TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT: Quality Assurance Audit Specialist, Office of Audit and Investigation Services (OAIS), New York, P-4

The Position:

The Quality Assurance Audit Specialist position is in the Quality Assurance, Policy, and Reporting (QAPR) Unit of the Office of Audit and Investigation Services (OAIS) in New York.

You will report directly to the Chief, QAPR.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

OAIS is an operationally independent office of UNFPA and reports to the Organization’s Executive Director. It is responsible for supporting the achievement of UNFPA’s objectives by contributing to the improvement of the Organization’s operations, risk management, and results through its internal audit, investigation, and advisory services. OAIS solely performs, manages, or authorizes others to carry out these services.

The Quality Assurance Audit Specialist supports the Chief, QAPR, and Director, OAIS, to fulfill the OAIS mandate of providing independent and objective assurance on UNFPA governance, risk management, and control systems. The Quality Assurance Audit Specialist supports the provision of internal audit, investigation, and advisory services to UNFPA, with the objectives of increasing accountability, instituting effective oversight, and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of UNFPA’s operational and programmatic performance.

You would be responsible for:

A. Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme

• Performs QA reviews of draft audit reports from the Internal Audit Branch units prior to their clearance by the Director, OAIS, for release to audit client(s) for comment.
• Performs QA reviews of final audit reports from the Internal Audit Branch units, prior to their approval by the Director, OAIS, for issuance to the Executive Director and subsequent posting on the UNFPA public website.
• Ascertains whether internal audit reports contain information deemed particularly sensitive that would require redaction prior to public disclosure.
• Prepares, in consultation with the Internal Audit Branch unit concerned, OAIS' contribution to UNFPA’s response to any queries on published audit reports received from Member States, donors or other stakeholders.
• Contributes to developing and improving OAIS policies and procedures, including audit guides/programmes and risk assessment models.
• Conducts regular QA reviews on compliance with IIA Standards and OAIS standard operating procedures; and identifies potential for improvements in OAIS processes and methodologies.
• Contributes to the OAIS internal audit strategy and annual work plan.

B. Any Other Duties

• Carrying out any other duties as may be directed by the Chief, QAPR, and the Director, OAIS. 
• Implements their personal learning and training plan.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Statistics, Law, or related field. A first level degree in combination with a certification as Chartered Accountant or Certified Public Accountant and additional relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation is desired.
• Additional professional certifications (e.g., CISA, CFE, CPA, ACCA, or other national equivalents) are an advantage.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in audi