Internal Audit Manager

GiveDirectly

2d•Remote

About The Position

The U.S. Internal Audit Program Manager will play a key role in driving and executing program risk management oversight across GiveDirectly’s cash transfer projects within the U.S. Primary responsibilities will include leading end-to-end fraud and risk management (including prevention, detection, resolution, and risk management innovations), coordinating with internal and external stakeholders where necessary to ensure proactive risk prevention, early detection and mitigation, recruiting and managing internal audit teams, and driving operational excellence and improvement. The Internal Audit Program Manager will work closely with all the U.S. program leadership team (Program Managers, Senior Managers, and Program Director) and the Country Director, as well as cross-functionally with finance, Data, and technology teams while coordinating risk management initiatives. We are looking for candidates who are highly independent and solutions-oriented, have experience driving operational excellence and improvement, are comfortable assessing and developing effective workflows in technology tools, and who thrive in fast-paced environments.

Requirements

Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem-solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.
3+ years of experience in a role focused on risk management, anti-fraud, corporate audit, compliance, project management, and/or problem-solving.
Demonstrated track record of innovating in risk prevention and detection, including leveraging AI and modern digital tools to improve operational speed, scalability, and decision-making.
Ability to manage day-to-day operations while contributing to longer-term objectives and system improvements.
Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams, recognizing the difference between “important” and “critical” while simultaneously building more robust, efficient systems.
Analytical problem solving, looking at problems with an analytical and iterative mindset, with a strong framework for prioritization and the ability to put structure and process to ambiguous problems.
Strong data analysis skills, including the ability to review large datasets, interpret results, and report out for stakeholders.
Strong communication skills, specifically in speaking, writing, presenting, and negotiating across multiple stakeholders.
Ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner, following through on assignments while effectively communicating upwardly about gaps and risks
Enthusiasm for fast-paced environments, which may lack a pre-defined playbook for success and involve significant “learning by doing.”
Fluency in English

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working in cash assistance or humanitarian/emergency response and compliance-related investigation role is a plus.
Familiarity with database languages like R, SQL, or similar are a plus.
Fluency in Spanish and/or Arabic being a plus.

Responsibilities

Build and manage work plans, budgets, and report out (internally and externally) on Internal Audit metrics / KPIs and staffing projections
Oversee operational metrics to ensure program excellence and drive improvement
Manage steady state programs with little supervision, escalating and seeking support, particularly during launch and close, or in the instance of adverse events or sensitive risk challenges
Communicate clearly and effectively, internally and externally, about project goals and how they connect to team and org-wide strategy and impact
Be a strong team manager – Build a culturally, ethically, and value-aligned country internal audit team with high professional growth and development trajectory.
Represent IA in country project design conversations, including development of strategic risk management measures and new project scoping.
Oversee new project risk scoping exercises and ensure a full risk scoping report is submitted to the Internal Audit Director and Country Director for all new projects
Work with the Internal Audit Senior Manager to develop project-specific Internal Audit proposals detailing audit rates, audit approaches, e.t.c. for new projects and ensure these are discussed with and signed off by the Country Director
Ensure that customized risk registers are created for all new projects; ensure that risk registers for ongoing projects are updated regularly
Lead in the review of relevant tech implementation tools, e.g. enrollment surveys, to better align them to risk detection, mitigation and prevention.
Overall owner (accountable) of country project workbooks detailing Internal Audit references, including tech-related requirements, and recipient audit plans.
Develop project workplans, detailing internal audit workload and staffing/resourcing estimates.
Define and/or review project risk classifications based on projects and the implementing location
Owning and monitoring Internal Audit defined metrics / KPIs in the US, including owning the correction of dropping or critically missed metrics
Create and maintain reports and dashboards that reflect team performance in relation to the set metrics, and ensure tracking and proactive resolution for cases/issues open for investigation.
Take the lead in investigating suspected sensitive fraud cases related to the GiveDirectly implemented cash programs, including proactively communicating the same to the country leadership, the Internal Audit Senior Manager / Director for the necessary escalation and/or resolution.
Monitor the traffic and trends of risk reporting and flag high-risk projects to the CD and IA SM/IAD
Provide the lead in examining and spot-checking the quality of the program implementation team’s data against set GD data quality standards and report any cases of inconsistency.
Lead the development of risk escalation protocols for different types of risks and monitor the implementation of the protocols by both the IA team and the program implementation teams
Lead the internal audit team in the detection of risks such as safeguarding, fraud, abuse, and undeclared conflicts of interest; by ensuring confidential reporting, proactive detection, in-depth investigations, and case management of the risks whenever they occur.
Build and manage in-country project-related stakeholder relationships; working with different in-country teams to ensure IA deliverables are tracked as per the work plan.
Where relevant, build in-country relationships with fraud management stakeholders (for example, technology vendors and payment partners) for sustainable fraud resolutions in-country
In collaboration with the IA Senior Manager, hold and/or facilitate weekly (or bi-weekly) risk discussion meetings with the Country Director, Program Director, IA Director in each country you are assigned
Directly manages Internal Audit Associates and/or project coordinators assigned to all US country projects
Conduct regular check-ins with Direct Reports
Set performance metrics and individual goals
Conduct performance reviews for direct reports every quarter and provide a report of the same to the IA -SM / IA-Director and CD where relevant.
Develop a team with a high capacity for problem solving, critical thinking, and strong analytical and communication skill.
Conduct staff career growth needs assessments (through structured surveys, 1:1 sessions with direct reports and regular skip-level meetings with skip reports where relevant) and liaise with the country HR lead to deliver robust professional development sessions internally and externally
Directly responsible for hiring Internal Audit Associates and/or Coordinators in line with the project-specific workloads and resourcing needs.
Model ethical behavior that encourages the team to adhere to GD policies and to also report misconduct within GD staff, partners, community and recipients
Act as the custodian of ‘Recipients First’ Value within the team by ensuring compliance to policies and protocols of GiveDirectly
Maintain an active, visible and consistent commitment to a common standard of behavior that is required throughout every aspect of the organization as stipulated in the Code of Conduct Statement
Manage a team that is driven by individual accountability, involving moving beyond corporate ‘rules-based’ behavior to ‘values-based’ behavior that promotes a greater focus on promoting individual integrity.
Identify subcultures within the organization that may result in safeguarding and fraud risks to recipients
Conduct annual training to country Programs teams on fraud mitigation requirements as outlined in GD policies
Manage conflicts and other risks within the team and escalate where appropriate
Promote effective team culture by encouraging recognition of positive achievements and other team-building initiatives.
Where necessary, lead and /or support hiring and onboarding processes for new IA staff within the US country operation and the wider cross-country IA team
Work with country support teams - Human Resource, Finance, Administration to ensure your team has everything they need to perform their work.
Assist with response to surge events (e.g. project refusal spikes, coordinated fraud within new or ongoing projects, etc.) within the US, extending the support to the program's implementation team when needed.
Participate actively in cross-country (global) initiatives as a focal point and representative for the US Internal Audit operations to discuss cross-team activities
Support the IA-SM and/or IA Director with tech-related fraud prevention innovations work through different inputs as may be requested from time to time
Travel at least once annually for a cross-team retreat/colocation with other country IA managers.
Support the IA-SM and/or the IA-Director on utilising AI and technology to improve GD’s fraud risk management systems
Support on non-field-based fraud management on an as-needed basis within the US operations.
Proactively identify and flag ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IA’s operations