African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
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Role Overview
AFIDEP seeks to recruit an experienced Audit and Compliance Officer to join its team on a fixed-term contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the Institute's financial and operational integrity by establishing and operating a risk-based internal audit and compliance function that provides independent assurance to AFIDEP's leadership and Board.
The role carries an institute-wide mandate, covering all departments, projects, and country offices, to ensure adherence to international accounting standards, donor-specific financial regulations, statutory obligations, and internal AFIDEP policies.
Key Responsibilities
Audit Planning & Management
**Annual Risk-Based Audit Plan: **Develop and obtain Board Audit Committee approval for an annual internal audit plan based on a systematic risk assessment of the Institute's activities, projects, and processes.
**Audit Execution: **Lead and conduct audits in accordance with IIA standards, producing formal audit reports with clear findings, root causes, management responses, and agreed corrective actions and timelines.
**Follow-up: **Track implementation of audit recommendations and escalate unresolved or high-risk findings to the Board Audit Committee.
Financial & Accounting Compliance
**Financial Records Audit: **Conduct rigorous audits of all financial records to ensure compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), AFIDEP's financial policies, and applicable statutory requirements in Kenya and Malawi.
**Donor Compliance: **Demonstrated, hands-on familiarity of complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors
**Internal Controls: **Evaluate, monitor, and recommend improvements to financial and operational internal controls to safeguard institutional assets and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Risk Management
**Enterprise Risk Assessment: **Maintain and periodically update AFIDEP's institutional risk register using recognised frameworks (e.g. COSO, ISO 31000), and work with management to ensure appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place.
**Fraud Prevention & Response: **Establish and communicate fraud risk policies and whistleblower mechanisms; lead or support investigations into suspected financial irregularities.
**Risk & Compliance Databases: **Identify and curate relevant financial data and evidence to maintain internal risk and compliance tracking systems.
Systems & Operational Review
**ERP & Financial Systems: **Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of AFIDEP's financial management and ERP systems, including IT general controls and access management, to ensure data integrity and security. **Policy & SOP Development: **Design and operationalise tools, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and processes to ensure institutional policies are consistently applied across all departments and country offices.
**Operational Efficiency: **Identify inefficiencies and recommend process improvements that strengthen value for money across institutional operations.
Governance & Reporting
Capacity Building
**Staff Training & Mentorship: **Design and deliver targeted, practical training for staff across all departments to build sustainable in-house understanding of financial compliance, internal controls, and accountability requirements.
**Compliance Culture: **Promote a culture of proactive compliance and ethical conduct across the Institute, acting as a visible champion for accountability standards.
Qualifications and Experience
**Education: **A Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
**Professional Certification: **A current, full professional certification is mandatory — CPA, ACCA, CIA, or equivalent. CIA certification (Certified Internal Auditor) is particularly desirable given the nature of this role.
**Experience: **A minimum of 8 years' progressive professional experience in internal audit, financial management, or compliance, with at least 5 years in an international NGO, research organisation, or development institution operating within a multi-donor environment.
**Donor Compliance Knowledge: **Demonstrated, hands-on familiarity of complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
**Regulatory Knowledge: **Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory environments in Kenya and/or Malawi, including NGO governance, tax compliance, and relevant financial reporting obligations.
**Financial Systems: **Demonstrated experience designing and managing financial control systems or audit software within complex, multi-project environments; proficiency with ERP systems and advanced use of Microsoft Excel.
**Risk Frameworks: **Familiarity with recognised risk management frameworks such as COSO or ISO 31000, and experience maintaining institutional risk registers.
**Audit Standards: **Demonstrated working knowledge of IIA International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) or equivalent internal audit standards.
Desirable
**IT/Systems Audit: **Experience in IT general controls review, ERP access management audits, or cybersecurity compliance assessments.
**Grants Management Systems: **Experience with grants management platforms.
**Multi-country Experience: **Prior experience working across multiple country offices or managing compliance in a geographically dispersed organisation.
Competencies
The following competencies are integral to success in this role:
**Professional Integrity & Independence: **The highest standards of personal and professional ethics; ability to maintain objectivity and independence under pressure.
**Analytical Rigour: **Strong capacity to interpret complex financial data, identify patterns, and reach well-reasoned audit conclusions.
**Communication & Influence: **Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical audit findings clearly and persuasively to non-financial stakeholders — including senior management and Board members
**Relationship Management: **Ability to build trust and constructive working relationships with colleagues across the Institute while maintaining the professional scepticism required of an independent audit function.
**Attention to Detail: **Meticulous approach to documentation, evidence, and reporting, with a commitment to accuracy.
**Initiative & Self-Management: **Ability to plan and prioritise a complex workload independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and deliver to deadlines without close supervision.
**Data Literacy: **Ability to organise, interpret, and present complex financial information clearly, including proficiency in data visualisation tools for communicating audit findings.