Senior Internal Auditor – Global FMCG

Clifton Search; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus: 25% on-target

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Clifton Search is seeking an ambitious Senior Internal Auditor to join our client in Amsterdam. You will perform operational audits across key business functions in a fast-paced global FMCG environment and interact with senior stakeholders across EMEA and APAC.

Travel is expected up to about 30% of the time. The ideal candidate has 3+ years in internal audit, a university degree in finance/business/economics, and an audit qualification (MBA/ACCA/CPA/CIA).

Qualifications

• University degree in finance, business or economics.
• Auditing qualifications such as MBA, ACCA, CPA or CIA preferred.
• Big 4 or large multinational experience advantageous.
• Experience in FMCG/manufacturing sector preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of internal audit experience.
• Full professional fluency in English; additional languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Conduct operational internal audits across procurement, marketing, inventory, supply chain, manufacturing and logistics.
• Engage with senior stakeholders across EMEA and APAC; support risk assessment and audit planning.
• Travel up to 30% (typical) with occasional trips to US or LATAM regions.
• Collaborate with global audit team to improve methodology and standards.
• Support development and relocation within Amsterdam area as needed.

Skills

English fluency

Strong communication

Willing to travel

Education

University degree in finance/business/economics

Audit qualification (MBA/ACCA/CPA/CIA)

Job description

Are you an ambitious experienced Internal Auditor with a genuine passion to work in a fast-paced global consumer business?

This global multi-bn$ turnover FMCG business has an enviable market position with a presence in over 200 countries. It’s range of product lines include several brands that are the No1 or No2 brand in their market. With an energetic and vibrant culture and a high degree of ambition, this business is innovative and strives to be the best – which means hiring the best people.

The Global Internal Audit function operates as a truly global team across key hubs in the US, Latin America, the Far East and EMEA. The EMEA headquarters are based in the Netherlands although the team works on a hybrid basis. This challenging opportunity will give you exposure primarily across the EMEA and APAC regions, but you will work collaboratively with other members of the global team and even get the opportunity to travel on audits in the US and LATAM regions. The is a proven career development culture right across the business that promotes and rewards the best on ability and potential – not on the amount of “years served”. Hence this is a true meritocracy where you will get opportunity and be pushed out of your comfort zone! Progression could be within audit – more likely it will be on into a different area of the business – including international moves.

There is now an opportunity for a Senior Internal Auditor to join the team in Amsterdam. Reporting to the EMEA/APAC Managers and Director of Internal Audit, you will be part of team delivering an interesting portfolio of purely operational internal audits – offering the opportunity to really build your understanding of how this passionate and fast-paced consumer business really works. There are very few financial audits, no compliance audits and no SOx audits. It’s all about commercial business processes – procurement, marketing, inventory management, supply chain, manufacturing, logistics, commercial terms/agreements, discounts and rebates etc

Typical reviews involve 3-4 team members for up to 3 weeks and most reviews are country or entity based. Key risks include the usual emerging markets risks, supply chain/distribution, health & safety, pricing and discounting. The team have also been involved in a number of project audits eg SAP roll-out and it is common for there to be secondments both in to and out of the team. You can expect to be travelling for typically 15-20% of your time (maximum 30%) across the EMEA/ME/APAC regions but with the possibility of the occasional trip to the US, and LATAM regions etc.

This opportunity offers exposure to senior stakeholders right across EMEA and APAC, lots of variety and most importantly the opportunity to learn how a multinational FMCG business operates. You will need to develop and maintain positive stakeholder relationships to allow you to work closely with the business and as your experience grows may also provide input into the risk assessment and annual audit planning. The Audit Leadership don’t believe that they have the monopoly on good ideas so you will be encouraged to identify opportunities to improve the methodology and standards within the internal audit function.

Whilst most of the business works on a hybrid basis of 2-3 days/week in their Amsterdam office, the audit team has a bit more flexibility and normally is in the office less than this. However, you must be based within a reasonable commute of Amsterdam or be happy to relocate to the Amsterdam area.

As the ideal candidate you will:

• Have a university degree - preferably in finance, business or economics/similar
• Ideally (though not necessarily) have a appropriate supplementary audit, business or accounting qualification eg MBA, ACCA, CPA, CIA etc
• Have a background developed within a Big 4/large accounting firm and/or a larger multinational business.
• Preferably have exposure to the FMCG/manufacturing sector
• Have a minimum of 3 years’ experience – which should include some internal audit experience (either within the Risk Assurance service line of a Big 4/larger firm or within a multinational commercial environment)
• Have full professional fluency in English (other language skills are considered a plus)
• Have strong communication skills, a can-do attitude and an ability to influence at a senior level
• Thrive in a fast-paced and multi-cultural environment and have the flexibility to travel for up to 30% of the time

On offer is a basic salary of c€75,000 plus a VERY generous bonus (25% on-target with up-scale).