Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
The Internal Audit Department provides Mercy Corps with independent and objective evaluation of Mercy Corps’ programs and operations for the purpose of maintaining effective risk management and governance.
The Position
The Senior Advisor, Internal Audit (SAIA) will be a key player in the renewal of Mercy Corps’ audit function. The audit department has recently assumed responsibility for monitoring and reporting on progress against corrective action plans. Data from this effort will be captured, analyzed, and fed back into the continuous improvement of MC systems and the audit process itself. The SAIA will lead this effort, communicating regularly with auditees about their progress, collecting and synthesizing lessons from the data and sharing that learning with those who can use it. The role will also work closely with the Senior Director to automate all steps of the audit process in the MS Power Platform with the goal of designing tools that will simplify the lives of auditors and auditees while capturing, synthesizing, and reporting information the agency can use to improve its service to clients. Finally, the SAIA will maintain a full understanding of the audit process by conducting one to two audits each year and assisting throughout the year with review and editing of audit reports.
Essential Responsibilities
Lead Audit Follow-up and Learning
- Lead the tracking of corrective actions, holding regular meetings with auditees to assure progress against plans. Manage follow-up testing for closure of findings.
- Establish automated reporting on auditee progress against action plans. Aggregate and analyze findings data, trends.
- Develop and maintain working relationships with other HQ and regional departments to assure dissemination of learnings from audits, understand their data needs.
- Work with auditors and SDIA to incorporate learning from corrective actions into future audit approaches.
Assist with Audit Automation and Data Analysis
- Work with the SDIA to automate the audit process in the MS Power Platform
Other Duties
- Assist with review, editing, release of audit reports
- Supplement audit capacity, conduct 1 – 2 audits per year
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Senior Director Internal Audit
Works Directly With: Internal Auditors, staff of units being audited.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
- BA in relevant field required, MA/MS/MBA or equivalent preferred
- At least 4 years’ professional experience in development/humanitarian sector
- At least 2 years’ experience in auditing in the humanitarian or other sector
- Proficiency with MS Office software required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- 1-2 years’ experience with data management systems and automated workflows, particularly in Sharepoint and MS Power Platform.
- Proficiency in data analysis software, including advanced Excel and Power BI.
- Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders from different cultures and communicating in English with non-native English speakers.
- Experience working cross-functionally with technical and non-technical staff.
- Spoken and written English fluency required; fluency in French or Spanish is highly preferred.
Success Factors
- Attention to Detail
- Collaborative attitude
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position requires up to 30% travel to conduct audits. This may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC
and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to
Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.
Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.
Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees
Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.
This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.
For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.