Finance Specialist – Controls

The Finance Specialist is involved in all risk management tasks, including but not limited to policies and procedure documentation, risk assessments, financial control investigations and solutioning amongst others.

Duties and Responsibilities

Risk Management:
• Identification of key inherent risks and controls to the business (and primarily Finance) activities and facilitate the formulation of risk mitigating action plans on how to improve the effectiveness of the risk management processes.
• Be a facilitator to the risk management process within the Medine group.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the risk management exercise.

Controls Assessments
• Lead and perform financial control assignments in a professional manner and as directed by the Chief Financial Officer.
• Assess how well the business is complying to rules, regulations and the code of ethics and informing management of any issues that need to be addressed promptly.
• Adhere to the risk management guidelines in the conduct of control assignments and risk management exercises / workshops
• Identify key control failures in the audited cycles and recommend, in formal financial reports, internal controls designed to mitigate financial, operational and compliance risks by taking corrective, preventive, detective and directive measures.
• Perform specific assignment (e.g. IT financial and application controls) together with sourcing specialists to support the control assignments.
• Make use of technology (e.g. Microsoft office word, excel, PowerPoint, Visio etc) for all assignments.

Reporting
• Identify key risks, perform tests on internal controls and report findings to management on a regular basis.
• Communicate findings to management, ensure business units/ clusters receive quality, timely, risk-focused, efficient findings where required and manage follow-up on open audit issues to ensure closure of action plans.
• Provide periodic progress report regarding planned, updated and discussed risk registers/ reports.
• Assist in the process for reporting on risk management to the Management Committee.
• Manage a variety of stakeholders and managing their expectations through regular communications, feedbacks and meetings.
• Foster and maintain good and effective work relationship with stakeholders. Ensure effective communication link is maintained within the department and absolute confidentiality is maintained throughout all processes/procedures/activities.

Recommendations
• Recommend activity improvement to business processes and be the preferred business trusted advisor.
• Engage with other clusters/ business units in following up implementation of recommendations in internal control reports.
• Assist management team to build and maintain a performance driven culture throughout the organisation and to improve on the maturity of the group financial risk culture.

Policies and Procedures
• Participate in the formulation, review and implementation of financial risk policies, strategies, methodologies.
• Ensure consistency, conformity and standardisation of documented policies and procedures within the group.
• Assist management team to build and maintain a performance driven culture and a “can do attitude” by focusing energy on main activities and living the values of Medine.

Any other cognate duties as may be necessary in the circumstances and/or required by the employer.

Minimum education requirements
• ACA/ACCA fully qualified
• Certified Internal Auditor qualification will be a definite advantage

Minimum experience requirements
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in audit or controls related field

Candidate's Profile
• Leadership skills
• Good knowledge in auditing principles and standards.
• Good knowledge in risk management principles and standards.
• Pro-active with strong sense of quality and delivery
• Excellent knowledge in business principles.
• Well organized, flexible and adaptable approach to work
• Ability to meet deadlines and thrive under pressure.
• Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage own time effectively.
• Self-motivated.
• Ability to equilibrate priorities and organize work effectively.
• Process creative approach to problem solving.