.
Provide guidance on updates to Group Audits methodology.
Attendance at local Audit Committee meetings
Oversee and support the relationship with the local external auditors or regulators when required

4. Manage relationships with Bahrain-based Business Units
Conduct regular relationship management meetings with Business Unit Management.
Maintain awareness of levels of business activity and new products / business developments.
Use the information acquired to inform decisions on individual Audit assignments and the Annual plan
Periodic updates on key risk profile changes within Group Audit

5. Provide input to the annual audit planning process Remain aware of ongoing and emerging risks within
The Group.

Assess the risks in across Business Units /
Operational Areas in order to identify areas of priority
Identify appropriate staffing of Audit assignments.
Identify the most appropriate time for conducting assignments based on availability of audit staff and
activities within the audited area.

6. Contribute to the ongoing development of Group Audits methodology
Maintain awareness of developments in the Internal Audit profession
Critical analysis of Group Audits existing methodology
Develop proposals for discussion with Group Chief Auditor and other Senior Team Leaders
Implement agreed initiatives of self and others
Act as champion for the audit tools within Group Audit

Job Context:
Group Audit (GA) consists of a Bahrain-based team plus local Internal Audit teams based in overseas units of The bank . GA is responsible for providing independent assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the banks internal controls to the Executive Management and the Board of the bank (via the Audit Committee). This is achieved by completing Audit assignments according to a risk-based Annual Audit Plan. The findings of the Audit assignments are included within published Audit Reports which contain findings requiring management to undertake corrective actions to address any control weaknesses identified. Findings are also presented to the Audit Committee of the Board of the bank on a quarterly basis.
Given the nature of GAs role within the business, the job holder is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and confidentiality at all times. The volume, importance and confidentiality of the material with which the job holder will deal with will require a strong sense of discretion and the ability to organise and present material in a cogent way.
Group Audit staffs liaise with individuals at all levels within the organisation, including Executive Management and Board members. The job holder will be required to conduct all interactions with courtesy, respect and professionalism.

Requirements

Job Requirements:
Knowledge
Subject matter expert on the Credit Risk Management framework
processes (Corporate, FIs, SMEs, Treasury and Retail) including:
- Credit Risk and Cash Flow analysis (key quantitative and qualitative
aspects)
- Facility structures and legal aspects
- Credit Risk rating methodologies
- Portfolio Management
- Credit Administration
- Credit Problem Management
- Collateral Management
- Capital requirements for credit risk and RAROC
- Product structures
- Regulatory and best practices aspects
Strong understanding of corporate governance.
Excellent spoken and written English language skills.
Arabic (speaking, writing and reading) is a must. Proficiency in at least one other business language (French or Portuguese) would be desirable.
Risk based auditing techniques
Thorough understanding of banking products and services. A thorough understanding of risks and controls related to Trade Finance products is desirable.
Regulatory environment under which banks are operating
Risk Management, IT and support functions

Education / Certifications

University Degree and / or Professional Qualification in finance, banking,
accounting, business, audit or risk management.

Experience

Minimum 10 years within Banking and a preference for at least 5 years internal / external audit experience.
Proven experience in the identification of risks and controls related to Credit Risk Management (Quality and Credit Processes) including exposure to different Credit Risk methodologies (Moodys Risk Analyst is
desirable)
Business experience as Credit Risk Analysts (Corporate, SMEs, Financial Institutions and Retail)
Familiarity with and exposure to different audit methodologies and with workflow-based audit software, such as Teammate.
Development and delivery of presentations to Senior individuals.

Personal Attributes

Excellent organizational skills and ability to work proactively without supervision
Excellent attention to detail and analytical skills
Strong judgment and decision making skills
Ability to influence change and instigate process improvement
Ability to lead individuals from diverse backgrounds
Ability to manage conflict and work under pressure
Strong time management and results orientation
Strong interpersonal skills to ensure effective interactions with all levels in the business
Ability to speak confidently to senior stakeholders
Flexible and positive approach to work, can do attitude
Ability to think beyond what is being requested
Additional Information:
The need for detailed Credit Analysis skills coupled with relevant Audit experience cannot be over-emphasised

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