Job Description
Job Title: Lead Auditor
Reporting to: Head of Audits and Assessments
Area of work: Ethical Audits and Small holder Assessments
Place of work: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact: Full time
1. Purpose:
Partner Africa is committed to improving the quality of its Audits and Assessments services to all of its current and future clients. The purpose of this role is to deliver ethical audits and assessments on behalf of Partner Africa.
The Lead Auditor is responsible for ensuring effective pre-audit planning and delivery of ethical audits and assessments that meet market demand and trends within the ethical trade sector.
The Lead Auditor leads the delivery of audits requested by clients with the support of the associate auditors ensuring their quality and competence.
The Lead Auditor also has to work closely with the Audits Coordinator to meet the targets of this department.
Key Accountabilities include:
a) Delivery of high quality ethical audits and assessments.
b) Ensuring quality control during audits and small holder needs assessments.
c) Supporting the development, documentation and implementation of training and other capacity building activities for all associates.
d) Manages the associates and trainees during ethical audits, and smallholder needs assessments.
e) Providing support to other lead auditors.
2. Accountabilities & Responsibilities:
2.1 Ethical Audits
a) Work with the Head of Audits and Assessments and Audits Coordinator to provide all the information and documentation required for ensuring the efficient delivery of audit services to clients.
b) Oversee the opening, closing, signing off and filing of client audit files.
c) Conduct ethical audits, develop the on-site audit plan to enable scheduling of audit activities, communicate the audit program to relevant parties and coordinate on-site audit activities. Conduct opening meetings and manage communication during the audit. Collate and verify information to generate audit findings. Prepare audit conclusion/on-site summary reports and conduct closing meeting.
d) Prepare audit reports and submit to the Head of Audits and Assessments for review and sign off.
e) Assist in reviewing associate auditor reports before forwarding to the Head of Audits and Assessments for final review and sign off.
f) Upload SMETA audit reports onto SEDEX and review corrective action plans submitted by clients, ensuring that these are closed off on the SEDEX system within the agreed client timeframe.
g) Provide additional ongoing support (pre-audit planning, access to benchmarked documents, interpretation of standards requirements, reporting requirements etc) to local and overseas associate teams when required.
h) Maintain a well organized database of codes and standards, labour laws, clients’ documents and other material of value to promoting ethical audits and assessments for the organization.
i) Work with the Audits Coordinator to provide the information and documents necessary for helping in the generation of proforma invoices and quotes for audit service, by the finance department.
2.2 Service Coordination:
a. Work with the Head of Audits and Assessments to manage the audit follow-up, provide feedback on training needs for associates and ensure that the audit protocols, social auditing methodologies and participatory practices are utilized in the audit process.
b. Provide feedback on the performance of associate auditors during on-site audit activity. Produce feedback reports on associates/lead auditors from this evaluation process.
c. Implement existing and new audit protocols and requirements from clients including advising associates audit teams on the same.
2.3 Impact and Small Holder Assessments:
a) Work with the Head of Audits and Assessments to manage the impact and small holder needs assessment by providing input into: planning, implementation, and reporting of results to the Head of Audits and Assessments
b) Work with the Audits Coordinator to provide information and documentation required to ensure the efficient delivery of impact and smallholder needs assessments and services to clients.
c) Coordinate the impact and small holders needs assessment teams and communicate the assessment program, dates and other necessary materials/documents to all the relevant parties.
d) Carry out the on-site and off-site impact and small holder assessment. Collect and collate the data and information gathered to generate the assessment findings and report.
e) Prepare the full assessment report and submit to Head of Audits and Assessments for review and sign off to the agreed deadline.
