Description:
Group Internal Audit (GIA) is an independent appraisal function providing an assurance service to the AstraZeneca Board in partnership with senior business leaders. It assists the Board to discharge its responsibilities with respect to governance, control, risk management and compliance. GIA is designed to add value by improving the operations of AZ and supporting the achievement of business objectives.

GIA is characterised by a drive to provide insight into the major issues facing the business and to help the business improve on an ongoing basis. GIA focuses on a range of key risks to the AZ Group and its recommendations can have a major impact on the business. The deliverables are agreed by, and outcomes are reviewed by, the Audit Committee (a Board sub-Committee).

This is a professional position of influence within GIA and the Business. The purpose of this role is to utilise business intelligence and challenge thinking with respect to risks. The job holder will contribute to audits or sections of audits in line with best practice and GIA’s strategy and methodology, so providing assurance to the AZ Board and Audit Committee. The role holder will exercise judgement in conjunction with GIA management, to identify areas of risk and improvement, delivering insightful findings that identify underlying problems and root causes.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities:
Audit:
o Lead, plan and/or deliver assigned responsibilities for cross SET area and/or international audit projects utilising SET area expertise and / or broader SET area or business knowledge
o Deliver audit tasks to time and budget

o Apply a level of judgement to:
- Review business intelligence and identify critical information across SET areas
- Select the correct audit response
- Optimise remote auditing
- Evaluate the trade off between speed and quality during an audit
- Identify key audit issues

o Utilise independence, credibility and judgement to test and assure risks and issues, as well as influencing skills and sensitivity, to agree improvement actions with business area management across SET areas.
o Bring to bear any cross-functional experience and business, industry, and technical knowledge in making audit judgements and advising AZ leaders on innovative risk management solutions across SET areas.

Strategic:
o Use information effectively and apply this within audit assignments to ensure that any associated risks are clearly understood.
o Focus on and rapidly learn about a number of SET areas
o Build effective working relationships with all SMT members, pool heads and resource and planning roles

Qualifications:
The position requires an understanding of the business and of internal audit practice. The minimum requirements for the role holder are as follows:
o Relevant business experience through job placements – able to demonstrate own experience (successes and failures) of governance, compliance, risk management and control
o Able to demonstrate examples of cross-functional working
o Must have demonstrable capability of understanding of financial controls and systems, risk management, governance and compliance with laws, regulations and policies.
o Experience of (or able quickly to learn) key internal control frameworks, world-class audit methodologies and practices.
o Educated to bachelors degree level and possibly studying for a post-graduate qualification e.g. MBA or professional accountancy/auditing qualification
o Knowledge of additional languages (oral and written) is preferred

Other Role Specific Skills:
o Demonstrate high levels of personal integrity, independence and tenacity
o A creative and independent thinker
o Ability to understand business areas and the political environment in which they operate
o Demonstrate the ability to learn quickly across SET areas when placed in new situations/functional environments.
o Ability to contribute personal judgement in relation to business and audit issues
o Excellent communication skills to enable risks, issues and actions to be conveyed in a compelling and understandable way