Chief Internal Auditor & Control Manager at a Reputable Company – Chief Internal Auditor & Control Manager

JOB SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced, commercially astute, and highly analytical Chief Internal Auditor & Control Manager to lead the Company’s internal audit, internal control, risk management, compliance, and assurance functions.

The successful candidate will provide independent and objective assurance on the effectiveness of the Company’s governance, risk management, internal control, financial, operational, and compliance frameworks. The role will be responsible for identifying control weaknesses, mitigating business risks, preventing and detecting fraud, improving operational efficiency, safeguarding company assets, and ensuring compliance with approved policies, procedures, applicable laws, and regulatory requirements.

The position requires a strong understanding of the FMCG/manufacturing value chain, including procurement, inventory management, production, warehousing, logistics, sales, distribution, trade promotions, receivables, treasury, payroll, fixed assets, and financial reporting.

The successful candidate will serve as a strategic business partner to Management while maintaining the independence and objectivity required of the Internal Audit function.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Internal Audit, Governance & Internal Controls

Develop and execute a risk-based annual internal audit plan aligned with the Company’s strategic and operational objectives.
Lead independent reviews of financial, operational, commercial, and administrative processes to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls.
Develop, review, and strengthen policies, procedures, approval limits, segregation of duties, and control frameworks across the business.
Identify control weaknesses, process inefficiencies, and areas of financial leakage and recommend practical corrective actions.
Provide independent assurance and advisory support to Management and the Board/Audit Committee while maintaining appropriate audit independence.

Manufacturing, Inventory, Procurement & Supply Chain Controls

Review controls across procurement, production, warehousing, inventory, logistics, and distribution operations.
Monitor raw materials consumption, production yields, wastages, variances, standard/actual costs, and finished goods movements.
Conduct or supervise periodic stock counts and investigate inventory shortages, excesses, obsolete/slow-moving items, and unexplained variances.
Review supplier selection, vendor management, purchasing, pricing, purchase orders, goods received, and payment processes.
Identify opportunities to reduce operational losses, improve efficiency, safeguard assets, and optimize costs.

Financial, Revenue & Working Capital Controls

Review controls over General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Treasury, Payroll, Fixed Assets, and financial reporting.
Evaluate sales, invoicing, pricing, discounts, rebates, credit notes, returns, customer credit limits, and revenue assurance processes.
Monitor receivables, payables, inventory, cash flow, and other working-capital components to identify financial risks and leakages.
Review budgetary controls, expenditure, CAPEX/OPEX, financial reconciliations, and budget-to-actual variances.
Ensure the integrity, accuracy, completeness, and reliability of financial and management information.

Risk Management, Fraud & Compliance

Establish and maintain an effective risk-based control and enterprise risk management framework.
Identify, assess, and monitor financial, operational, strategic, compliance, fraud, technology, and reputational risks.
Lead investigations into suspected fraud, financial misconduct, policy violations, control breaches, and other irregularities.
Strengthen fraud prevention, detection, whistleblowing, and investigation mechanisms.
Monitor compliance with Company policies, applicable Nigerian laws, tax and regulatory requirements, and relevant accounting standards.

Audit Reporting, Stakeholder Management & Follow-Up

Prepare timely, clear, and insightful internal audit reports highlighting findings, root causes, risks, financial impact, and recommendations.
Present significant audit findings and risk matters to Senior Management and the Board/Audit Committee.
Maintain an effective audit recommendation and management-action tracking system and ensure timely closure of agreed actions.
Monitor recurring control weaknesses and escalate significant unresolved issues appropriately.
Build effective working relationships with Management, Finance, Operations, Procurement, Production, Sales, HR, IT, External Auditors, and other key stakeholders.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

Performance will be assessed against, among others:

Percentage completion of approved annual audit plan.
Timeliness and quality of audit reports.
Percentage of high-risk audit findings resolved within agreed timelines.
Reduction in recurring audit findings.
Reduction in financial leakages and control-related losses.
Effectiveness of fraud prevention and detection mechanisms.
Inventory loss and variance reduction.
Improvement in procurement and expenditure controls.
Improvement in working capital and revenue assurance controls.
Compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
Quality of Management and Board/Audit Committee reporting.
Implementation rate of agreed management actions.

QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree or HND in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
Professional qualification such as ACA, ACCA, or equivalent is highly desirable.
Minimum of 10–15 years of progressive experience, with significant experience in Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Risk Management,or Assurance.
Demonstrable experience in FMCG, manufacturing, consumer products, distribution, or a similarly complex operating environment and should have worked at senior management level or/and as chief auditor/Head ,Internal audit & control for 3-5 years or more.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a high-calibre Internal Audit and Controls professional who can go beyond routine compliance checking and provide meaningful insight into how the business can improve profitability, protect assets, manage risk, strengthen governance, and operate more efficiently.

The ideal candidate must be comfortable working in a fast-paced FMCG/manufacturing environment, possess strong commercial awareness, and have the confidence to engage with senior executives, operational managers, and Board-level stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be expected to act as a trusted assurance partner to Management and the Board, providing independent insight while driving a culture of accountability, control consciousness, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.