Management Assurance Officer

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Job Summary

 Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key Business stakeholders across the organisation to drive ownership and awareness of risk and control management and to promote a proactive approach to the management of governance and control.
 Oversight and providing guidance on governance and control matters for the functions assigned to as a Management Assurance Partner (MAP).
 Imploring various control tools, RCSAs, Snap checks, MCIs etc. Highlighting weaknesses & ensuring that corrective action is taken in all cases. Addressing root causes and taking measures to avert recurrences.
 When performing reviews and assurance checks, raising exceptions and ensuring that they are addressed / mitigated against.
 To ensure that that the control environment is business functions and branches is sound and free from material errors and fraud.
 Ensure that the back office supporting roles in branches deliver an efficient and effective satisfactory service.
 As a Map, ensure that all staff in the business areas partnered with are adequately trained to perform respective roles relating to risk and governance.
 Working through governance managers and branch operations managers to maintain a permanent presence in branches and to influence application of best practice in adhering to branch processes.
 To ensure that the business areas partnered with are always operational ready for audit/attainment of green audit ratings.
 Advise and support the Business in the effective identification, assessment and management of its key risks in line with its defined risk appetite, as well a monitor the Business risk profile on an ongoing basis and report any significant changes to the Manager Risk & Control
 Effectively and timely report / escalate key risk and control concerns and ensure that adequate corrective action is taken
 For the business areas partnered with as a MAP, track and validate closure evidence to support timely and efficient closure all control issues arising from governance forums and reviews including External Audit, Internal Audit (IA), Regulatory audits/reviews, peer reviews, conformance reviews, Risk and Control Assessments (RCAs) etc.
 Ensure the effective identification, analysis, reporting and monitoring of significant control issues (MCIs) and further following up to ensure that the milestones are being closed effectively and timely.

Supporting the Manager Risk & Control to ensure the achievement of business performance objectives in an optimum way.

 

 

Job Description

 

 

Accountability:  Risk identification, Analysis and Reporting – (70%)

Outputs:

• Carry out independent assessments of processes as assigned by the across the business functions to determine whether all associated risks have been identified, and mitigating controls have been implemented.
• Ensure agreed programmes with Line manager – Manager Risk & Control are achieved on time; Observe strict delivery against agreed deadline with minimum follow ups
• Effectively execute conformance/ assurance reviews and ensure that findings emanating from these are included on the Action Tracking Logs.
• Appropriately document control exceptions clearly stating the issue, root cause and suggest corrective action measures which will permanently rectify the noted control exceptions.
• Provide immediate feedback to Manager of Risk & Control where Controls are found not to be effective.
• Report all incidences (noted while performing conformance reviews/ other assurance checks) of failure in controls which could be suggestive of fraudulent activity to the Manager Risk & Governance and the Security Investigations & Fraud Management Team for further action/investigations.
• Draft Reports for all MA reviews done / branch visits are to be completed, (with findings agreed to with responsible area manager and draft report circulated to Manager Risk & Control) no later than 5 days after completion of actual field work.
• Perform various risk and control tasks as assigned within the MA team from time to time.
• Ensure that agreed remedial actions are appropriately documented, timelines are realistic and feasible
• Follow up for all the issues raised from reviews/audits/ checks to ensure completion of agreed actions

 

• As found relevant to business area partnered with, train and coach staff on effective use of first line of defence tools:

a) How to effectively execute snap checks i.e. how to effectively test the adequacy of controls related to the assigned snap checks

b) Interpretation of policies and procedures relating to the assigned snap checks.

c) Key control which relate to their roles in order to increase adherence to procedures.

 

Accountability:  Adhoc Reviews (Requested by ABZ Management or Absa Africa) (10%)

Outputs:

 

• Understand the specific needs for each adhoc review requested
• Conduct the reviews based on the terms of reference agreed with the requester in accordance with the Management Assurance review methodology. (This includes planning, fieldwork reporting and follow up of issues for each review.)

 

Accountability: Issue Tracking and closure (MA conformance reviews etc) (10%)

Outputs:

 

For the business area where you are the Management Assurance Partner, ensure;

 

• Effective tracking of open and upcoming audit issues
• Timely engagement of business remediation teams and other stakeholders
• Effective and efficient QA validation of evidence and completeness of Issue Closure Plan (ICPs)
• Follow up with MA Governance and Reporting Manager on resolution of any subsequent IA queries through engagement of business teams as their MAP

 

Accountability: Embed a risk awareness culture: – (5%)

Outputs:

• Interpret the Bank’s policies and procedures relating to Governance and Control and ensure that all Team Managers comply.
• Challenge governance managers in business units partnered with on delayed remediation of findings in their areas and where there are overdue audit findings, follow up to ensure timely closure.
• Liaise with Governance managers and business unit heads over their risk events that have been logged on the ORAC system and ensuring correct escalation for any concerns.
• Drive and inspire team managers to deliver exceptional performance within their teams.
• Provide central point of audit reference and expertise to business teams being audited

 

 

 

Accountability: Control Management: – (3%)

Outputs:

 

• Provide oversight for the Control Issue Management Process to the Business unit partnered with. This includes identification, monitoring, reporting and closing of significant control issues (CIXLS / MCIs)
• Contribution to the effectiveness of the Risk and Control Forum (RCF) which is tasked with overall management of the Control Issue Management Process at country level by providing required information to the MA Governance and Reporting Manager as found required.
• Provide challenge to business units to raise Control Issues of Entity/Country Level Significance where significant control failures have been identified
• Review various information sources to identify potential control issues

 

Accountability: Risk and Control Assessments, conformance reviews (RCAs): – (2%)

Outputs:

 

 

• Participate in the conducting of CPA/ RCSA conformance testing (i.e. independent review of management self-assessment) on select RCAs twice a year (H1 and H2/ As required)
• Highlight and report to business management on any new high and medium RCSA ineffective controls
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Absa Operational Risk Framework and internal Absa Policies and Standards.

Education

 

Higher Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)