Background

The Assurance & Enterprise Risk Management (ARM) team helps protect the integrity of the foundation’s brand and reputation in the service of impact. We provide assurance to foundation leadership and the trustees over the dollars we invest, the data we gather and the design of business processes we rely on.

We do this through:

• Providing objective and independent assurance to the trustees and to foundation leadership;

• Monitoring the foundation’s risk exposure;

• Assessing the foundation’s and its partners’ performance and capabilities; and

• Investigating possible illegal, unethical, or improper conduct related to our grantmaking.

 

Leadership and Culture

We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.

 

Role Summary

We are looking for a full-time Assurance Officer/Senior Officer, managing and executing the foundation’s internal and grantee assurance reviews, and supporting other key ARM team activities. We have the flexibility to hire either an Assurance Officer or Senior Officer, and as part of our interview process will map the finalist candidate to the appropriate role based on our assessment of your level of experience, aptitude and related expertise.

The Assurance Officer/Senior Officer, Assurance will support the effectiveness of assurance and risk management processes and systems at the foundation by leading grantee and internal audits and supporting risk management and investigations and other special projects of the team and the Finance and Resource Planning division. This role helps provide assurance to the Audit Committee and foundation leadership and identifying and designing advisory projects to facilitate leadership decision-making.

 

You:

• Are passionate about the foundation’s ability to accomplish its goals and catalyze lasting change.

• Believe that accountability can be an effective tool for helping the foundation become stronger and better at what we do.

• Find yourself identifying opportunities for efficiency, growth and learning instinctively in your everyday work.

• Rely on interpersonal skills and diplomacy to turn potential conflicts into opportunities for collaboration.

 

Key Deliverables & Accountabilities:

 

Grantee Assurance (60%)

The core of the role is defining and managing a portfolio of 25+ annual grant audits, a co-sourced body of work designed to provide assurance on grant expenditure, reporting accuracy, and internal controls across foundation investments. Key deliverables include:

• Develop and manage the annual grant audit plan, with a continuous improvement mindset, and anchoring to foundation priorities;

• Manage the outsourced service provider to ensure that audits are conducted at a high level of quality, and in line with our expectations;

• Calibrate findings to the foundation’s risk appetite, translate findings into implications for programmatic work and align with Program and business partners on a response to engage the grantee;

• Work with foundation program and grantee leadership to develop and agree upon management actions that SMART-ly address root causes;

• Evaluate the results of audits to consolidate findings, analyze implications from the findings for foundation grantmaking policies and risk appetite, make recommendations for improvement, and engage with relevant stakeholders across the foundation to influence change;

• Proactively engage with program strategy teams to share assurance lessons learned and ensure awareness of audit and assurance value and resources.

 

Internal Audit and Advisory (30%)

Each year, the ARM team undertakes several internal audit projects which emanate from high priority risks identified in collaboration with the CFO and CEO. You will take the lead on the design and execution of 1-3 internal audits/advisories, which may involve the engagement and management of external consultants.

• Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of an internal audit program that addresses key financial and operational risks across the foundation, including designing, leading and managing co-sourced internal audit engagements;

• Analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of the control environment; identify control gaps and make recommendations on process improvement, corrective action, or remediation necessary;

• Evaluate audit results/findings, and lead discussions providing knowledgeable and objective counsel to operations and program leadership;

• Support an annual entity-wide risk assessment which identifies the key business risks and the adequacy of the processes and controls to address such risks;

• Offer opinions on control effectiveness and consults on the development of policies, procedures and systems;

• Stay ahead of changes to regulatory requirements and company compliance policies and procedures; communicate applicable changes; and

• Identify areas for process improvement and standardization and make recommendations to the team.

 

Other work as directed (10%)

• Work on special team projects as needed, including ad hoc support of Investigations and Enterprise Risk work.

 

Desired Competencies

• Adaptability: ability to learn quickly and adapt to change in processes and organization

• Relationship manager: ability to work independently and as part of integrated, diverse teams and be comfortable in varied settings, tight deadlines, and with different work and learning styles

• Problem-solving mindset: ability and willingness to take on new tasks, and broaden thinking, experience, and personal development

• Professionalism: demonstrates discretion and judgment in his/her decisions concerning the sharing of privileged information; demonstrates reliability by following through on commitments and obligations

• Integrity

• Diplomacy

• Comfort with ambiguity, complexity, volatility

• Appreciation of complexity/nuance/context

• Strong understanding of financial statement presentations

• Ability to evaluate and improve internal control practices

• Understand risk assessment and mitigation practices and tools

• Ability to analyze complex data and develop recommendations

• Management skills to manage, develop and effectively engage staff, partners, and external consultants

• Leadership and communication skills, including the ability to actively listen, engage with internal and external stakeholders, and foster the implementation of organizational improvements

• Awareness of and ability to execute change management activities in support of organizational goals

• Superlative oral and written communication skills to inform and persuade audiences

• Navigate politics, complex systems of influence

 

Education and Experience

• Bachelor or Advanced degree in Accounting or related field, or equivalent blend of education and experience

• 5+ years of progressive internal audit experience in an organization of comparable scale and complexity

• International development experience and/or experience in a grantmaking institution a definite plus!

• CPA, CIA or other financial-related professional credential strongly preferred

 

*Applicants for this role will only be considered if they possess current US Work Authorization, and do not require employer-sponsored VISA support to begin or remain in this role.

 

**This is a Seattle, WA-based role and the candidate hired will be able to work remotely while we are in a work-from-home status. Once our office re-opens the hired individual will be expected to be in Seattle, WA within 90 days of the office officially re-opening.

 

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As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

 

 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

 

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve the mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to:

* Race

* Color

* Age

* Religion

* Pregnancy

* Sex

* Sexual Orientation

* Disability

* Gender Identity

* Gender Expression

* National Origin

* Genetic Information

* Veteran Status

* Marital Status

* Prior Protected Activity