Group Head of Internal Audit

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This position reports to

Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee, and Senior Management

Your role and responsibilities

This role will report directly to the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee (FACC) of Company’s Board of Directors and administratively to the Chief Finance Officer. This person will be a key member of the CFO Leadership Team, and work closely in partnership with senior managers throughout ABB. The Head of Internal Audit is responsible for leading the internal audit function and ensuring its alignment with the Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) set by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). The Head of Internal Audit will oversee the development and implementation of a risk-based audit plan, provide independent assurance on the effectiveness of the organization's governance, risk management, and internal control processes. The Head of Internal Audit will promote continuous improvement and adherence to the highest standards of professional practice to assess the Company’s adherence to its processes and delivering organizational effectiveness and efficiency. This position will be based at ABB´s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The candidate selected for this position will have a proven background in internal audit, including financial and operational controls, and related technology tools. Ideally in a technology or manufacturing company. He or she will have exceptional business leadership skills and be able to demonstrate superior business acumen. Major responsibilities: Leadership and Strategy: • Develop and execute a comprehensive internal audit strategy that aligns with the organization's objectives and the GIAS. • Provide leadership and direction to the internal audit team, fostering a culture of excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement. • Communicate the internal audit strategy, objectives, and results to the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee, senior management, and other stakeholders. Audit Planning and Execution: • Develop a risk-based audit plan that addresses the organization's key risks and aligns with the GIAS. • Oversee the execution of the audit plan, ensuring audits are conducted in accordance with professional standards and best practices. • Ensure that audit findings and recommendations are communicated effectively to management and the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee. • Provide an independent assessment of internal controls over financial integrity, operational effectiveness, IT controls for security, privacy and high availability, as well as compliance with laws and policies. Quality Assurance and Improvement: • Establish and maintain a Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) to ensure the internal audit function's continuous compliance with the GIAS. • Conduct regular internal and external assessments of the internal audit function to identify areas for improvement and ensure adherence to the highest standards of professional practice. Stakeholder Engagement: • Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee, senior management, and external auditors. • Provide independent and objective assurance on the effectiveness of the organization's governance, risk management, and internal control processes. • Act as a trusted advisor to management on risk and control matters. Resource Management: • Develop and manage the internal audit budget, ensuring the efficient and effective use of resources. • Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing internal audit team with the necessary skills and expertise to deliver on the audit plan. Digital & Technology: • Promote the use of technology and data analytics to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal audit function. • Drive the implementation and integration of continuous auditing techniques to enhance the frequency of insight generation and assessment of organizational processes, ensuring timely identification and mitigation of risks. Compliance and Ethics: • Ensure the internal audit function operates in compliance with the GIAS and other relevant professional standards and regulations. • Promote a strong ethical culture within the organization and ensure that internal audit activities are conducted with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. • Partner with the Legal and Integrity Organization and investigations as required. The Head of Internal Audit, will bring best in class thinking to the Internal Audit function relative to risk assessment, audit process development, utilization of technology, and the development of the function and their people, and will be expected to: • Understand the risk profile of ABB. • Develop and execute against risk-based audit plans that clearly define the objective and scope of each engagement, employing critical thinking and appropriate testing methodologies. • Provide an independent assessment of internal controls over financial integrity, operational effectiveness, IT controls for security, privacy, and high availability, as well as compliance with laws and policies. • Develop strong relationships with ABB’s management to foster a culture of risk identification and risk management in their respective environment. • Communicate findings with ABB’s management in a timely manner, obtaining agreement on root cause(s) of issues and commitment to implement recommendations. • Manage and grow a talented team of professionals, utilizing outside experts, as necessary. • Partner with the Legal and Integrity Organization on investigations as required. The work model for the role is: {hybrid} {insert Linkedin #}

Qualifications for the role

• Candidates should have superior leadership skills, strong technical audit skills including IT audit knowledge, excellent project management and communication skills, as well as a sense of urgency and drive to help ABB manage its risks, opportunities. Passion to develop an internal audit practice that is second to none. Ability to operate in a professional, disciplined, productive and structured manner, to ensure that the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee and management receive the highest level of service possible.
• The candidate will demonstrate:
• Strong commitment to obtaining results.
• Familiarity with major business processes
• Strong technical internal audit skills, including IT audit skills and knowledge of regulatory control requirements.
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to interact comfortably with senior/executive level management and board members.
• Ability to build strong relationships with auditees.
• Ability to quickly assimilate relevant information in unfamiliar situations.
• Superior analytical and critical thinking skills
• Excellent listening, verbal, written and presentation communication skills.
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills
• Passion to help improve operations continuously.
• Sound judgment and ability to act independently.
• Experiences:
• BA/BS plus min 10 years’ experience. MBA/Master a plus.
• CIA or equivalent relevant experience, in Internal Audit and/or operational finance experience within technology or manufacturing firms.

More about us

We value people from different backgrounds. Apply today for your next career step within ABB and visit www.abb.com to learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe. #My ABBStory This role will be published until November 13th 2024. For this position ABB performs pre-employment screening in alignment with local legislation before extending an offer. By applying to this open role you agree with this process, and specific consent from you for the pre-employment screening will be addressed during the recruitment process. Please be assured that only business-related topics will be part of the pre-employment screening.