Director, Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive

If you want to give meaning to your professional achievements by leading, and directing internal audit function , the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is the place for you!

IDRC is home to people who share a passion for making the world a better plan. We look for employees who believe that knowledge and innovation can help solve the world’s most critical challenges. Guided by the values of respect, accountability and intention, IDRC fosters collaboration to create meaningful and inclusive change. Please visit our website to learn more about our work: What We Do.

Come join our team and help us build a more sustainable and inclusive world!

Our employment opportunity of the moment: Director, Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive.

Location: Ottawa, Canada (Hybrid Mode)

Step into the opportunity

As the Director, Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive, you will be accountable to IDRC’s Board of Governors (through the Finance and Audit Committee), and member of the Centre Management Committee (CMC) and ex-officio member of the Risk Management Committee (RMC). You will be joining an organization that values and models diversity, inclusion and equity while being responsible for:

• Leading and directing the internal audit function to enhance and protect IDRC’s value by providing stakeholders with risk-based, objective and reliable assurance, advice and insight.
• Directing the establishment of internal audit plans and priorities and overseeing risk-based internal audit engagements designed to provide objective assurance and advice to the President and the Finance and Audit Committee to add value an improving IDRC’s operations and achievement of its objectives.
• Ensuring that the requirements of the Treasury Board of Canada’s Policy on Internal Audit are met, along with associated Directives, and technical guidance issued by the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada, as applicable to Crown corporations in accordance with the IDRC Internal Audit Charter, Board Charter, and the International Professional Practices Framework of the Institute of Internal Auditors (and its successor Global Internal Audit Standards, as applicable).
• Establishing internal audit policies and procedures to guide the strategic operation of the internal audit function and the achievement of the internal audit plan ensuring compliance with IIA Standards, Government of Canada Internal Auditing Standards, as appropriate, and organizational objectives.
• Providing forward-looking, risk-informed advice to the President and the Finance and Audit Committee on emerging, systemic, and enterprise-level risks, governance issues, and control trends, drawing on internal audit evidence, environmental scanning, and professional judgment.

You Have

• A university undergraduate or graduate degree (with specialization in accounting, business administration, commerce, finance, public administration, organizational behaviour or an area of specialty relevant to the work of the Centre).
• Proficiency in both French and English (reading, writing, and speaking).
• A minimum of 10 years experience of progressively increased auditing and accounting responsibility with experience leading small, high-performance teams.
• A professional accounting and/or auditing designation (CPA, CIA or equivalent); A CRMA or CISA designation would be considered a useful addition to a CPA and/or CIA designation.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in working with complex (i.e., research related, policy influence, science-based) governmental and/or non-governmental organizations with international exposures. Any experience in integrated risk management would be considered an asset.

You Are

• Aligned with the IDRC’s culture and value statements: At IDRC we are respectful, intentional and accountable.
• A strong critical thinking and analytical capabilities with ability to assess risks, understand root causes, and take appropriate action to drive results by value-added recommendations.
• A skilled communicator with a great conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Competent in exercising a high degree of proactivity and leadership to identify opportunities and encourage positive change within the Centre in the face of competing demands from the Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) and management.
• A team player within a multidisciplinary group of people from diverse cultures able to handle stressful situations and difficult discussions in a professional and constructive manner.

If this sounds like the right fit, we’d love to hear from you.

Additional Information

• This position requires up to 14 days per year of international or domestic travel.
• Hybrid Mode: The Centre provides a hybrid work environment, and your presence at the office is governed by the teleworking policy.
• As a result of this process, the Centre may establish a pool of pre-qualified candidates for future permanent and term opportunities requiring the same competencies.

Your next chapter begins here. Let’s shape a brighter, more inclusive future together.

Our recruitment team carefully reviews all applications to identify candidates who best align with the role’s criteria. If selected, you will hear from us regarding the next steps in the process. We thank all applicants for their interest and encourage you to stay connected with IDRC for future opportunities.

The International Development Research Centre is committed to creating and fostering a respectful, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the people’s lives we impact and the Canadian community we work within, where everyone can truly be themselves. We welcome Indigenous peoples and persons from all races, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, as well as persons with physical or mental disabilities to be part of our team. At IDRC, we place human rights and dignity at the center of our work. We have a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the delivery of our mandate and during our research-for-development activities.

We strive to ensure barrier-free selection processes. If you are contacted regarding a career opportunity, testing or interview, please advise the People and Corporate Culture Division representative of the accommodation measures that must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

All IDRC employment offers will be contingent on satisfactory references and self-declaration results. IDRC will request information from references provided by job applicants about any findings related to sexual exploitation, abuse and/or harassment in the context of employment.

By submitting an application, job applicants confirm their understanding of the recruitment process above.

Who can apply? Canadian citizens and permanent residents.