Chief Internal Auditor

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1970 as North America’s first online university, Athabasca University is a public, board-governed, open and distance education university which serves students throughout Alberta, across Canada, and around the world. With their unparalleled capacity to elevate the social good through inclusive education and open scholarship, Athabasca University’s open and flexible environment is built on leveraging technology to enable learning and remove barriers to education.

Athabasca University is a Comprehensive Academic and Research Institution with some of Canada’s finest professors, operating under the authority of the Alberta Post-secondary Learning Act as well as working as a partner within Campus Alberta. Athabasca University is committed to collaborating with other key stakeholders to ensure a seamless and responsive advanced education system that provides high-quality learning opportunities in support of lifelong learning.

Athabasca is reimagining its founding spirit with new investments in digital education and will never stop striving to perfect it.

•  AU serves over 40,000 students (over 7,800 full-load equivalents).

•  AU offers over 850 courses in more than 55 undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of arts, science and professional disciplines.

•  AU has a $160 million annual operating budget.

•  AU employs over 1,000 team members across our administrative locations in Athabasca, Edmonton and Calgary.

•  AU maintains over 350 collaborative agreements with other Canadian and international post-secondary institutions, with professional associations and employer groups and with First Nations institutions and communities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Working from Edmonton, Athabasca, or Calgary and reporting administratively to the Vice President, Finance and Administration, and functionally to the Chair of the Audit Committee, the Chief Internal Auditor is responsible for the development and management of a broad, comprehensive program of internal audit at Athabasca University. As AU continues to implement their Strategic Plan Imagine across all aspects of Athabasca University, the Chief Internal Auditor will be energized by change and transformation and will be integral in seeing the Plan successfully realized.

With passion and a strong knowledge of internal auditing and risk management, the Chief Internal Auditor (CIA) provides independent, objective assurance, advisory, and investigative services to assist Athabasca University management and the Board of Governors in the effective discharge of their responsibilities. Aligned and in support of the University’s overall mission, this critical role will assist the University to accomplish its goals and objectives through a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving risk management, control, compliance, and governance processes.

The CIA directs the daily operations of the Internal Audit Office, in accordance with the Internal Audit Charter and the Institute of Internal Auditor’s (IIA) International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

This position performs all aspects of the audit process, including planning, fieldwork, reporting and follow-up as well as providing recommendations for improving accountability, performance, and efficiency of operations. The incumbent provides independent objective advice, assurance, and consultation designed to improve operations and internal controls.

THE PERSON

Qualifications & Education Requirements

The ideal candidate will have the following:

• 10 + years of internal audit experience and a minimum of 5 years in a leadership/directing role in a large and diverse organization.
• Experience with a public/government sector, ideally a post-secondary institution is preferred.
• Be a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and have considerable working knowledge and experience with the IIA professional standards.
• A combination of the following:

• Undergraduate or Graduate degree in business or a related field, plus
• Professional accounting designation (CA, CMA, CPA) or
• Professional audit designation (CIA, CISA, or CGAP)

• Demonstrated ability to assess risks, recommend financial controls and implement broad strategies for a successful audit program is required.
• Project management or audit experience related to financial information system audits and experience managing a team is also required.
• Significant demonstrated experience in audit leadership and demonstrated experience using the internal audit function as an organizational enabler.
• Experience with information technology-related audit and control environment an asset.