2.4 Quality Control:
2.4.1 Audits and Assessments.
a) Provide input into generation of the audit checklists and benchmark standards for PA audits against local and national laws in countries we operate in.
b) Ensure quality control within the audit and small holder needs assessment process by conducting stage 1 audit (desk review- the preparation process for the on-site audit and assessment).
c) Ensure that the way in which the audits/assessment is conducted is in line with the relevant audit program requirements also ensure that audit activities and records are controlled in line with the same
d) Ensure that the quality of service given by associate auditors meet Partner Africa and its clients standards. Conduct the evaluation of Associates and provide objective feedback to the Head of Audits and Assessment to input into the process of their continual professional development.
e) Recommend appropriate training and further support to develop capacity.
f) Provide feedback on the impact of training/further capacity building initiatives provided to Auditors
2.5 Training and Capacity Building of Associates.
a) Work with the Head of Audits and Assessments to deliver some of the training and capacity building of Associate auditors and provide feedback to the Head of Audits and Assessments
b) Work with the Audits Coordinator to provide the information and documentation required for ensuring the efficient delivery of training and capacity building of Lead and Associate auditors including: providing objective feedback on potential and existing i training needs and ensure that audit protocols, social auditing methodologies and participatory practices are utilized in the training modules and audit process.
c) Provide support in the coordination of the training and capacity building of associate auditors’ teams.
d) Carry out some of the on-site and off-site (through Skype or Webinar) training and capacity building activities. Collect and collate the data/ information gathered during the training to generate the feedback to be given to the Head of Audits and Assessments. .
2.6 Report filing and document upkeep of audits and assessments
a) Work with the regional managers to open audit files and sign off on closed cases.
b) Follow the process used for filing hard and soft copies of audit reports. Use the internet and other information sources to acquire copies of labor law and other legislation for audits in new countries so that this contributes to the overall library that is reviewed by the Head of Audits and Assessments
2.7 Support the attainment of GSCP equivalence process
a) Work with the associates to implement an effective internal audit system (on site audit activities and audit reporting) under the control of the Head of Audits and Assessments
b) Review all audit reports from associates, analyze audit findings and identify any unusual results.
c) Communicate with all associates to ensure that they adhere to Partner Africa’s reporting procedures in the event that an abuse of rights of workers is noted during an audit.
d) Communicate with all associates to ensure that they adhere to the process of escalating Zero Tolerance issues, breach of law, abuse of workers to PA where the associates have been unable to verify the information
3. Reporting and Meetings:
The Lead auditor is required to submit weekly reports to the Head of Audits and Assessments highlighting achievements against objective, department updates and areas of concern that need addressing. There will be a monthly Partner Africa meeting for all staff. Notes and action points will be taken for each meeting and the Head of Department will be responsible for following through.
4. Travel:
Extensive local and international travel will be required.
5. Key Relationships:
· Head of Audits and Assessments.
· Audits Coordinator.
· Other lead auditors and associates.
· Business Development Director.
· Programmes Director - (technical support/on small holder assessments).
· Executive Director, Partner Africa.
· Training Team.
· Finance Team.
· Suppliers and producers.
6. Area of responsibility:
All activities relating to Partner Africa Audits and Assessments services.
7. Expectations:
It is expected that you will:
a) Carry out these accountabilities within the operating and process frameworks that apply to the organization of Partner Africa.
b) Work together with all the key internal and external stakeholders within and outside of the organisation.
c) Exemplify Partner Africa’s core purpose & values in practice.
8. Profile: Experience and Behaviours:
The post holders should:
· Have a first degree in law, social science, environment, or business administration
· Have completed 25 audit days as well as 3 years minimum experience of social auditing against the standards, requirements and protocols of global brands and retailers
· Be SA 8000, ISO 9001 ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 trained
· Demonstrate an ability to plan, implement and generate high quality audit reports
· Demonstrate an a good ability to multi-task
· Be a team player
· Be able to act on their own initiatives and be self motivated
· Have audit experience in agriculture, manufacturing, food safety, mining, textile and environment, Occupational Safety and Health
· Be able to demonstrate good command of oral and written English
· Have planning and organisational skills
· Be able to demonstrate high levels of honesty and integrity
· Be proficient in computer skills and major application software
Have experience of in working in a multinational and multicultural environment
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Partner Africa – Lead Auditor Job Description Version1 January 2013