General Professional Practices Lead

Join Our Team as a General Professional Practice Lead at AkzoNobel in Amsterdam!

Let’s paint the picture of the role

As the General Professional Practice Lead (GPPL), your primary objective is to foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement within our internal audit function. You'll play a pivotal role in ensuring that our audit team operates in alignment with the Institute of Internal Auditors' (IIA) mandatory guidance, promoting adherence to the Definition of Internal Auditing, the Code of Ethics, and the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (IPPF - Standards). By driving process efficiency, providing training and development opportunities, and maintaining a robust quality assurance program, you'll empower our team to deliver impactful audits that drive value for our organization.
 

Responsibilities

Professional Practice (PP):

• Ensure adherence to established professional standards and incorporate emerging trends and best practices into our audit function.
• Lead the development of audit process improvements, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Maintain the quality of our internal audit practice and drive consistency across the team.
• Coordinate audit planning in collaboration with Audit Managers and lead monthly SAAM meetings.
• Oversee the implementation and maintenance of the Internal Audit Function (IAF) quality assurance program, including periodic external certification, to ensure continuous improvement and compliance with standards.
• Conduct benchmarking exercises with other professional audit practices and industry groups to identify areas for improvement and ensure best practices are adopted.

Knowledge Transfer:

• Provide comprehensive onboarding training for audit staff on audit manuals and operating procedures.
• Develop and deliver training programs for audit staff on methodology changes, best practices, SOPs, and quality assessments.   

What do you need to have to be successful in this role?

Education:

• Master’s degree in accounting, auditing, information technology, economics, or business administration.
• Professional audit certification such as CIA, CISA, or equivalent.
• Experience:
• Minimum 6 years of audit experience in public accounting or a large internal audit function, preferably within a global manufacturing company.
• Solid knowledge of Global Internal Auditing Standards and experience applying them.

Essential Skills:

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with fluency in English.
• Ability to think strategically and maintain a helicopter view of operations.
• Strong analytical skills with a focus on problem-solving and attention to detail.
• Ability to meet deadlines and work within budget constraints.
• Proficient in presentation and report writing.
• Excellent numeracy and IT skills.
• Willingness to travel worldwide occasionally (5-10%).
   

What do we offer in return?

It’s a two-way street. This means that we offer not only a competitive salary but also believe in a healthy work-life balance.

• Above average number of annual holidays and leave days. 46 days' off.
• Participation in the AkzoNobel pension plan.
• Fixed bonus.
• Travel expenses to and from work.
• Opportunities for ongoing education and professional development.
• Hybrid way of working (60/40).
• Being part of events and networking platforms.
• Paint with a discount.

We aim to create a sense of belonging, where everyone can share their diverse backgrounds, participate in events, and connect through networking platforms.

More information and how to apply

We welcome your online application via https://careers.akzonobel.com/. Please note we only take online applications into consideration.

If you have questions about the role or interview process, please contact Merith de Bock at merith.debock@akzonobel.com.

The recruitment process includes a selection of the best applications received through the system, interview rounds and further steps. An online assessment and an employment screening might be part of the selection process.

If you're ready to take on a challenging yet rewarding role where you can drive positive change and shape the future of internal audit practices, apply now to join our team at AkzoNobel in Amsterdam!